Archives for April 2014

First Stanley Cup Playoff Game 7 Tripleheader In 11 Years Tonight on NBCSN and CNBC

April 30, 2014 By admin

Game 7 – (3) Flyers-(2) Rangers at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN – Series Tied 3-3

Game 7 – (4) Wild-(1) Avalanche at 9:30 p.m. ET on CNBC – Series Tied 3-3

Game 7 – (3) Kings-(2) Sharks at 10 p.m. ET on NBCSN – Series Tied 3-3

Second Round Begins Thursday with Game 1 Between (3) Montreal Canadiens & (1) Boston Bruins at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

All Games Will Be Streamed Live On NBC Sports Live Extra Via “TV Everywhere”

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 30, 2014 – One of the most exciting first rounds in Stanley Cup Playoff history continues tonight, as NBCSN and CNBC will present the first Game 7 tripleheader in 11 years, starting at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with the (3) Philadelphia Flyers and (2) New York Rangers from Madison Square Garden. All three Game 7 matchups will also be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – via “TV Everywhere.”

CNBC’s Game 7 coverage begins at 9:30 p.m. ET with the (4) Minnesota Wild and (1) Colorado Avalanche in a rematch of a Game 7 overtime thriller in Denver from 2003. NBCSN’s coverage continues at 10 p.m. ET, as the (3) Los Angeles Kings look to become just the fourth team in Stanley Cup Playoff history to erase a 0-3 deficit with a win over the (2) San Jose Sharks in San Jose.

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“NHL Playoff Pass” on NBC Sports Group Press Box provides a quick daily overview of NBC Sports Group’s Stanley Cup Playoff coverage, plus information and highlights. The Pass will be published weekdays to preview that evening’s games. On Fridays, a weekend edition will be posted.

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For more information on NBC Sports Group’s overall NHL Playoff coverage, please click here.

THE PASS – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 (All times ET)

Time	Coverage	Network	Commentators
6:30 p.m.	NHL Live	NBCSN	Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury, Keith Jones
7 p.m.	Game 7 – (2) N.Y. Rangers at (3) Philadelphia	NBCSN	Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire
9 p.m.	NHL Live	CNBC	Russ Thaler, Jeremy Roenick, Anson Carter
9:30 p.m.	Game 7 – (4) Minnesota at (1) Colorado	CNBC	John Forslund, Daryl Reaugh
10 p.m.	Game 7 – (3) Los Angeles at (2) San Jose	NBCSN	Dave Strader, Brian Engblom

TONIGHT – APRIL 30

NBCSN’s Game 7 tripleheader coverage begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh, alongside analysts and former NHL players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones. CNBC will present pre-game coverage at 9 p.m. ET, with Russ Thaler hosting NHL Live alongside analysts and former NHL players Jeremy Roenick and Anson Carter.

Game 7 between the (3) Flyers and (2) Rangers kicks off tonight’s tripleheader on NBCSN at 7 p.m. ET. Last night, Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds recorded a hat trick en route to a 5-2 win in Philadelphia. This is the first Game 7 between the Flyers and Rangers in 40 years, when the Flyers recorded a 4-3 win over the Rangers at the Spectrum. The Rangers return to Madison Square Garden tonight, where they are 5-0 all-time in Game 7s. Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike “Doc” Emrick will call the action alongside Eddie Olczyk and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire from New York.

CNBC’s coverage on Wednesday will start at 9:30 p.m. ET with Game 7 between the Avalanche and Wild. The home team has won each of the first six games of this series, including Minnesota’s 5-2 win on Monday night. This is the second time the Wild and Avalanche have squared off in a Game 7. On April 22, 2003, the Wild defeated the Avalanche by a score of 3-2 in overtime, in what was the final game of current Avs coach Patrick Roy’s career. John Forslund (play-by-play) and Daryl Reaugh (analyst) will have the call from Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.

NBCSN’s first-round coverage concludes with Kings-Sharks at 10 p.m. ET, as the Kings look to pull off an improbable comeback with four straight victories to erase a 3-0 series deficit. Only three teams have ever rallied from a 0-3 deficit to win a Stanley Cup Playoff series (’42 Toronto Maple Leafs, ’75 New York Islanders, ’10 Philadelphia Flyers). Current Kings forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards were members of the 2010 Flyers team that came back to defeat the Boston Bruins.

The Sharks are the last team to relinquish a 3-0 series lead in the first round. In 2011, the Detroit Red Wings stormed back with three straight wins, only to see the Sharks rebound and win Game 7 in San Jose. Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (analyst) will have the call from the SAP Center at San Jose in San Jose, Calif.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF GAME 7 FACTS

Tonight’s Game 7 tripleheader marks just the fifth time in major professional sports history that three Game 7 matchups have been played on one day, the first time that three Stanley Cup Playoff Game 7s have been played on night since April 22, 2003, and involves three teams that played in that tripleheader in 2003, including a Game 7 rematch.

On that date, the Minnesota Wild defeated the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 3-2 in overtime, in what was current Avs coach and hall-of-fame goaltender Patrick Roy’s final game. The Philadelphia Flyers, who play tonight in New York, defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1.

The opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has now yielded three-or-more Game 7s in four consecutive postseasons:

o 2014: 3, TBD
o 2013: 3, Home Teams: 1-2
o 2012: 3, Home Teams: 1-2
o 2011: 4, Home Teams: 3-1

Since 2003-04, there have been 22 Game 7s in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Home teams are 10-12 in those contests.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, home teams are 90-59 (.604) all-time in Game 7s contested in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Elias also says that the team that scores first in a Game 7 holds a 111-38 (.745) all-time record.

SECOND ROUND BEGINS TOMORROW NIGHT WITH (3) CANADIENS-(1) BRUINS AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN’s second-round coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. ET with Game 1 between the rival (3) Montreal Canadiens and (1) Boston Bruins from TD Garden in Boston, Mass. Montreal swept Tampa Bay in the first round to advance, while the Bruins defeated Detroit in five games to reach the second round.

GAMES TELEVISED SO FAR

For the third consecutive year, NBC, NBCSN, CNBC and NHL Network are combining to televise every Stanley Cup Playoff game nationally.

Network	Games
NBC	6
NBCSN	26
CNBC	11
NHL-N	2
Total	45

One-goal Games: 23
OT games: 13

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will stream all Stanley Cup Playoff games that air on NBC, NBCSN and CNBC, including the comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final. The vast majority of games will be live streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Games airing on:

NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs;
CNBC will live stream exclusively through NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere.”

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

— NBC Sports Group —

Eastern Conference’s Top Two Teams Meet As Sporting Kansas City Host Columbus Crew Sunday At 4 P.M. ET On NBCSN

April 30, 2014 By admin

Stamford, Conn. – April 30, 2014 – NBCSN’s Major League Soccer coverage this weekend features last season’s MLS Cup champion Sporting Kansas City hosting Columbus Crew on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

Sunday’s match is the first of the season between the Eastern Conference’s top two teams, first-place Columbus and second-place Sporting Kansas City. Sporting, led by U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Graham Zusi and defender Matt Besler, have beaten Columbus in their last 3 regular season matches.

COMMENTATORS: NBC Sports Group’s lead play-by-play announcer John Strong calls the match joined former U.S. National Team midfielder Kyle Martino. Comcast SportsNet New England and NBCSN analyst Dalen Cuff hosts studio coverage.

Strong on Sporting Kansas City vs. Columbus Crew: “Columbus shocked everyone by winning their first three games under new coach Gregg Berhalter, and in Federico Higuain Columbus possess one of the best playmakers in MLS. Sporting Kansas City are the defending champions of course, and in Graham Zusi and Matt Besler have two players who are not only key to a repeat title, but might be key for the United States in the World Cup next month.”

MLS ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

NBCSN’s coverage of Sporting Kansas City vs. Columbus Crew will be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

About NBC Sports Group’s Soccer Coverage

NBC Sports Group’s networks and platforms are leading destinations for soccer fans in the U.S. Its soccer portfolio includes Major League Soccer (MLS), U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team matches, the men’s and women’s Olympic soccer tournaments, and the Premier League. NBCUniversal, via the NBC Sports Group, is the home for all 380 Premier League matches, as well as comprehensive shoulder programming. NBCUniversal’s Telemundo and mun2 also provide comprehensive Spanish-language soccer coverage. Both channels will air Premier League matches, as well as serve as the U.S. Spanish-language home for the FIFA World Cup from 2015 through 2022. Online, ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com provides comprehensive coverage of the sport, from the Premier League to MLS to the U.S. National Team and other key international soccer stories.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit www.NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

– NBC SPORTS GROUP –

SiriusXM to Air 140th Running of the Kentucky Derby

April 30, 2014 By admin

SiriusXM to Air 140^th Running of the Kentucky Derby

Live race broadcast will air Saturday on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM App

Listeners also get daily news and analysis leading up to race day

NEW YORK – April 30, 2014 – SiriusXM will offer comprehensive coverage of the Kentucky Derby, the first jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, from Churchill Downs, this Saturday, May 3.

SiriusXM listeners will hear Horse Racing Radio Network’s live race call of the 140^th “Run for the Roses” starting at 5:00 pm ET, as well as the Kentucky Derby undercard races from 2:00 to 5:00 pm ET.

On Friday, May 2, at 3:00pm ET SiriusXM will air the Kentucky Oaks, the Grade 1 stakes race for three-year old fillies, run annually at Churchill Downs on the eve of the Derby.

All broadcasts will air on Sirius channel 93 and XM channel 208 on satellite radios, and also on channel 961 on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App and online at SiriusXM.com.

Leading up to race day, SiriusXM’s horse racing talk shows will provide listeners with daily news and analysis.

At The Races with Steve Byk airs weekdays from 6:00-10:00 am ET featuring interviews with handicapping experts and trainers and an in-depth look at the field.

On Saturday a special pre-Derby edition of Down The Stretch, hosted by Dave Johnson and Bill Finley, will air live starting at 10:00 am ET. Johnson, the acclaimed track announcer who called the Derby for 24 years, and Finley will discuss all the stakes races happening that day at Churchill Downs, provide the latest Derby news and pre-race analysis, and interview jockeys, trainers and owners.

SiriusXM will broadcast all three races of the 2014 Triple Crown. Listeners will hear HRRN’s call of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes on May 17, and the Belmont Stakes on June 7. All three broadcasts will air live starting at 5:00 pm ET.

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ESPN’s Coverage of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Marcos Maidana

April 30, 2014 By admin

SportsCenter and ESPN Deportes in Las Vegas
ESPN3 Coverage of Weigh-in and Press Conference, Pre- and Post-Fight Analysis on ESPN.com

ESPN will present extensive pre- and post-fight coverage across its platforms in English and in Spanish of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Marcos Maidana Welterweight title unification fight. The fight between Mayweather and Maidana will be held on Saturday, May 3, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Highlights:
SportsCenter: Pre- and post-fight analysis and interviews led by host Robert Flores and boxing experts Dan Rafael, Teddy Atlas, and bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna from Las Vegas.

ESPN3: Coverage of the Wednesday, April 30, press conference (4 p.m. ET) and the Friday, May 2, weigh-in (6 p.m.) live on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Xbox and Roku via WatchESPN.

ESPN Deportes’ Golpe a Golpe: Commentators Jorge Eduardo Sánchez, Claudia Trejos,David Faitelson, Joe Cortez and Osuna will provide the latest news and analysis in a special pre-fight show from Las Vegas (Saturday, May 3, 8 p.m.). Following the fights, ESPN Deportes will air a special post-fight show (Sunday, May 4, 2 a.m.). Golpe a Golpe will also have coverage of Friday’s weigh-in at 6 p.m.

ESPN.com:

· Comprehensive coverage including pre- and post-fight features and blogs.

· “Fight Credential,” ESPN.com’s home page for all Mayweather vs. Maidana coverage, updated with features, video, photos and social media from all platforms throughout the week and through the fight.

· Video previews and breakdowns from Making the Rounds, ESPN.com’s original boxing show.

· Atlas’ Fight Plan for Mayweather and Maidana: Atlas demonstrates what each fighter needs to do to win in his “Fight Plan” segment.

o View Atlas’ Fight Plan for Mayweather here

o View Atlas’ Fight Plan for Maidana here

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FOX Sports Lands Franklin Templeton Shootout

April 30, 2014 By admin

Joe Buck & Greg Norman Make Their Tower Debut

Los Angeles – FOX Sports and the Franklin Templeton Shootout have reached a multi-year, multi-platform rights agreement that brings the Franklin Templeton Shootout to FOX and FOX Sports 1 exclusively beginning this December 11-13. The 2014 event is held at Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.

Founded in 1989 by World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman, who was recently paired with Joe Buck as FOX Sports’ 18^th tower broadcast team, the Shootout is the longest running PGA TOUR-sanctioned challenge season event. The Shootout’s move to FOX Sports makes it the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned event televised by FOX and FOX Sports 1, features a minimum of 10 hours of live tournament coverage and is where Buck and Norman make their broadcasting debut together.

Just last year, FOX secured the rights for all United States Golf Association (USGA) events, including the U.S. Open, starting in 2015. Adding the Franklin Templeton Shootout to the FOX Sports golf portfolio further solidifies its entry into golf while providing additional compelling content for FOX and FOX Sports 1.

“The Franklin Templeton Shootout is a prestigious PGA TOUR-sanctioned event, so we jumped at the idea of working with Greg and bringing it to FOX Sports,” said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports President, COO & Executive Producer. “This is going to be a great opportunity for us to have Joe and Greg work with the rest of the FOX Sports golf team for the first time, and moving the final round from a football Sunday to Saturday makes for a much better showcase.”

“I’m thrilled that FOX Sports has secured the rights to broadcast the tournament that I have hosted for the last 25 years, and equally excited about making my broadcasting debut with Joe Buck,” said Norman, Chairman and CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises. “FOX Sports has always taken an innovative approach to sports broadcasting, and I’m certain that their coverage of golf will be no different. The Franklin Templeton Shootout is a unique event that showcases an outstanding collection of PGA TOUR talent, while more importantly helping to generate awareness for children’s cancer research. I am honored that FOX Sports has added the event to their golf lineup.”

The shift to FOX Sports results in a schedule change for the Shootout. The opening round of the 54-hole professional competition is held Thursday, Dec. 11 with the final round played Saturday, Dec. 13. This year, FOX Sports 1 televises the Thursday and Friday rounds, and FOX broadcasts the final round on Saturday.

Throughout its history, the Franklin Templeton Shootout has attracted many of golf’s greatest players who form two-man teams and compete in the a modified alternate-shot, better ball and scramble formats. The 12 two-man teams are expected to be announced in October. The defending champions of the Shootout are Matt Kuchar and Harris English, who were victorious over a field of challengers including Jason Dufner/Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter/Lee Westwood, Greg Norman/Jonas Blixt and Steve Stricker/Jerry Kelly.

All three rounds of the Franklin Templeton Shootout televised by FOX and FOX Sports 1 are streamed live via FOX Sports GO through participating video providers.

Franklin Templeton Investments’ longstanding partnership with Greg Norman and the Shootout dates back to 1991. Over the past two decades, Franklin Templeton’s commitment and support has allowed the Shootout to raise millions of dollars for a variety of worthy charities including CureSearch for Children’s Cancer.

Johnny Manziel on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated

April 30, 2014 By admin

This week’s Sports Illustrated includes the 2014 NFL Draft Preview which features a 10-plus page section with Texas A&M’s quarterback Johnny Manziel on the cover. Features include, “The Trouble with Running Backs,” “SI’s Mock Draft,” and the “Four Most Sought After Skill Sets for 2014.” This is Manziel’s first SI cover.

ESPN Conference Call Transcript: MNF’s Jon Gruden Discusses QB Camp Series and NFL Draft Prospects

April 30, 2014 By admin

ESPN conducted a media conference call on Tuesday with Monday Night Football’s Jon Gruden to discuss the SportsCenter Special: Gruden’sQB Camp series and ESPN’s 2014 NFL Draft coverage. ESPN will provide live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the NFL Draft from Radio City Music Hall in New York, May 8-10, and Gruden will provide analysis on the main set the opening night in prime time. Full audio replay; Gruden’s QB Camp TV schedule and photos). Transcript:

Q. How much do you think GMs have to take into consideration everything that comes with Johnny Manziel? Even if he’s trying to tone things down, it goes viral with everything he does.

GRUDEN: Everything is evaluated on and off the field. When you’re dealing with a high-profile position like the quarterback, obviously there’s some well-documented things to cover and to consider. Johnny Manziel had George Bush at his pro date. Manziel brings a lot of excitement and interest to your organization. Maybe some people don’t want to be part of it. That will be up to them. But everything will be carefully scrutinized.

Q. There’s been a lot of talk about Teddy Bridgewater. What do you think about the talk and how do you think he projects as one of the top quarterbacks in the draft?

GRUDEN: I’ve done a lot of individual workouts in my past as a receiver coach, as a quarterback coach, even as a head coach. If the player didn’t work that well for me, I didn’t move them down, I took them off our board. So if you’re not having good individual workouts, if you don’t have a good pro workout, that’s part of the evaluation process. You’re going to be moved down or potentially off some people’s boards. I’d be concerned if I were any person and I didn’t have good private workouts or I had a typically bad pro date.

Q. Is there an obvious No. 1 pick in your mind? Also, which quarterback is best equipped to succeed immediately, and which is the best long-term prospect?

GRUDEN: To me the first pick of the draft, the sure-fire Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, I don’t know that that player is in this draft. You’re dealing with more underclassmen than I can ever remember. If you’re talking (Jadeveon) Clowney, (Johnny) Manziel, Sammy Watkins, even some of the underclassmen linemen, Greg Robinson. So it’s a crapshoot. This is not a complete body of work to evaluate. You have to use your imagination, be able to see down the road a bit. There is no sure-fire, can’t-miss No. 1 in anybody’s world, but there are some great prospects.

The second part of your question, if there was one quarterback ready to come in and contribute right away, I think to me it’s dependent on the organization and the team that you have. If you got a really bad team, I don’t care who you bring in there, you’re probably not going to be successful. I like a lot of quarterbacks. I’ve been accused of that. But I do think it’s up to the organization to take the player at the position of quarterback and stay with them, train them, stay with them some more, help this young man develop and become a great player. It might not happen right away.

Three of the top guys are juniors. I don’t think they’re physically ready. I don’t think they’re far along mentally. I think they might be a work in progress for six months or a year. But I do like (Derek) Carr. I like the fifth-year seniors. I think Carr is going to come in and be further along than a lot of these (quarterbacks) because of his vast background, two different systems. I think he’s got an excellent arm. I think he’s been challenged from a protection standpoint. I like Aaron Murray from Georgia. I like (A.J.) McCarron. The fifth-year seniors will be the guys that are obviously most ready.

Q. Logan Thomas from Virginia Tech, there were some people hoping you might dissect him in QB Camp. What led to the decision he wasn’t part of that group? How would you break him down as a prospect?

GRUDEN: I wanted to do more quarterbacks. We did nine. Unfortunately time is a big part of it. We just don’t have the time. We don’t just show up and shoot these guys. We spent a week basically preparing for each one of these quarterbacks. We just didn’t have enough time.

In fairness to (Zach) Mettenberger, Logan Thomas, a couple other guys we would of liked to have done. Studying Logan, he’s been in a couple different systems. He is a player I first saw a couple years ago. He reminded me of Cam Newton for obvious reasons. A dual threat that had physical presence at the position that was rare. He just hasn’t come along as a passer, a consistent passer, like maybe some people think. He had his ups and downs at the Senior Bowl. It was clear it wasn’t consistent. When you’re not consistent at the quarterback position, you’re going to be downgraded. I think that’s why Logan Thomas is where he is in terms of the draft boards. When you stand next to him and look at him, see him run around, you can see he has the ability to play a number of positions. Somebody with a creative offensive mind will get him and hopefully get the best out of him.

Q. Jimmy Garoppolo comes from the quarterback factory in Eastern Illinois. Do you see some Tony Romo in his game? Do you see him coming off the boards as early as late in the first round?

GRUDEN: I don’t know that he’s going to go in the first round. He doesn’t really remind me a lot of Tony Romo because of the offense he’s coming from. He’s running the same offense that Robert Griffin ran at Baylor. Dino Babers, Eastern Illinois head coach, came from Baylor. It’s an up-tempo, no-huddle spread. They’re going to try to run as many plays as they can in a game. Tony didn’t play in that type of system. He ran some formations and plays that I actually recognized.

Where Garoppolo jumped most at me was in the East West practices and the Senior Bowl. I think he looked like he belonged. When I met Jimmy, I met a very sharp, eager young prospect that has size. But Garoppolo has improved tremendously over his last two seasons. They’ve won two Ohio Valley Conference championships. He’s not a finished product. He’s going to have some growing to do because of the system he comes from. But he’s a big, sharp prospect that I know a lot of people like.

Q. A couple of quarterbacks here in South Carolina: Tajh Boyd was part of your program. Even though he wasn’t on the program, I know you’ve seen Connor Shaw in person a couple times. Do you think he has a future in the NFL?

GRUDEN: Those are two really productive quarterbacks. Starting with Tajh Boyd, here is a dual threat. What I like about Boyd is he’s a finisher. He went back to Clemson to finish with his teammates. He is a quarterback that has a live arm. He can run. He has production passing and running. The show we did on him that I think is relative to his performance, it’s all about peaks and valleys. He’s had tremendous peaks at Clemson in this no-huddle spread offense. He’s had some great individual performances. He’s also had some valleys I think. The three South Carolina losses, I thought the struggle against Florida State. I think people are studying those games, high-profile competition, and wondering why he struggled a little bit in those outings. He’s just got to become more consistent. I think when he did go to the Senior Bowl, it was a struggle initially converting to being an underneath-the-center quarterback. But I really like Tajh. I think he’s going to be a mid-round selection. He’ll develop in somebody’s system and has a chance to get a good player if they can get some continuity around him.

As far as Connor Shaw goes, he is another dual threat that has interesting training, that being Steve Spurrier. He does have some pro-style system background. You also see the Gamecocks running a lot of up-tempo zone-read type stuff. Shaw is capable of running a lot of offenses. He’s a winning quarterback. He’s had sustained production. Does he throw it well enough? How he performs in his individual workouts will be critical for him.

Q. Bradley Roby, the Ohio State cornerback pleaded guilty to a variation of a DUI charge even though his alcohol content was below the legal limit. With this coming so close to the draft, how much do you think this will affect his draft status and how do teams evaluate those situations?

GRUDEN: Everybody will evaluate it differently but at the same time they’ll take this very seriously. It’s not good right before the draft to have anything like this occur for many reasons. But they’re going to go back and weigh the pros and cons of every one of these players, what they’ve done on the field and off the field. All the information I’m sure will be gathered and everybody will have their own interpretation once they gather it. Here is a kid who missed the opening game. He was suspended for some reason. Here is a kid that didn’t play against Clemson in the bowl game, I think he had an injury. There are some concerns regarding Bradley Roby.

Q. What is your overall impression of A.J. McCarron? He mentioned recently teams told him he could go in the first round. What do you think of that?

GRUDEN: I can see him certainly going in the first round. Again, here is a pool of players, these seven, eight, nine quarterbacks that we’re talking about. McCarron’s production speaks volumes: 36 wins, four losses, all-time record holder at Alabama in a lot of different categories. He doesn’t have the flashy statistics that some of the other quarterbacks do because of the system he comes out of. Alabama comes out of a huddle. They only throw the ball 26 plays a game, which is about a hundredth in college football. But he takes care of the ball. He has a big-picture understanding of the game. He’s been well-schooled. He’s disciplined. He’s durable. I don’t think he has tremendous athletic ability. His arm is not off the charts, but he can play quarterback and manage an NFL system. I think he’ll be a good acquisition for someone that has a long-term plan.

Q. It looks like Aaron Murray is in that eight to 10 range. Do you think that’s about right? Where do you think he stacks up?

GRUDEN: He doesn’t fall that low on my board. Unfortunately I don’t have a team. I’m the head of the Fired Football Coaches Association. He’s in my top five. I realize he’s got some injuries, not just the knee that he’s rehabbing right now. He’s had some injuries in high school that I’m sure people are also documenting.

But when I watched Georgia play I see production at the quarterback position. I don’t think many kids have thrown for 3,000 yards four straight seasons in that conference. I just like what he is off the field. He’s an SEC scholar of the year. He has his degree. He goes to the Senior Bowl on his own just to be in the meetings. He’s a football junky. He has a charisma about him. When I saw him down here at our quarterback camp, we have a number of NFL players here, Santonio Holmes, Devin Hester, Ike Taylor, Cortez Allen, Kyle Williams. Murray did a good job with meeting NFL players, college players. I just like a lot of things about him. So he’s higher on my board.

Q. What system or coach do you think is right for him? Did you notice a change at all in his game from last season to previous ones?

GRUDEN: It’s a very diverse system that they run at Georgia. It’s a single-back, no-huddle spread system. It’s a traditional I-formation two-back system. But they do throw the ball down the field as well as any team in college football. I’ve seen him manage a lot of systems. I like the fact he’s been in the offense for four years, been a starter for four years. I like this kid a lot.

Q. Some coaches and GMs have said in the last month or so if they can get three starters out of a draft, they’ve had a successful draft. What were your expectations in Tampa? What did you want to get out of each draft?

GRUDEN: You like to have your draft choices make your football team, number one. When I used to work for the 49ers years ago, before the salary cap era, I heard if you had too many rookies starting for you, you weren’t a very good team. To be honest with you, you don’t want to have five rookie starters. You want good starters. I don’t care if they’re rookies or second- or third-year players. Because of the modern era and salary cap, you want as many rookies to be on the field because they’re the most affordable. Most importantly, let’s get good players that are on the front line at every position or we won’t be here for very long. The worst thing is to say we had a good draft because we had five good rookie starters because then in a year you want to replace them.

You’re seeing new coaches coming in. At Tampa, I’m not sure they like (Mike) Glennon at quarterback. Last time during the season they were saying he might be the future of the Buccaneers. It’s in the eyes of the beholder, but you better get good players out of this draft that make your team because they’re affordable and they’re the life’s blood of the organization.

Q. The Seahawks coming off their first Super Bowl title, does it change at all once you’ve won a Super Bowl drafting at all?

GRUDEN: We didn’t have any draft picks when I got to Tampa for the first couple years, so I wouldn’t know what that is like. On Seattle’s behalf, they’re going to pick late because of where they finished, for good reason. That’s how the league has been set up for years. What I like about the Seahawks is they didn’t seem to lose a lot of high-profile players in the off-season. This is a young team. They maintained some continuity. Earl Thomas resigned with (Cam) Chancellor now gives them a dynamic duo in their defense for years to come. The biggest challenge they’re going to have is staying healthy, trying to replace Golden Tate, trying to replace the depth they lost in their front four. I think continuing to draft extremely well not only in the first round but in the middle to late rounds.

Q. Talk about Mike Evans. Do you think he’s below Sammy Watkins in terms of his impact right away? Is he a good fit for the Bucs at seven? And your thoughts on Khalil Mack?

GRUDEN: I think Evans is a completely different receiver than Watkins, at least on the tape I’ve seen. Evans plays on the right side of the formation. He is in a no-huddle offense. He plays on the right every play. They don’t switch sides. He doesn’t go in motion. He’s not in the slot. He’s a big X receiver that is a prototype split end, much like Tampa already has in Vincent Jackson, a guy that is a dynamic force when the ball is in the air. He’s a threat to run it after the catch. When he wants to, he can be a dominant blocker. He’s really very similar to Vincent Jackson of the Buccaneers already. I don’t know if you want two of those on the same team. I don’t know that you don’t. Depends on what Jeff Tedford has in store.

In regards to Khalil Mack, as a 4-3 player, my biggest concern is where do you play him? I think he’s an edge player to me. When I look at Khalil Mack, he’s most effective on the line of scrimmage, as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense or as a nickel pass-rusher playing the defensive end position. In a pure 4-3, I don’t know that you want him as a base defensive end. I think he fits the 3-4 schemes the best in terms of a base outside linebacker and in the sub-package he’s obviously a defensive end.

Q. Could you see the Cardinals drafting a quarterback? If so they’d be doing it the old school way where a guy sits behind a veteran or two for a year or so. Do you like that?

GRUDEN: I’ve heard that rumor – that Arizona needs to draft a quarterback. Seems to me that Carson Palmer had one of the best years of his career. Arizona is on the cusp of closing in on a lot of people in this NFC. Getting (Jonathan) Cooper back from an injury is really going to help their offensive line. I think it all depends on how the board falls, to be honest with you. If one of these quarterbacks that Arizona likes were to slide to them, I could see them pulling the trigger certainly. If the one they like in this draft isn’t there, I can see Steve (Keim) continuing to add good players to a formidable defense or to a position of need, maybe address the offensive line one more time. Who knows?

Q. Who do you think will be the Jets week 1 starter, Geno (Smith) or Michael Vick? If Johnny Manziel happens to slip to 18 to the Jets, what would you do then?

GRUDEN: Well, who do I think will be the starter week one? I wish I could answer that. It’s a two-horse race. Might be a photo finish. Might need to ask me this after we’ve seen the pre-season. I have no idea. Just because Michael Vick has an association with Marty Mornhinweg. I do like what Geno Smith did as a freshman or a rookie quarterback in the NFL. He had a rocky beginning, rough outings, but he showed some mental and physical toughness. I think he improved. I like the youth at the quarterback position that has experience. So I think if it’s close, the tie goes to the rookie, the second-year player.

If Johnny Manziel is there at No. 18, I’ll give you my cell phone number and I’ll take you out to a steak dinner.

Q. Lions are looking for a quarterback maybe in the later rounds as a backup for Matthew Stafford. What traits were you looking for when you took a developmental guy late in the draft?

GRUDEN: They used to come to my office and get me in the sixth round because that’s when we took quarterbacks in Tampa. I like the idea of taking them at the top of the first rounds, to be honest with you.

In Green Bay years ago, I remember Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren would take a quarterback in the late rounds. They got Mark Brunell late in the fifth round, we got Ty Detmer in the seventh round, then they got (Matthew) Hasselbeck. They continued to do that. What you’re looking for is production, number one, a productive college quarterback that has the ability to think quickly, that can make all the throws. You’re looking for a lot of intangibles certainly in the sixth round, a guy that fits your system. You hope with coaching he can improve mentally and physically. There’s a couple guys that I think might appeal to the Lions. They took a kid a couple years ago Kellen Moore out of Boise. I’m sure they’re looking for someone else that can develop for the future as well.

Q. Who could you see being late-round picks for them?

GRUDEN: The kid at San Jose State has some qualities. We talked about Tajh Boyd in the mid-round who has the chance to be that kind of guy. I try not to float a lot of projections in the sixth round, to be quite honest with you.

Q. Sammy Watkins, what do you think he’s done during the offseason in workouts to set himself apart? Also from a coaching standpoint, you touched on the explosion of underclassmen to the NFL. You don’t have all the tape on them. What’s something people don’t realize about the challenges of a player coming out before he’s ready?

GRUDEN: I think that’s a great point in this draft. I think there’s 80 underclassmen players that have applied for the draft. You’re dealing with players that aren’t as far along as they used to be physically or from an expertise standpoint. A lot of these players have two years of eligibility left, so they’re missing two spring practices, two training camps, and two regular seasons. That’s unprecedented, if you ask me. The body of work is not complete and it’s not as impressive as it was in years past. I think it is a real challenge for all of the coaches and all of the scouts to not be able to see these kids perform in a college all-star game like the East West game or the Senior Bowl game. This is not a complete body of work and it becomes a little bit of a projection. I don’t like it. I don’t think it’s easy. But it’s the way the world is going.

In regards to Sammy Watkins, I think the biggest thing he’s done, he has done it consistently well for every team he’s worked out for. He’s a big, explosive man. He’s able to run after the catch at Clemson. He can return kicks. I think what sets Sammy apart is his sincerity and passion for the game. Everyone I’ve talked to has come away very impressed with Watkins’ passion to be great and to put forth a tremendous work ethic.

Q. There was not a running back selected in the first round last year. There may not be one this year. Is that a trend? Do you think that the teams are more reluctant to take running backs because there’s so many passing teams now? The Raiders at No. 5 may not draft a quarterback, but they’ve said they want to take one. Which guy do you see fitting what Greg Olson likes to do?

GRUDEN: In the running backs, the game used to be set up offensively around a strong running game. If you wanted a strong running game, you needed to get a great running back. I can remember Bo Jackson that my dad drafted in Tampa Bay, Herschel Walker, those types of backs. That was how your offense was set up, to run the football, be a good play-action team, et cetera. Those times obviously have changed.

When you look at the running backs in college football, you never know if they’re ever going to get the ball because the quarterback pulls it out of his stomach half the time and keeps it himself. Carlos Hyde, (Ka Deem) Carey at Arizona. It’s hard to evaluate them because the quarterback pulls it out of his chest half the time.

In regards to the Raiders, I think Greg Olson is like a lot of NFL coaches today: you’re looking for a quarterback that can run any play that you dream up. That’s the beauty of Russell Wilson. He can run read options, speed options. He can run a west coast offense. He can run any play you dream up. You’re seeing more and more of the dual threats becoming a force in the NFL with (Colin) Kaepernick, obviously Cam Newton. You’re seeing quarterbacks being coveted that can run it, throw it, run an up-tempo style.

(Blake) Bortles from Central Florida. Bortles did a lot of options, drop-back stuff in the pro-style system. I can see Olson liking Johnny Manziel. Greg Olson is a guy with tremendous imagination. I can see him liking a lot of these quarterbacks.

Q. We all know if you give scouts enough time they can pick holes in anyone. With such a late draft, is there over-analysis going on, any impact at all?

GRUDEN: That I’m sure is going on every place. The longer you stir the stew, the longer you have a tendency to screw it up. Too many chefs spoil the stew. This draft needs to take place quickly. We’ve had first, second and third analysis done on just about every factors from doctors to psychiatrists, the short shuttles, film study, the individual workouts and combines. I think everybody is ready to draft them.

Q. After the top offensive tackles of Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, Taylor Lewan, can you talk about the next group of tackles of who you see and what you like there?

GRUDEN: Morgan Moses at Virginia is a very interesting guy to me. They’ve had a history of left tackles come out of Virginia. Moses is a kid that played one year at left tackle. He was a right tackle for a couple years. Joel Bitonio at Nevada is an interesting player. A fifth-year senior, been around, worked hard. I think he has some position flexibility, can play right, left or go inside. I like Zack Martin at Notre Dame. He might be my favorite linemen in this draft – 52-time starter, captain, really excelled at the Senior Bowl, drill work. Cyrus Kouandjio at Alabama, interesting player. Had some knee issues. I believe he’s rounding into health. Massive person with experience on the left side. There’s a number of interesting big people in this draft. I think last year we had three tackles go in the top five. So we got a lot of good quality offensive linemen coming into pro football here.

Q. Give your thoughts on compensatory picks, how it goes against the nature of the draft because the stronger teams seem to get rewarded by that. When you were in Tampa, did you ever make moves or not make moves trying to get compensatory picks the following year?

GRUDEN: The second part of your question, I don’t believe we ever did. There is a formula for acquiring compensatory picks. You have to lose a certain amount of free agents. I don’t know how the formula works nowadays to be honest with you. We never went into free agency saying, ‘Let’s let Bobby and Billy go so we can get a compensatory pick to replace them.’ We never said, ‘Let’s not sign a free agent because it will hurt our ability to get a compensatory pick.’ I think everybody in pro football looks at three ways to improve their team: they can do it in the draft certainly, they can do it in free agency, they can do it through their coaching staff developing players. We have to do all three at a high level. Most importantly, we have to make sure we keep the right players and sign the right players for our future.

Q. Does it tend to favor the better team? You look at Baltimore. They seem to have worked that to perfection as far as when to let a guy go and replace them with the fourth-round picks?

GRUDEN: As long as those third- and fourth-round picks can play. You have to give Ozzie Newsome and his staff a tremendous amount of credit. When you get a third- or a fourth-round pick, there’s no guarantee those players can come in and play, let alone start. They’ve done an excellent job bringing in players in the middle rounds to supplement the players they lost. I can remember talking to Dennis Erickson. Sometimes you get a compensatory seven instead of a compensatory three or four. There’s a big difference in where that compensatory pick falls, as you know.

Q. Here in College Station, we hear it said that Johnny Manziel could be considered in the right situation. What do you consider the right situation for him? What would be your main concerns about him?

GRUDEN: I don’t have any concerns. I’m a Manziel – I don’t know what the word I should use is – advocate, proponent. I want Manziel. I realize he’s under six feet tall. Maybe he can’t see over the line. We blew that theory in the water last year with (Russell) Wilson and (Drew) Brees. I know he can learn. I spent two days with him, and I know he wants to learn. He had four different offensive coordinators at Texas A&M. He had two different head coaches. It didn’t matter. He adapted and did extremely well. This is the first Heisman Trophy winner as a freshman. In two years at Texas A&M, he had the most productive back-to-back seasons in SEC history. I don’t know what you want him to do. He threw for eight thousand, ran for two thousand, he has 93 touchdowns. All I know is I want Manziel.

Q. Did you have a chance to evaluate the two Florida receivers, Solomon Patton and Trey Burton?

GRUDEN: No. I had Trey Burton in the Outback Bowl when he was dabbling at quarterback. I’ve seen the cornerbacks for the Gators. Other than that, I haven’t done these two receivers.

Q. What do you think of (Florida’s) Dominique Easley coming off the knee injury?

GRUDEN: I don’t know exactly where he is because I haven’t done the individual workout circuit. I liked him a lot before the injury. For a 4-3 defense, if you’re looking for an under tackle, a pass-rusher, a run defender, an all-around inside presence with a good factor grade that can rush the quarterback, read and react, I think Easley is a very good prospect. I thought he was certainly a top-50 player in this draft prior to the injury.

Q. The Bears might be looking for a backup running back. Is there a personality trait you look for in a guy who might not be able to get many carries in his first year or two? Are there any guys out there you think might be a good fit?

GRUDEN: In regards to the personality part of it, I just always look for team players. I don’t really want too many running backs that want the ball all the time, although that’s not a bad thing either. You want somebody that really wants to impact the game. Knowing Marc Trestman, from having worked with Marc in the past, I’m sure he’s looking for a young back that has some similar traits to Forte. To be a running back for the Bears in this current system, you have to be sharp, have to be able to handle a lot of offense, picking up blitzes, understanding protections, audibles. You got to be sharp and you got to be able to catch the football and do something after you do. Then you got to be able to run an array of different runs, shotgun runs, pistol formation plays, from the I-formation, you name it. I’m sure Marc Trestman is looking to find another back because they lost a pretty good back in free agency.

Q. One of the guys that’s come out of nowhere is Tom Savage at Pitt. Is that real or agent posturing?

GRUDEN: It could be both. Savage is one of the great American mysteries right now. Rutgers, he lost his job, he left and went to Arizona. Rich Rodriguez brought the spread offense to Tucson. He left Arizona and went to Pitt. He threw for over 60%. He’s a pocket passer. You can see he has a big arm. Then he got hurt in the bowl game against Bowling Green. It is a limited body of work. He is a pocket passer with a strong arm. I’m sure some people have seen it and fell in love with him because of that. There’s not a lot of quarterbacks in college football that drop back and throw it anymore, and Savage is clearly one of them.

Q. The two defensive linemen, (Stephon) Tuitt and (Louis) Nix, from Notre Dame, if you can share your impressions. Also a defensive player from Notre Dame, Manti Te’o, kind of a year from that, what your impressions are of him early in his career.

GRUDEN: Manti Te’o, I really liked him coming out of Notre Dame, and I really liked the progress he made at San Diego. Joe Barry is the linebacker coach of the Chargers. He was my linebacker coach in Tampa for several years. Manti had the injury pre-season in the first few games. You have an every-down linebacker that can communicate the game. Everybody talks about the quarterback, the no-huddle offense, all the statistics. I think it’s great. But who is the defensive player that makes all the checks, makes all the calls and lines up the defense? Well, that would be a linebacker like Manti who is on the field all the time. I think he showed great progress. The Chargers were one of the best secrets in football on defense late in the year. They beat Peyton Manning in Denver, beat Cincinnati in the playoffs.

In regards to the two defensive linemen, they both played better two years ago. I think that’s clear to everybody. They both played a lot lighter two years ago. I think it’s a mystery to everyone why they were heavier this year. To me, Nix is a pure nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. The problem with Nix, if there is one, these teams that come out there with three and four wide receivers, they get you in a sub-defense, Nix doesn’t rush the passer, he might not warrant selection if he doesn’t improve his pass-rush. To me, Tuitt is a prototype defensive end in a 3-4 defense. He can shock a tackle. He can beat up a tight end. He certainly is a physical man. That’s what I like about Tuitt. He rushed the passer better two years ago. He needs to maintain the weight he was at a couple years ago because he does have a power rush, he does have some deceptive speed. I like both players. I think I’d kind of lean towards Tuitt because of his position versatility.

Q. Johnny Manziel is a guy who left two years of eligibility on the table. How far developed is he and where do you see his upside? When would that come?

GRUDEN: Well, he’s developed from the standpoint of being on the field making quick decisions in the pocket, at the line of scrimmage, 95 to 98 snaps a game. He has no experience coming out of the huddle really, handling the pass protections, doing some of the things that you’ve seen some of the conventional pro quarterbacks do. It’s going to be a huge adjustment for him. It might not happen for him by opening day.

But I’m convinced that he will learn it. He will excel at whatever you ask him to do. But, remember, he did redshirt at Texas A&M. Maybe he needs a redshirt year in pro football. I’m not going to say that’s going to happen or that’s a certainty. But it will be an adjustment for Manziel making the adjustment as a young player at this position at the next level. But I’m sure he can do it.

Q. James Wilder, Jr. of Florida State. Your dad once coached his dad back in the day. What do you think of him as a runner and what kind of impact do you think he can make it in the NFL?

GRUDEN: I’ve known him almost as long as I’ve known his dad. That would be since he was a little kid. James is another underclassmen. I’m not sure why he came out. I have not had a chance to ask him that. But he’s a north/south, no nonsense powerful back. He’s a powerful man. He just has to make sure he gets things together off the field. There have been too many incidents for him at this point in his career. He’s got to straighten himself out to be in a position to do all the things he’s capable of doing. Hopefully he gets an opportunity with a coach that can put him on a fast track.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

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Deportes Telemundo Presents: León-Cruz Azul In The Liguilla Quarterfinals, Wednesday, April 30 Live At 10:55pm E/7:55 P

April 30, 2014 By admin

The reigning champs face the regular season leaders in their quest to retain the title

Miami –April 29, 2014- Deportes Telemundo, the home of Club León, presents the la Liguilla quarterfinals with León vs. Cruz Azul this Wednesday, April 30 at 10:55 PM EST/9:55PM CST/7:55 PST. The network’s incomparable team of soccer commentators, led by Andrés Cantor, Sammy Sadovnik and Carlos Hermosillo, will narrate the action as León faces off against the best team in regular season play in its quest to win the championship for the second year in a row. Viewers can catch every minute of the game live on deportestelemundo.com and on mobile devices via the “Deportes Telemundo” app.

Cruz Azul hasn’t won the championship since 1997, when it beat León thanks to a winning goal scored by none other than Deportes Telemundo commentator Carlos Hermosillo. This Wednesday, the two teams will relive their historic rivalry and Carlos Hermosillo will once again be there, as a member of the Deportes Telemundo sportscasting team.

Cruz Azul dominated the regular season and enters the Liguilla with 11 wins, three ties and three losses, including 28 goals in its favor and 19 against. León’s scorecard coming into the quarterfinals is six wins, five ties and six losses, with 23 goals in favor and 17 against.

The best Liga MX action is on Telemundo.

About Deportes Telemundo

Deportes Telemundo, Telemundo Media’s sports division, is one of the leading providers of Spanish-language sports content in the United States. The “U.S. Home of the Olympics in Spanish,” Deportes Telemundo also offers World Cup Qualifying matches played by the Mexican National Team; all Liga MX matches played at home by Club León; the leading boxing show in U.S. Spanish-language television, “Boxeo Telemundo,” and the U.S. broadcast and online rights in Spanish language to the biggest soccer tournament in the world, the FIFA World Cup®, across all platforms (except radio), 2015 through 2022.

In addition to its biggest sporting events, Deportes Telemundo produces two leading sports entertainment shows, “Titulares y Más” and “Titulares Telemundo,” offering the latest sports news and analysis combined with entertainment and lifestyle segments. Deportes Telemundo’s award-winning broadcast team is led by internationally acclaimed sportscaster Andrés Cantor and also includes Jessi Losada, Sammy Sadovnik, Manuel Sol, Carlos Hermosillo, Leti Coo, Edgar López, Karim Mendiburu, Mirella Grisales, Ana Jurka, Rene Giraldo and Kaziro Aoyama.

DEPORTES TELEMUNDO PRESENTA: LEÓN-CRUZ AZUL, POR LOS CUARTOS DE FINAL DE LA LIGUILLA, ESTE MIÉRCOLES 30 DE ABRIL EN VIVO A LAS 10:55PM E/7:55 P

El campeón vigente se enfrenta al superlíder de la temporada regular en su primer encuentro con miras a repetir el título del torneo pasado

Miami -29 de abril de 2014- Deportes Telemundo, casa del Club León, presenta los Cuartos de Final de la Liguilla, con el choque entre León y Cruz Azul este miércoles 30 de abril a las 10:55 PM EST/9:55PM CST/7:55 PST. El imbatible equipo de narradores futbolísticos de Deportes Telemundo con Andrés Cantor, Sammy Sadovnik y Carlos Hermosillo, traerá este partido en el que el campeón de vigente se enfrentará al mejor equipo de la temporada regular, en busca de una victoria que los presente como candidatos firmes al bicampeonato. Cada minuto de este partido clave se podrá vivir en vivo y en directo por deportestelemundo.com y en dispositivos móviles a través del app de “Deportes Telemundo”.

Cruz Azul no se consagra campeón desde 1997. El último título de la Máquina Cementera fue gracias a un gol de oro del actual comentarista de Deportes Telemundo, Carlos Hermosillo, precisamente ante León. Este miércoles, la rivalidad histórica se reedita. Y Carlos Hermosillo también estará presente, aunque ahora junto a otro equipo, el de Deportes Telemundo.

Cruz Azul dominó la temporada regular y llegó a la Liguilla con 11 triunfos, tres empates y tres derrotas. La Máquina Cementera tiene 28 goles a favor y 19 en contra en la temporada regular. La Fiera se presenta a los Cuartos de Final después de seis victorias, cinco empates y seis derrotas con 23 goles a favor y 17 en contra.

Sobre Deportes Telemundo

Deportes Telemundo, la división de deportes de Telemundo Media, es uno de los proveedores líderes de contenido deportivo en español en Estados Unidos. Además de ser “La casa de los Juegos Olímpicos en español en Estados Unidos”, Deportes Telemundo ofrece los partidos de la selección mexicana en las eliminatorias mundialistas; todos los encuentros de la liga mexicana en los que Club León juega de local; el programa líder de boxeo en español, “Boxeo Telemundo”, y los derechos televisivos y en línea en español en Estados Unidos del mayor torneo de fútbol del mundo, la Copa Mundial de la FIFA® en todas las plataformas (excepto radio) del 2015 al 2022.

Además de estos grandes eventos deportivos, Deportes Telemundo produce dos programas líderes de entretenimiento y deportes: “Titulares y más” y “Titulares Telemundo”, que ofrecen análisis y las más recientes noticias del mundo del deporte junto con segmentos de entretenimiento y estilo de vida. El galardonado equipo de presentadores de Deportes Telemundo es encabezado por el comentarista deportivo de renombre internacional Andrés Cantor y también incluye a Jessi Losada, Sammy Sadovnik, Carlos Hermosillo, Leti Coo, Edgar López, Karim Mendiburu, Mirella Grisales, Ana Jurka, René Giraldo y Kaziro Aoyama.

Contact: Camilo Pino. Director, Publicity & Talent Strategy/Telemundo Network/O: 305.889.7589/C: 305.322.9584/E: camilo.pino@nbcuni.com/ A: 2290 West 8th Avenue. Hialeah, FL 33010

Sobre Telemundo Media:
Telemundo Media, una división de NBCUniversal, es una empresa de medios de primera categoría, liderando la industria en la producción y distribución de contenido en español de alta calidad a través de múltiples plataformas para los hispanos en los EEUU y a audiencias alrededor del mundo. Las múltiples plataformas de Telemundo incluyen la cadena Telemundo, una red de televisión en español que ofrece producciones originales, películas de cine, noticias y eventos deportivos de primera categoría, alcanzando el 94% de televidentes hispanos en los Estados Unidos en 210 mercados a través de 16 estaciones que pertenecen a la cadena, afiliadas y otras fuentes de distribución (MVPD); mun2, la voz preeminente para hispanos biculturales en EEUU, alcanzando a más de 35 millones de hogares a lo largo de la nación a través del cable digital y análogo, y en satélite; Telemundo Digital Media, que distribuye el contenido original a través de las plataformas digitales y emergentes incluyendo a los equipos móviles, www.telemundo.com y www.mun2.tv; una estación de alta potencia en Puerto Rico que alcanza el 99% de todos los hogares en dicha región; y Telemundo Internacional, la división de la empresa responsable de la distribución internacional que ha posicionado a Telemundo como el proveedor de contenido en español número dos mundialmente sindicando contenido a más de 100 países en más de 35 idiomas.

Countdown To Championship Sunday: Everton Host Third-Place Manchester City On CNBC Sat., May 3, At 12:30 PM ET

April 30, 2014 By admin

Second-Place Chelsea Host Norwich City Sun., May 4, at 11 a.m. ET and First-Place Liverpool visit Crystal Palace Mon., May 5, at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Last Sunday’s Liverpool-Chelsea Match is Most-Watched Early Match in U.S. History

All Matches Available on NBC Sports Live Extra

Stamford, Conn. – April 29, 2014 – “They are not going to enjoy coming to our place. We are not going to make it easy for them,”saidU.S. Men’s National Team and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard regarding Everton’s match this Saturday against Manchester City. Howard commented immediately following Sunday’s Crystal Palace-Manchester City match, which he called on NBCSN.

As Championship Sunday approaches, third-place Manchester City, with a game in hand over fellow title contenders Liverpool and Chelsea, visit Everton Saturday, May 3, at 12:30 p.m. ET on CNBC. Lead Premier League play-by-play announcer Arlo White is joined by Lee Dixon for the call from Goodison Park.

Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday averaged 940,000 viewers and ranks as the most-watched early (pre-10 a.m. ET kickoff)game ever in the U.S., and the third most-watched game ever on cable (behind 1.033 million for the “Manchester Derby” on ESPN, 4/30/12; and 1.019 million for Chelsea-Manchester United on NBCSN, 1/19/14).

NBC Sports Group’s coverage on Saturday kicks off with West Ham v. Tottenham at 7:45 a.m. ET on NBCSN, followed by Manchester United v. Sunderland at 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN. All matches not shown on NBCSN in the Saturday 10 a.m. ET window will be available on Premier League Extra Time, a bonus television package available to MVPDs at no extra cost for customers who receive NBCSN.

NBCSN’s slate of matches on Sunday includes fourth-place Arsenal, who could secure a Champions League spot with a win, against West Bromwich Albion at 8:30 a.m. ET and second-place Chelsea, coming off of a victory against first-place Liverpool, host relegation-threatened Norwich City at 11 a.m. ET. White is joined by Graeme Le Saux to call Chelsea-Norwich City Sunday on NBCSN.

This Sunday’s live, 60-minute Match of the Day II at 1:30 p.m. ET features host Rebecca Lowe, former Premier League footballer Robbie Mustoe, and former Jamaican National Team player Robbie Earle providing in-depth analysis, post-match interviews and reaction, plus extended highlights with match commentators.

Premier League coverage continues on Monday, May 5, at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, when first-place Liverpool and league-leading scorer Luis Suárez (30 goals) visit Crystal Palace. White and Dixon have the call from Selhurst Park.

All matches will be preceded and followed by Premier League Live pre- and post-match shows from the NBC Sports Group International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. Lowe hosts Premier League Live alongside Mustoe and Earle.

All Premier League games will be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets. Games airing on NBC Sports Network will be live streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

To date, AT&T U-verse®, Bright House Networks, Cablevision’s Optimum, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Cox, DIRECTV, Mediacom, Suddenlink, and Time Warner Cable have opted to carry the additional Premier League matches via the Premier League Extra Time package, and AT&T U-verse, Cablevision’s Optimum, Charter, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink and Verizon FiOS will make all Premier League games available through TV Everywhere. Additionally, over 100 NCTC partners have either signed-on to the Premier League Extra Time package or have opted-in via TV Everywhere, including Blue Ridge Communications, Buckeye CableSystem, CenturyLink Prism, and RCN. In some cases, the Premier League Extra Time package will be available in select markets.

Below is the schedule for the 37th week of the Premier League season (all times ET):

Date	Time	Home v. Away	Network
Sat., May 3	6 a.m.	Barclays Premier League Match Pack	NBCSN
Sat., May 3	6:30 a.m.	Barclays Premier League Preview	NBCSN
Sat., May 3	7 a.m.	Premier League Live	NBCSN
Sat., May 3	7:45 a.m.	West Ham v. Tottenham	NBCSN
Sat., May 3	10 a.m.	Manchester United v. Sunderland	NBCSN
Sat., May 3	10 a.m.	Stoke City v. Fulham	Extra Time
Sat., May 3	10 a.m.	Newcastle v. Cardiff City	Extra Time
Sat., May 3	10 a.m.	Aston Villa v. Hull City	Extra Time
Sat., May 3	10 a.m.	Swansea City v. Southampton	Extra Time
Sat., May 3	Noon	Premier League Live	NBCSN
Sat., May 3	12:30 p.m.	Everton v. Manchester City	CNBC
Sun., May 4	2 a.m.	Match of the Day	NBCSN
Sun., May 4	6 a.m.	Match of the Day	NBCSN
Sun., May 4	8 a.m.	Premier League Live	NBCSN
Sun., May 4	8:30 a.m.	Arsenal v. West Bromwich Albion	NBCSN
Sun., May 4	11 a.m.	Chelsea v. Norwich City	NBCSN
Sun., May 4	1 p.m.	Goal Zone	NBCSN
Sun., May 4	1:30 p.m.	NBCSN’s Match of the Day II	NBCSN
Sun., May 4	2:30 p.m.	NBCSN’s Match of the Week	NBCSN
Mon., May 5	2 p.m.	Premier League Live	NBCSN
Mon., May 5	3 p.m.	Crystal Palace v. Liverpool	NBCSN
Mon., May 5	5 p.m.	Goal Zone	NBCSN
Tues., May 6	2 p.m.	Premier League Live	NBCSN
Tues., May 6	2:45 p.m.	Manchester United v. Hull City	NBCSN
Tues., May 6	5 p.m.	Goal Zone	NBCSN
Wed., May 7	2 p.m.	Premier League Live	NBCSN
Wed., May 7	2:45 p.m.	Manchester City v. Aston Villa	NBCSN
Wed., May 7	2:45 p.m.	Sunderland v. West Bromwich Albion	Extra Time
Wed., May 7	5 p.m.	Goal Zone	NBCSN
Wed., May 7	11:30 p.m.	Barclays Premier League Review	NBCSN
Thurs., May 8	2:30 a.m.	Barclays Premier League World	NBCSN

NBC Sports Group presents the most ambitious, extensive and comprehensive coverage of the Premier League available anywhere in the world with all 380 Premier League matches available live in the United States on the networks of NBCUniversal, on the Premier League Extra Time bonus TV package, and streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra. In total, NBC Sports Group will present more than 1,600 hours of Premier League programming.

–NBC Sports Group–

HBO Boxing After Dark: May 24 — Jennings vs. Perez, Geale vs. Macklin; June 14 — Provodnikov vs. Algieri, Andrade vs. Rose

April 30, 2014 By admin

HBO BOXING^® PRESENTS A PAIR OF SENSATIONAL SHOWDOWNS WHEN

HBO BOXING AFTER DARK^®: BRYANT JENNINGS VS. MIKE PEREZ AND

DANIEL GEALE VS. MATTHEW MACKLIN IS SEEN SATURDAY, MAY 24

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise returns for a sizzling Memorial Day weekend doubleheader when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: BRYANT JENNINGS VS. MIKE PEREZ AND DANIEL GEALE VS. MATTHEW MACKLIN is seen SATURDAY, MAY 24 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: May 25 (8:00 a.m.) and 27 (12:30 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: May 25 (3:30 p.m.) and 26 (1:15 a.m.)

Unbeaten competitors headline the feature event, as Philadelphia’s Bryant Jennings (18-0, 10 KOs) meets Cuban native Mike Perez (20-0-1, 12 KOs), now of Cork, Ireland, in a 12-round heavyweight title elimination bout. The agile 29-year-old Jennings routinely dominates his opponents, and has lately elevated his performance, forcing the referees to halt his last four fights, three of them before the sixth round. In late January, against the rugged, undefeated Artur Szpilka, Jennings’ bodywork hampered his opponent, nearly sending him to the canvas in the tenth before the official’s stoppage.

Perez, 28, warrants respect as he continues to rise to the top of the heavyweight division. Scoring a draw in mid-January against Carlos Takam in his last HBO appearance, he expects a different outcome this time, aiming for another notch on his undefeated belt.

Veteran middleweight contenders return to HBO to open the night when Daniel Geale (30-2, 16 KOs) of Mount Annan, New South Wales, Australia squares off against Matthew Macklin (30-5, 20 KOs), the fighting pride of Birmingham, West Midlands, UK, in a 160-pound tilt scheduled for ten rounds. Despite flooring Darren Barker in the sixth round of their compelling Aug. 2013 title match, the 33-year-old Geale came up short on the judges’ final scorecards. However, he rebounded from the second loss of his career by battering Garth Wood, prompting his opponent’s corner to retire. In his second appearance on HBO, the Australian intends to confirm his position as his country’s top fighter.

Macklin, 31, has tested the most-skilled pugilists in the 160-pound division —including Sergio Martinez, Gennady Golovkin and Felix Sturm – like nobody else. His depth of experience, along with a unanimous decision last December against the then-undefeated Lamar Russ, should give him unwavering confidence against any competitor.

“Face Off with Max Kellerman: Cotto vs. Martinez” debuts immediately following the doubleheader (midnight-12:15 a.m.), kicking off a slate of original programming dedicated to the June 7 HBO Pay-Per-View showdown between Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez at Madison Square Garden.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.