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Keeping Up With All The Industry Press Releases

Archives for December 2018

1ST-PLACE LIVERPOOL VISIT 2ND-PLACE MANCHESTER CITY IN MIDWEEK SHOWDOWN THURS., JAN 3 AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN & UNIVERSO

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Live Midweek Match Coverage Begins Tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 1 at 7:30 a.m. ET with Triple Header on NBCSN

50% Off NBC Sports Gold’s Premier League Pass Starting Today; Five Exclusive Matches Wednesday on NBC Sports Gold Starting at 2:45 p.m. ET

New Episode of THE MEN IN BLAZERS SHOW featuring Diego Luna on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN

NBC Sports’ Premier League Pick ‘Em Features $50,000 Grand Prize & Minimum of $5,000 in Weekly Prizes

STAMFORD, Conn. – December 31, 2018 – Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 1, NBC Sports presents a packed Premier League slate of midweek matches, highlighted by second-place Manchester City v. first-place Liverpool on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and Universo. Defending champions Manchester City aim to close the seven-point gap between the league’s top two teams, while Mohamad Salah and Liverpool look to take one step closer towards winning their first-ever Premier League title. Arlo White calls the match, joined by Lee Dixon.

This week’s live TV coverage begins tomorrow at 7 a.m. ET with Premier League Mornings, followed by a triple header on NBCSN. At 7:30 a.m. ET, Everton host Leicester City. Both teams look to rebound in the New Year after narrow 1-0 losses last weekend. At 10 a.m. ET, Arsenal host Fulham in a London derby, followed by Cardiff City v. Tottenham Hotspur at 12:30 p.m. ET. Cardifff City aim for their first win against Spurs in the Premier League, while Tottenham look to reclaim second place with a win after a 3-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers. White calls the match, joined by Dixon.

Wednesday’s match coverage begins at 2:45 p.m. ET with fourth-place Chelsea v. Southampton on NBCSN and Universo. Chelsea currently sit two points outside the top-3, while Southampton are out of the relegation zone on goal difference alone.

Also at 2:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Gold presents four exclusive matches: Bournemouth v. Watford, Huddersfield Town v. Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Crystal Palace and West Ham v. Brighton & Hove Albion.

NBC Sports Gold presents an additional exclusive match on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET with Newcastle v. Manchester United. Newcastle come off a 1-1 draw with Watford, while Manchester United look to extend their three-game winning streak under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.  

Following Thursday’s match coverage, NBCSN presents a new episode of THE MEN IN BLAZERS SHOW hosted by popular soccer personalities Michael Davies and Roger Bennett at 6 p.m. ET. Actor, director, and producer Diego Luna will appear as a guest on Thursday’s episode.

Rebecca Lowe hosts Premier League Mornings, Premier League Live, and Goal Zone, joined by former U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Kyle Martino, and former Premier League footballer Robbie Mustoe.

GET 50% OFF NBC SPORTS GOLD’S “PREMIER LEAGUE PASS”

Beginning today, NBC Sports Gold’s “Premier League Pass” will be available for $24.99, half off the pass’ original $49.99 price at the start of the Premier League season. Fans can purchase the discounted pass here.

PREMIER LEAGUE PICK ‘EM

NBC Sports’ Premier League Pick ‘Em is the first game from the new, free-to-play NBC Sports Predictor games app. The app, developed with Boom Fantasy, is available in the App Store and Google Play Store, and will give eligible fans the chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes over the next year. Each match week, Premier League Pick ‘Em will feature at least $5,000 in weekly prizes, with a $50,000 grand prize for a “perfect week” – picking the correct scores of all five Premier League matches in that match week’s competition (information on scoring, prizing, and Official Rules here).

Matches in Play for Premier League Pick ‘Em this Weekend:

Match Week 21

Date Time (ET) Match
Tues., Jan. 1 10 a.m. – NBCSN Arsenal v. Fulham
Tues., Jan. 1 12:30 p.m. – NBCSN Cardiff v. Tottenham
Wed., Jan. 2 2:45 p.m. – NBCSN Chelsea v. Southampton
Wed., Jan. 2 2:45 p.m. – NBC Sports Gold Huddersfield Town v. Burnley
Thur., Jan. 3 3 p.m. – NBCSN Manchester City v. Liverpool

NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product – “Premier League Pass” features 150 exclusive Premier League matches live and on-demand, an extensive suite of daily and weekly news shows, plus classic archive programming never available before in the U.S. “Premier League Pass” features more than 1,000 hours of additional non-match content throughout the season. Click here for more information.

NBC Sports Gold is available on Apple iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and online at NBCSportsGold.com. NBC Sports Gold is powered by Playmaker Media, NBC Sports Digital’s technology service which provides end-to-end support for companies in need of best-in-class live streaming and VOD solutions.

Premier League games on NBC and NBCSN will be streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs. Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports app is powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

Following is the match schedule for this week’s Premier League coverage (all times ET, subject to change):

Date Time (ET) Match Platform
Tues., Jan 1  7 a.m. Premier League Mornings NBCSN
Tues., Jan 1 7:30 a.m. Everton v. Leicester City NBCSN
Tues., Jan 1 10 a.m. Arsenal v. Fulham NBCSN
Tues., Jan 1 12:30 p.m. Cardiff City v. Tottenham NBCSN
Tues., Jan. 1 2:30 p.m. Goal Zone NBCSN
Wed., Jan. 2 12 p.m. Match of the Week NBCSN
Wed., Jan. 2 2 p.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Wed., Jan. 2 2:45 p.m. Chelsea v. Southampton NBCSN, Universo
Wed., Jan. 2 2:45 p.m. Bournemouth v. Watford NBC Sports Gold
Wed., Jan. 2 2:45 p.m. Huddersfield Town v. Burnley NBC Sports Gold
Wed., Jan. 2 2:45 p.m. Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Crystal Palace NBC Sports Gold
Wed., Jan. 2 2:45 p.m. West Ham v. Brighton & Hove Albion NBC Sports Gold
Wed., Jan. 2 3 p.m. Newcastle v. Manchester United NBC Sports Gold
Wed., Jan. 2 2:45 p.m. Goal Rush NBC Sports Gold
Wed., Jan. 2 5 p.m. Goal Zone NBCSN
Thurs., Jan 3 12 p.m. Match of the Week NBCSN
Thurs., Jan. 3 2 p.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Thurs., Jan. 3 3 p.m. Manchester City v. Liverpool NBCSN, Universo
Thurs., Jan. 3 5 p.m. Goal Zone NBCSN

– NBC Sports –

ESPN’s First Take Returns to Dallas Ahead of NFC Wild Card Game

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On Friday, Jan. 4, ESPN’s popular morning debate show First Take will return to Dallas for the third time in three months ahead of the Dallas Cowboys hosting Saturday night’s NFC Wild Card Game against the Seattle Seahawks. Noted Cowboys critic, Stephen A. Smith – alongside Max Kellerman and host Molly Qerim Rose – will once again face the home fans at Texas Live! in Arlington.

The post ESPN’s <i>First Take</i> Returns to Dallas Ahead of NFC Wild Card Game appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

ESPN’s NBA Full Court Press: Boston Celtics Host Two Games on ESPN This Week

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Episode 7 of More Than An Athlete Exclusively Available on ESPN+ This week’s NBA on ESPN lineup stars Wednesday and Friday doubleheaders. Wednesday’s matchups begin when Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves visit Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics at 8 p.m. Mark Jones will provide commentary in Boston with analyst Jeff Van Gundy. The … Read More

The post ESPN’s NBA Full Court Press: Boston Celtics Host Two Games on ESPN This Week appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

PETER KING DETAILS “BLACK MONDAY” ON “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

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“I still think (Josh) McDaniels and Lincoln Riley will be vetted by the Browns too.”

“As I wrote last week, I’m not sure John Harbaugh will sign an extension; he might, but it’s no sure thing.”

“Football Morning in America” Runs Every Monday Exclusively on NBCSports.com

STAMFORD, Conn. – December 31, 2018 – Peter King’s Week 17 edition of “Football Morning in America,” available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, is highlighted by an-depth look at the NFL coaching carousel on “Black Monday,” and King’s annual regular-season awards.

Additionally, “Football Morning in America” features this week’s “What I Learned” with Matt Millen; three questions with Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams; awards, quotes, travel notes and more.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of “Football Morning in America”:

REGULAR-SEASON FINALE

  • King on the final twenty minutes of the regular season: “A lot happened that dictated so much about the NFL playoffs and the fate of the defending champs and the draft and the record book and the feelings of two rivals who hate each other’s guts. Stars were born and replays dawdled and nerves—particularly in Baltimore—were jangled to the point that Ravens backup quarterback Robert Griffin III walked up and down the sidelines saying like a mantra, over and over: “You gotta believe, you gotta believe, you gotta believe.”


BLACK MONDAY

  • King on Cleveland’s vacancy: “Given the success of Freddie Kitchens as offensive coordinator—Baker Mayfield loves him and responds to him—my sense is the Browns feel they don’t have to get the next great offensive brain to work with Mayfield and develop an offensive identity. They might have that guy now. So that could put a defensive presence like Vic Fangio of Chicago in play, or even a special-teams guru like Dave Toub—well known to GM John Dorsey from their days in Kansas City.”
  • King on Green Bay’s vacancy: “I’ll be surprised if the Packers don’t interview Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who I believe will be interested only in the best jobs on the market because he knows he has a bright future in New England. If I were McDaniels, those jobs this year would be Cleveland and Green Bay.”
  • King on the New York Jets’ vacancy: “I’m told it’s likely GM Mike Maccagnan will get one more coach to hire. If I were him, I’d try to convince Mike McCarthy to be interested. Not sure McCarthy would come—he is widely reported to be considering taking 2019 off—but control over the roster and the specter of coaching Sam Darnold should tempt him.”


THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE

  • MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City: “The late Paul Zimmerman left me with one indelible lesson: “USE YOUR EYES! What did you see!” What I saw watching the game this season was Mahomes, a 23-year-old kid, an electric kid, taking over a division champion when incumbent Alex Smith was traded, playing like he belonged from the first series of the season, outplaying Philip Rivers on the road in Week 1, outplaying Ben Roethlisberger on the road in Week 2, throwing a left-handed desperation pass completion on third-and-five at Denver on the winning late drive in Week 4, going toe-to-toe with Tom Brady and surviving a bad first half in a 43-40 loss in Week 6, hiccupping at the Rams in the bizarre 54-51 November loss, and then willing his team to beat the formidable Ravens in Week 14.”
  • Coach: Matt Nagy, Chicago: “The Bears in the four years pre-Nagy: 5-11, 6-10, 3-13, 5-11. GM Ryan Pace hired Nagy in January from Kansas City, and he won more games than any first-year coach ever in franchise history (including George Halas with the pre-Bear 10-1-2 Decatur Staleys in 1920). Nagy did a smart thing in hiring a smart coach he didn’t know and empowering him—offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich—to help Mitchell Trubisky grow. We don’t know if Trubisky’s going to be really good, but Nagy did an excellent job of managing Trubisky and hiding his weaknesses.”
  • Defensive Player: Aaron Donald, L.A. Rams: “Hard to imagine a player—without a training camp, with a slew of new defensive mates to get accustomed—having a better year on the fly than Donald. Once he got used to his surroundings, Donald had 16.5 sacks in his last 10 games, and threatened Michael Strahan’s NFL sack record of 22.5. Donald finished with 20.5.”


“WHAT I LEARNED” WITH MILLEN

Millen on his heart transplant: “My heart came from a male, 6-2, 26 years old. Drug overdose. Think of the thought he had to put into this, to be a donor. He took the time to let it be known he wanted his heart to go to someone if he died, so they could live. What a gift. I’m going to figure out what to do about it.”

Read the rest of the column here.

A new “Football Morning in America” will post every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN’s and NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

–NBC SPORTS–

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS 2019 BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC® FEATURING BRUINS & BLACKHAWKS FROM NOTRE DAME STADIUM TOMORROW AT 1 P.M. ET ON NBC

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Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire Call the Action; Mike Tirico Hosts On-Site with Kathryn Tappen, Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick

Sports Illustrated’s Tim Layden Voices Feature on Three-Time Stanley Cup Champion and Former Notre Dame Football and Hockey Player Bill Nyrop

Jeremy Roenick Learns to Irish Step Dance with Assist from Notre Dame Leprechaun

Mike Tirico to Interview NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman During Second Intermission

Grammy Award-Winning Band Weezer to Perform During First Intermission

STAMFORD, Conn. – December 31, 2018 – NBC Sports presents the 11th installment of the NHL’s signature regular-season game on New Year’s Day, as Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins face off against Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

Mike Tirico will host the network’s Winter Classic pre-game coverage alongside the NHL Live studio team of host Kathryn Tappen, and analysts Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick. Six-time Emmy Award-winner and La Fontaine, Ind., native Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call from Notre Dame Stadium.

Tomorrow’s game will mark the Blackhawks’ fourth Winter Classic, while this will be the Bruins’ third appearance in the annual New Year’s Day game.

Following are highlights from NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2019 NHL Winter Classic:

Mike Tirico to interview NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman: Tirico will interview NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman during the second intermission of Winter Classic coverage on NBC. The segment will also include special 2019-20 event announcements from Commissioner Bettman.

Notre Dame traditions: Coverage throughout the day will highlight elements unique to Notre Dame, including Touchdown Jesus, the painting of the gold football helmets and the ‘Play Like a Champion Today’ sign.

Tim Layden feature on Bill Nyrop: The second intermission will include feature voiced by Sports Illustrated’s Tim Layden on Bill Nyrop, a former Notre Dame hockey and football player during the early 1970s. Nyrop, who grew up in Edina, Minn., won the Stanley Cup three times as a member of the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first-ever Notre Dame hockey player to win the Stanley Cup. He passed away on New Year’s Eve of 1995 at age 43 after a battle with colon cancer.

Jeremy Roenick learns Irish step dancing: Following a season where he walked the plank at NHL All-Star Weekend, joined Cirque du Soleil, participated in the Winnipeg whiteout, and went over 165 mph around Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jeremy Roenick will kick of 2019 learning to Irish step dance with an assist from the Notre Dame leprechaun.

Weezer: Grammy Award-winning band Weezer will headline the entertainment for the 2019 NHL Winter Classic, with their performance airing live on NBC during the first intermission.

2018-19 REGULAR SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN

NBC Sports will deliver coverage of a record 109 regular-season games during the 2018-19 season, highlighted by the debut of “Wednesday Night Hockey” on NBCSN, which will showcase the network’s most diverse schedule since it acquired NHL rights prior to the 2005-06 season, as well as NHL’s current and rising stars. All games will be streamed live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app to authenticated users via TV Everywhere.

Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive NHL coverage this season.

STREAMING COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM AND THE NBC SPORTS APP

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will provide live streaming coverage of the 2018-19 NHL season via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.

– NBC SPORTS –

Exclusively on ESPN+ Now: Ep. 7 of LeBron James’ More Than an Athlete Series

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Episode 7 of LeBron James’ More Than an Athlete Series is exclusively available now on ESPN+. In the episode, the NBA icon refers to himself the “greatest player of all time” after his legendary performance in the 2016 NBA Finals, in which the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from a 3 games to 1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors. To view the episode, visit the More Than an Athlete series page on ESPN+ – the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. To read the transcript of LeBron James’ full quote on the topic, visit ESPN.com.

The post Exclusively on ESPN+ Now: Ep. 7 of LeBron James’ More Than an Athlete Series appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” – WEEK 17 NOTES & QUOTES

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“He always wanted to learn. He was always asking questions. He was always inquisitive.” – Rodney Harrison on his former teammate and Titans head coach Mike Vrabel

“That’s the one team that could go into New Orleans and win.” – Tony Dungy on the Bears

“Lamar Jackson has just revolutionized the league right now in seven games.” – Mike Tirico

“You have to be able to handle the criticism when you throw for 132 yards in a season-defining game like this.” – Chris Simms on Kirk Cousins’ performance today

“Philadelphia is a dangerous team.” – Dungy

STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 30, 2018 – Mike Tirico hosted the Week 17 edition of Football Night in America tonight from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., in advance of the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans in #Game256, the last of the 2018 NFL regular season.

Tirico was joined on the set by analysts Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and Chris Simms, as well as NFL Insider Mike Florio. Liam McHugh co-hosted Football Night on site from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., where he was joined by the SNF team of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya.

McHugh conducted an exclusive pre-game interview with Colts head coach Frank Reich and Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. (See transcripts below.)

In addition to previewing Colts-Titans, Football Night produced real-time, “election-style” coverage of how the day’s games, particularly the eight 4:25 p.m. ET games, were impacting the playoff situation.

Florio provided real-time updates on the numerous head coaching situations around the league.

NBC Sports’ NHL commentators Kathryn Tappen and Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick provided a live report from Notre Dame Stadium on the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, which will be played outdoors between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks on New Year’s Day at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

Following are Notes & Quotes from the Week 17 edition of Football Night in America:

ON COLTS

Collinsworth on QB Andrew Luck: “From the very beginning of this season, as Andrew Luck got more comfortable, they went more to the RPOs, they went to more of the quick passing game. He’s not holding the ball nearly as long as he did the rest of his career, and he’s healthy. They’ve taken fewer sacks than anybody, and it has made a real difference.”

Dungy on Luck: “Chris Ballard, the GM, has done a good job putting that offensive line together, but Andrew is playing smarter this year. He’s getting rid of the ball much quicker and doing a great job.”

Dungy on rookie LB Darius Leonard: “They play the Tampa 2 defense. He’s playing the Derrick Brooks position, and he plays like (Pro Football Hall of Fame LB) Derrick Brooks.”

ON TITANS

Collinsworth on QB Blaine Gabbert’s most glaring weakness: “His issues have come throwing the ball over the middle…If he’s bitten today, I say that’s where it will be.”

Simms on their power-running philosophy behind RB Derrick Henry: “It’s brought an aggressive style to their offense, a toughness to their offense, and helped out the passing game.”

Harrison on Titans head coach Mike Vrabel: “He was very smart, and he would let you know that he was very smart (laughter). What I loved about him is, he would always want to play on the scout team, and he tried to come out and play every single position, especially in the secondary. He thought he was a free safety underneath all of that. But the thing about Mike is, he always wanted to learn. He was always asking questions. He was always inquisitive, and he’s a very smart guy.”

ON PATRIOTS

Dungy on his top takeaway from today’s early games: “We were all concerned about the Patriots last week. They’re the No. 2 seed playing at home, and they put up a ton of points today.”

Harrison on why Tom Brady was still playing late in today’s game: “Coach Belichick was trying to make a statement to his team, and telling them, ‘Hey, you need to learn how to finish. You didn’t finish against Miami. You didn’t finish against the Pittsburgh Steelers.’”

Harrison on Brady: “I think he needed this game to build some confidence because the last couple of weeks he hasn’t played great.”

ON CHIEFS

Simms on Kansas City’s poor history as a No. 1 seed: “I don’t care about the history. It’s the quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. (He’s) the most dangerous player in the NFL. And it’s a year where the AFC doesn’t have a dominant team.”

Harrison on Mahomes’ touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson: “He is (my MVP). I’m amazed. Every single week he’s making plays like this.”

ON RAVENS

Dungy: “I would not want to play the Baltimore Ravens — to have to prepare for them, for all those zone reads, and different running plays that they present, and then all of those blitzes that they give you.”

Harrison: “They have a lot of confidence that they can beat Kansas City (because of the way) they played them previously. And they’ll go to New England. They’re not afraid of either one of those teams.”

Tirico: “Lamar Jackson has just revolutionized the league right now in seven games.”

Dungy: “He really has. No one knows how to play (against) this offense.”

ON STEELERS

Tirico: “They’re rooting for Baker Mayfield. Pittsburgh is rooting for Cleveland; strange bedfellows that are playoff spots.”

ON NFC

Dungy: “That Chicago defense, to me, that’s the one team that could go into New Orleans and win. But I say this – if Nick Foles is healthy, watch out for the Eagles. You don’t want to deal with the defending champs if he is healthy.”

ON EAGLES

Tirico: “Philly was done, finished, over. And they’re in the playoffs now.”

Harrison on the Eagles making the Playoffs: “If I’m the Chicago Bears, I would prefer to play the Minnesota Vikings as opposed to the Philadelphia Eagles. You look at the playoff experience they have, they have a veteran offensive line, and anything can happen with Nick Foles.”

Dungy: “Philadelphia is a dangerous team.”

Tirico on Foles’ completion streak and Eagles dominance: “Philly controlled the ball almost like we’ve never seen before in a game.”

ON VIKINGS

Simms on QB Kirk Cousins’ performance against the Bears: “It wasn’t good, and you have to be able to handle the criticism when you throw for 132 yards in a season-defining game like this.”

Harrison: “They’re going to have to find a way to shore up that offensive line because they didn’t give (Cousins) any time today.”

ON COWBOYS

Harrison on the Cowboys keeping their starters in: “I didn’t necessarily agree with them playing all of their starters today because I think any chance you can get to rest your starters, you should.”

ON SEAHAWKS

Dungy on Seattle QB Russell Wilson: “He’s been the best fourth-quarter quarterback in the NFL the last few years, and he did it again today.”

ON SAINTS

Simms on QB Teddy Bridgewater today: “It’s been a long time since he started an NFL football game. He had some good, he had some bad. It’s hard to play one game all year. He was definitely a little bit rusty.”

ON GIANTS

Simms on RB Saquon Barkley: “(He’s) a ‘wow’ machine…Rookie of the Year for me. I think he edges out Baker Mayfield.”

Florio on Giants QB Eli Manning and the franchise drafting a quarterback: “Coach Pat Shurmur has consistently said all year that he wants Eli Manning back next year. And it looks like that is going to happen. Keep this in mind: only $17 million is due to Eli Manning next year under the last year of his contract. He’s owed $5 million over the middle of March. The thinking is, the Giants will pay that money and keep him around, and if they draft a young quarterback, Eli will help groom him.”

ON BILLS

Harrison on QB Josh Allen: “I love this kid. He plays with a lot of heart and toughness. They’re going to have to do a better job of surrounding him with better talent.”

McHugh Interview with Frank Reich

Reich on what contributed to Indianapolis’ turnaround: “Two things. Number one, just a belief, a belief in each other, a belief in what we’re doing. And then secondly, just the mindset of taking it one day at a time.”

Reich on what he’s seen from Andrew Luck this season: “Certainly can confirm what everybody already knew, number one, that he has an elite ability to play quarterback like few others in this league. But, secondly, up close and personal, getting to see he also has elite leadership capabilities. And we’ve seen that taking us through the stretch that we’ve been through this year.”

McHugh Interview with Mike Vrabel

Vrabel on overcoming injuries and winning in pressure situations: “We’ve done it before. We’ve kind of just gone on with the next guy, and tried to get everybody ready that we possibly can. Think that’s the nature of this business that whatever happens, you have to be prepared for and ready for and have a plan for.”

Vrabel on containing Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton after big performances earlier this season: “I don’t think it’s easy, but they certainly did. They outplayed us, out-coached us, most importantly. We’ll have to do a much better job tonight. They’re two Pro Bowl caliber players, but they have other guys as well. You know Evan Boehm has really stepped up for them huge, the offensive line has performed really well, with the veterans that they’ve had, and the young guys that they’ve added through the draft.”

—FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA—

 

College Football Playoff Semifinals Continue to Deliver Strong Ratings for ESPN; Rank among Top Cable Presentations of the Year

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Capital One Orange Bowl Delivers 10.4 Overnight; Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic 10.3 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Delivers Its Highest-Non Semifinal Overnight of the CFP Era Birmingham is Highest-Rated Market for All Three Games; More than 50% of Market Watches Crimson Tide’s Victory The College Football Playoff Semifinals delivered strong ratings for ESPN once again, as the … Read More

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UFC® Announces Second Quarter 2019 Event Dates

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UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced the dates and distribution plans for UFC events in the second quarter 2019. The schedule is a continuation of the historic multi-year agreement between UFC and The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-To-Consumer & International segment and ESPN beginning in 2019 that makes ESPN+ and ESPN the exclusive media homes of UFC in the United States. The exact locations of the Q2 events will be announced at a later date.

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