FOX SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS – 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
NFL: NFC Champion Crowned Sunday on FOX
UFC: FOX Sports 1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MCGREGOR VS. SIVER Hits the Octagon in Boston
HOOPS: Top Men’s and Women’s College Programs Come to FOX Sports 1
#ICYMI: FOX Sports Football Rules Expert Mike Pereira Breaks Down Dez Bryant’s Controversial No-Catch http://foxs.pt/1svfddC
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NFL
FOX SPORTS’ A-TEAM PREVIEWS SEAHAWKS VS. PACKERS NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SUNDAY ON FOX – Hall of Famer, three-time Super Bowl champion and FOX Sports lead game analyst Troy Aikman, lead play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, rules analyst Mike Pereira and Executive Producer John Entz previewed Sunday’s NFC Championship game earlier today. Highlights of today’s call are transcribed below. Buck, Aikman, and Pereira call the game Sunday, Jan. 18 (3:00 PM ET) from CenturyLink field in Seattle, WA alongside sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Chris Myers.
AIKMAN SAYS SEATTLE’S SECONDARY IS THE BEST HE’S SEEN IN SEVERAL YEARS – “This secondary is as good as there has been in the last few years. You just don’t see these types of secondaries put together very often in the NFL. With free agency and all the movement that takes place and how you’ve got to pick and choose where you’re going to have your strengths as a team, it becomes more and more difficult. We saw New England earlier in the year, and they were a really solid group with Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, and then they had Kyle Arrington as well, and they were able to match up with teams, but outside of them, there’s nobody that I’ve seen in the last several years that comes close to being as good as this Seattle secondary.”
PEREIRA BELIEVES FANS HAVE A THIRST FOR EXPLANATIONS ON OFFICIATING – “Fans are more invested in the game than they ever used to be. Fantasy football has really affected this role because now you’re more interested in all aspects of the game and officiating affects that. Additionally, fans want to understand the rules of the game. When I first came to FOX, it was clear that my role was to educate the fans on the rules of the game and in turn they’ll hopefully enjoy watching it more if they understand it more and that’s why I think the position is here to stay.”
BUCK SAYS PRESSURE TO PERFORM IS ON PACKERS OFFENSIVE LIVE — If everybody’s healthy it’s certainly a different match-up than what we saw in Week 1, but everybody isn’t healthy and that starts with Aaron Rodgers. It was astonishing to see him improve as the game went on against Dallas, as opposed to getting fatigued or having that calf get tweaked. On the road with him not being able to move like you typically need to move against that defense, which is rolling right now and is undisputed the best in the NFL, it’s going to be a tall order. If Seattle’s offense is dynamic enough to run the score up, it will be pretty close. It’s all on the Green Bay offensive line to give Aaron Rodgers a shot to do what we’ve come to expect him to do.
AIKMAN ON SEATTLE SOUND “GREEN BAY KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT” — “One thing that helps Green Bay is that they did open up the season there. It was a great crowd in the first game of the season while raising the banner for the world championship, so they’re going to know what to expect when they get there and not a lot of teams do that aren’t in that division.
FOX NFL SUNDAY PREVIEWS NFC CHAMPIONSHIP ON-SITE FROM SEATTLE This season’s final edition of America’s most-watched pregame show, FOX NFL SUNDAY, takes place on-site from CenturyLink Field in Seattle, WA (2:00 PM ET). Co-hosts Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee are joined by analysts Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Johnson, and insider Jay Glazer. Sunday’s special edition of FOX NFL SUNDAY features reporter Erin Andrews reuniting with Seattle Seahawks secondary Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. Bradshaw sits down with Packers quarterback and MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers. Additionally, as a preview to the AFC Championship contest between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, FOX Sports LIVE’s Charissa Thompson sits down with Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski.
SUNDAY, JAN. 18
GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST/SIDELINE TIME
Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks Joe Buck, Troy Aikman 3:00 PM ET
Erin Andrews & Chris Myers
STUDIO SHOWS
FOX SPORTS LIVE – CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND, NFL PLAYERS IN STUDIO, TITLE GAME RECAPS SUNDAY, RICK PITINO, JACK NICKLAUS 1-ON-1s ON WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1, nightly (11:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Jay Onrait, Dan O’Toole, Charissa Thompson, Don Bell, Ryan Field, Jay Glazer, Casey Jacobsen, Joel Klatt, John Lynch, Donovan McNabb, Randy Moss, Petros Papadakis, Gary Payton, Bill Reiter, Ephraim Salaam, Clay Travis.
- This Week: The NFL playoffs approach their crescendo this weekend as the conference championship games play out on Sunday. This week’s show narrows its focus on the league’s final four with coverage that includes analysts Donovan McNabb and Kirk Morrison and special appearances by Pro Bowl Washington Redskins wide receiver De’Sean Jackson on Tuesday night and two-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Donald Penn on Wednesday. The Green Bay Packers travel to face the Seattle Seahawks on FOX, and FOX Sports 1 NFL insider Mike Garafolo is in Seattle throughout the week, contributing reports from inside the Seahawks’ locker room as they prepare to defend their NFC Championship on Sunday afternoon. Additionally, FOX Sports 1 NFL insider Peter Schrager is in Indianapolis during the week, following the underdog Colts as they prepare to face the No. 1 seed-New England Patriots for the AFC Championship in Foxboro on Sunday night. Following the games on Sunday, FOX SPORTS LIVE has wall-to-wall coverage, highlighted by McNabb and future Hall of Famers Randy Moss and John Lynch in-studio to break down all of the action and preview the matchups for Super Bowl XLIX. Also special to this week will be sit-down interviews with Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino and golf legend Jack Nicklaus, icons in their respective fields. Pitino airs Wednesday night as his sixth-ranked Cardinals prepare for Saturday’s showdown with the No. 4-ranked Duke Blue Devils. Nicklaus sits down to discuss the current state of professional golf, Tiger Woods’ pursuit of his record of 18 major championships and his upcoming documentary, “Nicklaus: The Making of a Champion” scheduled to air on FOX this Sunday at 12:00 PM ET.
AMERICA’S PREGAME – NIGHTLY NBA AND NHL PREVIEWS, DAILY NFL TEAM REPORTS IN PREPARATION FOR CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND, UFC’S McGREGOR AND CARDINALS WR LARRY FITZGERALD WEDNESDAY
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1, weekdays (6:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Mike Hill, Molly McGrath, Jay Glazer, Joel Klatt, Kirk Morrison, Mike Garafolo, Casey Jacobsen, Corey Maggette, Brady Quinn, Ephraim Salaam
- This Week: With both the NBA and NHL regular seasons in full swing, APG uses live satellite interviews from various sites with local correspondents and insiders who provide up-to-the-minute information in previewing all of the nightly action. Closing this week and beginning immediately at the start of next week, FOX Sports 1 NFL reporters and local correspondents provide daily updates on each of the weekend’s conference championship games, as FOX Sports 1 NFL insiders Mike Garafolo (NFC) and Peter Schrager (AFC) report live throughout the week. Wednesday’s show is highlighted by a pair of interviews from the worlds of the NFL and UFC. Arizona Cardinals eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald joins host Mike Hill for a satellite interview on Wednesday, previewing the NFC Championship game and what it will take for the Green Bay Packers to have success against Seattle’s ferocious secondary. Speaking of ferocious, UFC featherweight contender Conor McGregor also joins Wednesdays show to look ahead to his main event bout with Dennis Siver on FOX SPORTS 1’s UFC Fight Night this Saturday. The ultra-confident Irishman is never shy with his predictions and always delivers when the mic is on.
SUPERCROSS
RIDERS RETURN TO ANAHEIM WITH RCH RIDER KEN ROCZEN SETTING EARLY PACE
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Saturday, Jan. 17 (10:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Ralph Sheheen, Jeff Emig, Jenny Taft
- This Week: Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, returns to Angel Stadium in Anaheim for race number three of the 17-race season. Second-year rider Ken Roczen, riding for a new team formed by supercross legend and FOX Sports analyst Ricky Carmichael and former freestyle motocross rider Carey Hart, enjoys the early season points lead with 47, nine more than second-place Ryan Dungey. Eli Tomac scored his first career 450-class win last weekend in Phoenix, moving him to seventh place after two races, 21 points behind Roczen. Feld Motor Sports and FOX Sports bring back high-flying SPIDERCAM for Anaheim, giving the television audience a truly unique perspective and a feeling of being part of the race.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP TEAMS COLLIDE ON FOX SPORTS 1 AS CONFERENCE PLAY CONTINUES
- Network/When/Talent:
o Wednesday, Jan. 14:
- St. John’s at Providence
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (7:00 PM ET)
- Dick Stockton and Vin Parise
- Xavier at No. 5 Villanova
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (9:00 PM ET)
- Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery
o Thursday, Jan. 15:
- No. 8 Utah at Arizona State
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (10:00 PM ET)
- Aaron Goldsmith and Sean Elliott
o Friday, Jan. 16:
- Creighton at Providence (W)
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (8:00 PM ET)
- Lisa Byington and LaChina Robinson
o Saturday, Jan. 17:
- Marquette at Xavier
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (12:00 PM ET)
- Eric Collins and Tarik Turner
- West Virginia at No. 21 Oklahoma State (W)
- FOX Sports 2 & FOX Sports GO (2:30 PM ET)
- Ron Thulin and Brenda VanLengen
- Middle Tennessee at LA Tech
- FOX Sports Regional Networks & FOX Sports GO (4:00 PM ET)
- Mark Followill and Mike Jarvis
- Butler at Georgetown
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (5:00 PM ET)
- Tim Brando and Bill Raftery
- Providence at Creighton
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (7:30 PM ET)
- Wayne Larrivee and Nick Bahe
o Sunday, Jan. 18:
- Villanova at Xavier (W)
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (12:00 PM ET)
- Tiffany Greene and LaChina Robinson
- St. John’s at DePaul
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (2:30 PM ET)
- Justin Kutcher and Stephen Bardo
o Monday, Jan. 19:
- No. 21 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (W)
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (4:30 PM ET)
- Bob Licht and Dan Hughes
- No. 4 Texas at No. 3 Baylor (W)
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (6:30 PM ET)
- Ron Thulin and Brenda VanLengen
- No. 5 Villanova at Georgetown
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (9:00 PM ET)
- Tim Brando and Bill Raftery
o Wednesday, Jan. 21:
- Marquette at St. John’s
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (7:00 PM ET)
- Joe Davis and Tarik Turner
- Creighton at Butler
- FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO (9:00 PM ET)
- Justin Kutcher and Bob Wenzel
- This Week: Conference play continues this week, with matchups featuring top men’s and women’s teams from around the country on FOX Sports 1. Out west, No. 8 Utah takes on Arizona State in a Pac-12 clash on Thursday, Jan. 15 (10:00 PM ET), while the BIG EAST takes center court Saturday, Jan. 17, with a trio of games beginning at 12:00 PM ET, as Marquette takes on Xavier. That afternoon, Butler, coming off an overtime win at No. 21 Seton Hall on Tuesday, looks for its third road victory of the conference season at Georgetown (5:00 PM ET), followed by Providence at Creighton (7:30 PM ET). Highlighting the women’s game this week, a pair of top-five teams collide, as No. 3 Baylor hosts No. 4 Texas on Monday, Jan. 19 (6:30 PM ET).
INSIDE THE BIG EAST PROFILES COACH WOJO; PREVIEWS ST. JOHN’S VS. DUKE
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Sunday, Jan. 18 (4:30 PM ET)
- Talent: Rob Stone, Austin Croshere, Kevin O’Neill and Bill Raftery
- This Week: This week, INSIDE THE BIG EAST profiles first-year Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski and how his time as a player and assistant coach at Duke has carried over to the Golden Eagles. Also, Rob Stone, Austin Croshere and Kevin O’Neill look ahead to one of the country’s top remaining non-conference matchups, as St. John’s welcomes No. 4 Duke on Sunday, Jan. 25 (2:00 PM ET on FOX), and Bill Raftery gives his weekly Onions Report.
UFC
MCGREGOR BUYS INTO HIS OWN HYPE, WHICH MAKES HIM MORE DANGEROUS, SAYS STANN – This week FOX SPORTS 1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MCGREGOR VS. SIVER on Sunday, Jan. 18 (10:00 PM ET) features a battle of top-ranked featherweights, as the brash, trash-talking No. 5 Conor McGregor (16-2) battles No. 10 Dennis Siver (22-9, 1NC). This highly anticipated bout caps off more than six hours of live coverage on FOX Sports 1 that evening. UFC on FOX analyst Brian Stann believes McGregor’s confidence gives him an edge. “McGregor is a guy who really buys into his own hype and his confidence. His own belief in himself actually elevates the level of skill that he has when he gets in the Octagon. If Dennis Siver wants a shot at this fight, he’s got to make Conor doubt himself early.” Click here for a video preview of this fight: http://www.foxsports.com/video/UFC?vid=379741763839
UFC TONIGHT: MCGREGOR, DOS ANJOS, GUSTAFSSON INTERVIEWS
- Network/When: FOX Sports 2 & FOX Sports GO, Wednesday, Jan. 14 (8:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Kenny Florian, Daniel Cormier, Karyn Bryant, Ariel Helwani
- This Week: On this week’s UFC TONIGHT, hosts Kenny Florian and Daniel Cormier break down the upcoming FOX SPORTS 1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MCGREGOR VS. SIVER and interview Conor McGregor before the fight. Plus, they catch up with No. 1 ranked lightweight Rafael Dos Anjos. Karyn Bryant interviews Alexander Gustafsson before he heads to Sweden for headlining bout vs. Anthony Johnson live on FOX on Saturday, Jan. 24. Plus, Ariel Helwani adds reports.
FOX SPORTS 1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT WEIGH-IN FEATURES EDGAR’S ANALYST DEBUT
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Saturday, Jan. 17 (4:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar, Ariel Helwani
- This Week: The UFC WEIGH-IN features host Jon Anik, with Daniel Cormier and Gilbert Melendez as analysts, and the debut of former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar as an analyst. They break down the fighters on the card as they attempt to make weight. Ariel Helwani interviews fighters during the show.
UFC ROAD TO THE OCTAGON PREVIEWS GUSTAFSSON VS. JOHNSON AND MORE
- Network/When: FOX & FOX Sports GO, Saturday, Jan. 17 (5:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson,
- This Week: UFC ROAD TO THE OCTAGON: GUSTAFSSON VS JOHNSON brings you inside the lives of six of the world’s top fighters readying to battle in Stockholm, Sweden for FOX UFC FIGHT NIGHT live on FOX Jan. 24. Watch hometown hero Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson travel from Las Vegas, to San Diego, to MMA-crazed Stockholm, as he prepares to headline the UFC’s second-ever stadium show. His opponent Anthony “Rumble” Johnson trains in the Florida heat. For both knockout artists, a title shot looms large on the horizon. The co-main event features a legend, two-time Olympic wrestler and MMA pioneer Dan Henderson facing top European striker Gegard Mousasi, who emigrated from Iran to Holland, where he developed elite Dutch kickboxing skills. Plus, a pair of NCAA All-American wrestlers turned top light heavyweight contenders ready to clash, with Phil Davis and Ryan Bader ready for battle.
UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER: UFC 182 REVIEW, UFC 129 FLASHBACK, PLUS ROGAN’S RIFFS
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Sunday, Jan. 18 (10:00 AM ET)
- Talent: Jon Anik
- This Week: Experience an all-new look at the UFC 182 blockbuster from the night’s first finishes through to the epic finale between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. Then, look back at the UFC’s game changing first-ever stadium show, through the eyes of UFC stars who witnessed and participated in UFC 129. Finally, Joe Rogan’s exclusive riff on his experiences as a UFC color commentator, from witnessing the greatest fights in UFC history just feet away from the Octagon, to the organization’s exponential rise.
FOX SPORTS 1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW: MCGREGOR VS. SIVER
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Sunday, Jan. 18 (6:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar, Ariel Helwani
- This Week: Host Anik and analysts Cormier, Melendez and Edgar break down the exciting night including the much anticipated featherweight fight between Conor McGregor and Dennis Siver. The four also analyze the intriguing matchups on the PRELIMS.
FOX SPORTS 1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS FEATURE SIX EXCITING BOUTS
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Sunday, Jan. 18 (7:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Mike Goldberg, Joe Rogan, Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar, Ariel Helwani
- This Week: The three-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS features six exciting fights, as Cathal Pendred (15-3-1) faces Sean Spencer (12-3) in a welterweight bout. Boston native John Howard (22-10) defends his home turf against fellow welterweight Lorenz Larkin (14-4, 1NC), while The Ultimate Fighter: China Season 1 winner Zhang Lipeng (9-7-1) fights lightweight Chris Wade (8-1). Flyweights Patrick Holohan (10-1-1) and Shane Howell (13-8) battle it out, preceded by Johnny Case (19-4) and Frankie Perez (9-1) in a lightweight scrap. Charles Rosa (9-1) and Sean Soriano (8-2) open the PRELIMS with a bantamweight bout.
FOX SPORTS 1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT FEATURES CLASH OF TOP FEATHERWEIGHTS
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Sunday, Jan. 18 (10:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Mike Goldberg, Joe Rogan
- This Week: FOX SPORTS 1 UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MCGREGOR vs. SIVER is headlined by a clash of top-ranked featherweights, as No. 5 Conor McGregor (16-2) battles No. 10 Dennis Siver (22-9, 1NC). In addition, the main card features three more exciting matchups, including a key clash between former UFC lightweight champion and fifth-ranked Benson “Smooth” Henderson (21-4) and No. 3 Donald Cerrone (26-6, 1NC). The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 finalist Uriah Hall (10-4) faces late replacement Ron Stallings (12-6), while The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes winner Norman Parke (21-2-1) battles veteran Gleison Tibau (39-10) to kick off the main card on FOX Sports 1.
FOX SPORTS LIVE SHOW RECAPS TITLE FIGHT
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Sunday, Jan. 18 (12:00 AM ET)
- Talent: Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar, Ariel Helwani
- This Week: Watch the recap of UFC FIGHT NIGHT, with host Anik and analysts Cormier, Melendez and Edgar breaking down the McGregor vs. Siver fight. The group interviews winners and highlights the most exciting action of the evening.
BOXING
FOX FIGHT NIGHT: GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS FEATURES HUNTER VS. ALVARADO, PLUS HOPKINS’ 50th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
- Network/When: FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports GO, Tuesday, Jan. 20 (8:00 PM ET)
- Talent: Brian Custer, Paulie Malignaggi
- This Week: Golden Boy Promotions celebrates Bernard Hopkins’ 50th birthday with a night of boxing fit for a legend. Live from the 2300 Arena in Bernard’s hometown of Philadelphia, the main event features Philly’s own Eric “The Outlaw” Hunter (19-3, 10 KOs) against highly regarded Nicaraguan junior lightweight contender Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado (21-3, 14 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout. “It is always exciting to see up and coming fighters reach the next level,” says Malignaggi. “I can’t wait to see two hungry guys strive to reach the upper echelon of boxing.” In the super lightweight co-main 10-round event, rising junior welterweight star Michael “The Artist” Perez of Newark, New Jersey looks to extend his current unbeaten streak to eight fights. Plus, opening the televised action is Washington, D.C.’s undefeated fighter Lamont Roach Jr. (5-0, 2 KOs) in a six-round junior lightweight battle against an opponent yet to be named.
SOCCER
CONCACAF Men’s U-20 Championship Continues Live on FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports GO; Alexi Lalas Debuts In Booth
- This Week: The CONCACAF Men’s U-20 Championship resumes Thursday, Jan. 15 in Jamaica, as the U-20 USMNT battles 11 other national teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup. FOX Sports 2 and FOX Soccer Plus offer viewers all the action through the group stages and exclusive coverage of the playoff rounds and the final, while FOX Sports GO and FOX Soccer 2Go stream the 13 matches live and on-demand.
- Network/When/Talent:
- Group Stage: Mexico vs. Honduras, FOX Sports 2, FOX Sports GO and FOX Soccer 2Go, Thursday, Jan. 15 (5:30 PM ET)
- Francisco X. Rivera, Janusz Michallik
- Group Stage: Jamaica vs. USMNT, FOX Sports 2, FOX Sports GO and FOX Soccer 2Go, Sunday, Jan. 18 (8:00 PM ET)
- Mark Rogondino, Cobi Jones
- Group Stage: El Salvador vs. Mexico, FOX Sports 2, FOX Sports GO and FOX Soccer 2Go, Monday, Jan. 19 (5:30 PM ET)
- John Strong, Alexi Lalas
- Group Stage: USMNT vs. Trinidad & Tobago, FOX Sports 2, FOX Sports GO and FOX Soccer 2Go, Wednesday, Jan. 21 (5:30 PM ET)
- John Strong, Alexi Lalas
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