Celebrate Muhammad Ali’s 68th birthday Sunday, January 17, by watching some of his most memorable fights on ESPN Classic, including the Rumble in the Jungle, the Thrilla in Manila and his two fights against Sonny Listen. For the complete schedule click on
Mariah Carey, a five-time Grammy winner, has recorded a music video that will accompany ESPN’s NBA Christmas Day coverage. The music video features the holiday-themed “All I Want for Christmas is You,” which will air throughout the day on ESPN and ABC during NBA game and studio content.
Ron Jaworski is testifying before a House subcommittee hearing on childhood obesity today in Washington, D.C. The Monday Night Football analyst is appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee to discuss the NFL’s “Play 60″ program, which encourages children to get at least 60 minutes of exercise per day. Subcommittee chairman Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) announced the hearing Tuesday.
Jaws will be back in the nation’s capital in just a few days for this week’s MNF game when the Giants face the Redskins.
In preparation for and recognition of this week’s Monday Night Football, when the undefeated Saints would host the Patriots, SportsNation Presented by Toyota held a New Orleans vs. New England debate Monday, Nov. 30, with host Michelle Beadle promoting the Saints and all things New Orleans, and host Colin Cowherd taking up the argument for the Pats and his beloved New England.
Half of the SportsNation studio was decorated in Mardi Gras Mania, and half in homage to the Minutemen and Pat Patriot. In the end, SportsNation voted that New Orleans was the better team and region, siding with their beloved Beadle and the Saints.
As a result, Cowherd, ever the Patriotic loser and dressed as Paul Revere, was sent to the SportsNation dunk tank filled with New England lobsters (of the faux variety) in the frigid Connecticut outdoors.
Five members of the SportsNation production crew each got a shot at dunking Cowherd — and each failed. Finally, Beadle asked for a shot, and, while assuring Cowherd he could trust her as his co-host, had someone secretly smash the lever on the sly, sending Colin to his icy defeat.
Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson visited ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn. Monday, one day after becoming the first driver to win four straight Cup titles.
Johnson made live appearances on First Take (ESPN2), SportsCenter (ESPN), ESPNEWS, and ESPN Radio’s Scott Van Pelt Show (simulcast on ESPN2). He also did a live chat on ESPN.com, and taped appearances on the 6 p.m. SportsCenter and ESPN Deportes.
Prior to departing from Florida, where he captured his record-breaking Cup crown Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Johnson called into ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m. M-F). When asked how he was feeling at 7:12 a.m., about 12 hours after completing his historical 2009 season, Johnson replied: “Terrible, I wish you had a noon show.”
ESPN.com Senior Writer Andy Katz’s goal was to stay awake and provide live reports from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters throughout ESPN’s 24-hour College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon on Nov. 17. He posted blog reports and answered fan questions on ESPN.com, provided live updates during halftime of every game plus on SportsCenter across ESPN and ESPN2, and kept the Twitter world updated via www.twitter.com/ESPNAndyKatz.
In total - after factoring in the time he awoke that morning - Katz was awake for about 41 hours (minus a 20-minute catnap outside a colleague’s cubicle around 4 a.m.).
“Don’t try this at home, especially if you are getting over a cold,” said Katz, who did change his contacts, shower and shave during the 41 hours. “I was amazed at how many people, through our chats and on Twitter, were involved in what we were doing, including poking fun at - in good humor - my physical breakdown. I only had to chat and talk. I can’t imagine how doctors then have to perform surgery under these conditions.”
Katz woke up at 7 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16, and the cab dropped him off at his house Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 1 a.m.
Actor Quinton Aaron, Star of “The Blind Side” was a guest on First Take this morning with Dana Jacobson.
NFL studio analyst and former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer will call his first college football game with ESPN on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Dilfer will provide analysis in the booth with play-by-play annoucner Dave Lamont at Ball State when the Cardinals host the Central Michigan Chippewas at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com.
Dilfer regularly does analysis for NFL Live, NFL PrimeTime and SportsCenter. He also contributes to Monday Night Countdown, ESPN Radio and ESPN’s annual Super Bowl week and NFL Draft coverage. He once called a college football game – while he was still in college.
“I’m very ambitious and love to challenge myself,” he said. “The only time I’ve done color commentary is for the Senior Bowl when I was still at Fresno State. I want to continue to challenge myself in this career and this is a great opportunity to get involved in the college game and stretch my TV talents.”
The play-calling lineups for ESPN’s Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday games have included Rece Davis, Lou Holtz and Mark May; the SEC Network’s Dave Neal and Andre Ware; Eric Collins and Ray Bentley; and Bob Wischusen and Brian Greise.
“It is totally different; night and day in terms of prep,” Dilfer said. “I consider myself an expert in the NFL world. I live and breathe it. The college game, I’m a fan but I haven’t invested the same amount of time and energy into learning and knowing the game inside and out like the NFL.
“The game itself and the global themes are the same, but I’ve had to spend lots of hours doing film prep, understanding the story lines, team and game history, coaching staff and players. It’s been a really great challenge – and I have some anxiety, but it’s stretching your capacity to learn that excites me.”
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