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.

Monday Night Football’s Jon Gruden, who had his own experience playing Peyton Manning (aka The Sheriff) and Colts when he was an NFL head coach, weighs in on Bill Belichick’s controversial decision not to punt on 4th and 2 with 2:08 remaining during Sunday night’s Patriots-Colts game.

Gruden, whose multi-year extension to remain with ESPN was announced today, also previews tonight’s MNF matchup between the Ravens and Browns.

Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden was downright giddy when talking about elite tight ends Tony Gonzalez (Falcons) and Jeremy Shockey (Saints) at the start of Monday’s Atlanta-New Orleans game. Gruden called them “jokers” — because “they’re  good in any hand.” He spoke of their production and the key role they play in their teams’ respective offenses when, after a series of highlights, Gruden returned to the screen wearing a Halloween mask of the Joker from the popular Batman film The Dark Knight. To view the clip, click here.

The Monday Night Football/NFL Studio Shows session started with terrific Sunday NFL Countdown promos featuring Chris Berman, Tom Jackson and a host of other ESPN personalities. Very funny!

Jay Rothman (Sr. coordinating producer, MNF); Stephanie Druley (Sr. coordinating producer, NFL Studio shows); analysts Trent Dilfer and Tom Jackson were on hand to discuss the upcoming 40^th season of Monday Night Football, NFL studio shows and the upcoming season  during this morning’s session at the ESPN Media Workshop.

Druley gave a detailed rundown of ESPN’s NFL studio shows such as Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. NFL Insider Adam Schefter will appear on the aforementioned programs. In addition, Druley said football analyst Matt Millen will appear alongside Stuart Scott and analyst Steve Young on Monday Night Countdown.

“We don’t miss a game.” -and- “This will be our most comprehensive insider segment on television.” - Druley on Sunday NFL Countdown

Dilfer, who won the Super Bowl in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens, gave his thoughts on key story lines of the upcoming MNF season and the nuances of the quarterback position. Dilfer said there are more quarterbacks in the NFL league that can handle the complexities of the game.

“When we start watching these [Monday Night] games, the hair still stands up on my arms because I don’t have any on my head.” - Dilfer

Jackson shared his thoughts on the story lines involving quarterbacks Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles) and Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings). Jackson said Favre succeeding is the better story but he doesn’t believe Favre can do it.

“He eventually could be the greatest story of redemption that ever lived.” – Jackson on Vick

Additionally, Jackson shared his thoughts on NFL PrimeTime and his relationship with longtime ESPN commentator Chris Berman.

“I thought that the simplest, purest form of talking football was when Chris and I were doing PrimeTime.” – Jackson

Rothman discussed MNF’s new booth lineup, Frank Gifford — the thread through 40 years of MNF, and his role this season — and the focus on football during the telecast.

“We will deliver football to fans at an unbelievably high level.” - Rothman on MNF presentation.

Some questions from the room answered:

Q - What are your thoughts on expanding to a 17 or 18-game NFL schedule?

A -  Jackson: If you’re actually a player and preparing to take a punishment … I’m not in favor of adding more games to a 16-game schedule.

Q - Do you have a Plan B if Jon Gruden goes back to the NFL?

A -  Rothman: I’m not worried about Jon. Jon wants to be great at this and is loving the experience.  He’s fired up I’m not worried about him walking out the door. We’re just getting better each week.

George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc., and ABC Sports, recalls the early days of the company when one of the core pieces of programming was Australian Rules Football.  With the rules of the sport foreign to many viewers, ESPN encouraged fans to send a postcard and, in return, receive a copy of the rulebook.  The gesture was met with unexpected response — 50,000 postcards arrived in Bristol.  

Bodenheimer would know.  He was working in the mailroom at the time.

Today, as ESPN nears its 30^th anniversary (Sept. 7), Bodenheimer recounted that story to a room full of journalists attending a two-day media workshop at ESPN.  

To Bodenheimer, passionate sports fans are a core reason for ESPN’s success.  Another is the “culture, energy, and passion of our people,” Bodenheimer said.  He also credited the “work ethic, passion for sports, and can-do attitude” employees exude each day.

During an afternoon in which 43 ESPN employees were honored for joining the company before Sept. 7, 1980, Bodenheimer said those colleagues bought into the “little engine that could” mentality.

It was also an appropriate time to announce ESPN’s success in reaching a companywide goal.  Rather than throw a celebration for ESPN’s 30^th birthday, the company decided to collectively devote 30,000 hours to community service by September 7.  Today, that goal was met.

 Among other topics discussed: 

• the 30^th anniversary SportsCenter to be hosted by Chris Berman, Bob Ley and John Saunders;
• ESPN’s “30 for 30″ films initiative;
• the company’s “best screen available” approach to providing content any way fans desire;
• localized sports content, such as ESPNChicago.com and the recently announced plan to launch in three new markets (Dallas, Los Angeles and New York);
• the growth of ESPN360.com, which now reaches two-thirds of all broadband homes;
• ESPN launching in the UK, and the acquisition of English Premier League rights;
• 100 hours of US Open coverage beginning next week and ESPN’s championship strategy for tennis and golf;
• the 15-year rights agreement with the SEC;
• Monday Night Football’s 40^th year;
• World Cup 2010 as a major priority for the company;
• the unique, recently established media and ad lab in Austin, Texas;
• and the upcoming rebranding of Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando to ESPN Wide World of Sports.

“We are not resting on our laurels,” Bodenheimer said.  ”ESPN is as busy as it’s ever been and that’s exactly how ESPN’s employees want it.”

• Teen singing sensation The Jonas Brothers working behind the scenes at ESPN’s new Los Angeles production facility
• Recording star John Legend visited ESPN to fill in for Mike Golic on ESPN Radio and ESPN2’s Mike & Mike in the Morning
• Shots of new Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden
• Photos of ESPN’s new weekday SportsNation with Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle
• Game action from ESPN2’s WNBA season opener — defending champion Detroit Shock at Los Angeles Sparks with Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie
• NASCAR driver Carl Edwards kept his ESPN visitor’s badge on during his SportsCenter interview with Jay Harris
• U.S. men’s soccer team victory over Hondurus
• & more…

Jon Gruden, former Raiders and Buccaneers coach and current Monday Night Football analyst, is blogging on ESPN.com from the NFL-USO Coaches Tour, joined by Tom Coughlin, Bill Cowher, Jeff Fisher and John Harbaugh. The group is touring the Persian Gulf region as they meet and greet service men and women through several days.  To read about sleeping in bunk beds, visiting Alfau Palace and interacting with hundreds of our nation’s troops, click here:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nflnation/0-9-8/Gruden-on-NFL-USO-Coaches-Tour.html

Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, co-hosts of ESPN Radio’s popular Mike & Mike in the Morning, will team with ESPN studio analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young to call the San Diego Chargers-Oakland Raiders game as part of ESPN’s season-opening Monday Night Football doubleheader on Sept. 14 at 10:15 p.m. ET. The Chargers-Raiders telecast marks the third straight season in which Greenberg (play-by-play) and Golic (analyst) will call the MNF doubleheader and the first for Young, who will continue with his weekly Monday Night Countdown studio role. Some excerpts from the interview and announcement on Mike & Mike in the Morning:

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Golic: “There’s no way they told you. When they asked you to do this game, you had no idea it was going to be Greeny and I. Now that you know that, is there a chance you’re going to want to get out of this gig now?”

Young: “I actually feel likes it’s right up our alley, all of us, the three of us. We’re like the island of misfit toys a little bit. They put us together for a particular purpose. It’s a one-shot deal. We blow it all in one evening…like you guys, I don’t do this a lot. I think it will be fresh and fun. I’m afraid what will happen at the end of the telecast, people will say, ‘Hey, those three guys, we’ve got to keep those guys together.’ Well it’s impossible. They just kind of wistfully think about it all year long. ‘We really liked those guys that one time, remember that out in Oakland? That was great.’ ”

Golic: “See, I’m going to be surrounded by two guys who use big words. And that’s a problem for me.”

Greenberg: “Yeah Steve, that’s going to be a problem. Listen, you and I will just talk and Golic will sit there and eat and everything will be fine.”