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.

It’s on. Or, as Ashton Kutcher says, “It has been broughten.”

The “drama drama” continued Tuesday. But first, a little background:

On Monday’s SportsNation (4-5 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS for next two weeks; midnight, weekdays, ESPN2), Colin Cowherd called out Kutcher for being an actor who’s trying to be a fantasy football authority. Kutcher hosts a live, 30-minute fantasy football show on Ustream.

Kutcher was watching SportsNation when Colin called him out, and immediately repsonded via @aplusk, his Twitter account that boasts more than 3 million followers. Kutcher and @SportsNation went back and forth for a bit, and each challenged the other to come on (See Monday’s Water Cooler post for the transcript of Monday’s Twitter exchange.)

Tuesday, SportsNation showed the clip from Kutcher’s Ustream show in which Kutcher reacts to Colin calling him a “Drama Dweeb.” Kutcher then challenged Colin to “bring it.” The two could be heading for a Fantasy Football Frackas, as both shows want the respective interloper to come on and keep talking smack — and maybe a little bit of football.

On Monday’s SportsNation, co-hosts Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd discussed whether or not sports fans want Fantasy Football advice from actor Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk), who has been airing live via Ustream his fantasy football league’s gatherings to talk shop about drafting prospects.

Michelle Beadle & Colin Cowherd host SportsNation. (This week on ESPNEWS)

Kutcher caught wind of SportsNation talking about his Ustream stuff, and that Colin said he thinks actors always think they’re authorities on something other than acting, and the tweet feathers started flying.

aplusk: @SportsNation: Watch the show before you talk smack!

@SportsNation: We love the show! You’re welcome to come on (SNation) to talk fantasy football any time. Interested?

aplusk: @SportsNation: Wow, what wisdom you have taking Peterson first. Read a couple more off the rack fantasy mags, Colin.

@SportsNation: He (Colin) loves AP.

aplusk: @Sportsnation: Everyone loves AP. Your top 5 fantasy backs aren’t exactly breaking new journalistic ground.

@SportsNation: Those were the nation’s picks in power rankings. We just speak for the people. You’re welcome to come debate Top 5 w/ Colin.

aplusk: @SportsNation: Colin is welcome to come on our show and flex his fantasy muscle if he’d like.

No word yet on whether Kutcher will accept the invite. But stay tuned. We doubt Colin or Ashton will be able to contain themselves, so that likely won’t be the end of it.

All of them!

Starting today, the new live studio show SportsNation (today, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN; midnight, ESPN2), with co-hosts Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd, will roll out a roster of Twitter followers at show’s end each Friday with the purpose of thanking Twitter Nation for participating in SportsNation.

The TV show, created by ESPN producers Jamie Horowitz, Kevin Wildes and Dave Jacoby, was developed with the idea that SportsNation would rely on fan input in a way no ESPN show has before. Producers expected content to be influenced by conversations on ESPN.com’s SportsNation Web page. What they didn’t expect was the immediate response from fans via Twitter.

Fans can contact the show and participate via Twitter, Facebook, phone calls and e-mails.In five weeks’ time, @SportsNation on Twitter went from 100 followers to more than 100,000.

Impressed by the fan response, the SportsNation team has decided to say “Thank You” to its Twitter legion. Taking a cue from Twitter’s “Follow Friday,” SportsNation will thank fans each Friday by displaying a roster of Twitter followers at the end of the live show.

(Note: SportsNation airs on ESPNEWS for the next two weeks, Aug. 31-Sept. 11 at 4:30 p.m. ET)

SportsNation co-host Michelle Beadle

Michelle Beadle, who’ll co-host the new one-hour studio show SportsNation with Colin Cowherd (debuts Monday, July 6, at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2), was a guest on ESPN Radio’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd today. Beadle had to help Cowherd get a grip on the terminology of Twitter, one of the social media outlets on which SportsNation will rely in the hunting and gathering of fodder for the daily (M-F) show. SportsNation Preview

“You will be able to literally twit and get on the air immediately,” Cowherd said.

“It’s ‘tweet’ “ Michelle interjected at Colin. “I’m going to electro-shock you until you start saying ‘tweet.’ It’s ‘tweet.’ ”

SportsNation, Internet-driven and focused on fun, considers sports fans the upcoming show’s third co-host, so they can and should help a sister out. They can fast-track Colin’s Twitter learning curve: @SportsNation or http://twitter.com/sportsnation. Fans can also get Colin/Michelle’s attention at the popular Web page: ESPN.com/sportsnation.

The 2009 ESPYs are sure to be “tweet-worthy.” ESPY insiders will be “tweeting” prior to, during and after the award show on the new twitter account. Sports fans on twitter will be able to ask questions, get updates and catch the behind-the-scenes scoop straight from the production crew. Samuel L. Jackson will host this year’s ESPYs and lead fans through the year’s best plays, biggest upsets and most outstanding performances.

The 2009 ESPYs co-presented by Under Armour and Land Rover will be televised Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD.

ESPN women’s basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo has a lot to “tweet” about these days.  Using Twitter, she will provide behind-the-scenes insight into the world of women’s college basketball starting tonight (Tues., March 10) with the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Championship through the NCAA Women’s Final Four in St. Louis. She’ll also share off-court thoughts about her day-to-day experiences and travels, so come “follow” her at http://twitter.com/RebeccaLobo.