The Crowe's Nest

Celtics/Magic Notes from NBA on TNT

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:37:00 +0000

From TNT Sports -

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Thursday, January 26, 2012

TNT's NBA coverage continues Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012 at 7 p.m. ET with a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com. Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will have the exclusive announcement of the 2012 NBA All-Star starters.

Following the pre-game show, TNT’s doubleheader will feature the Chicago Bulls @ New York Knicks (8 p.m. ET) followed by the Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET)

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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard on Charles Barkley: “[Charles] has always had my back since day one and I appreciate it.”

Barkley on Magic center Dwight Howard and his impact: “Bill Russell is the greatest defensive center ever. Dwight Howard, I’m not going to put him in Bill Russell’s category. [But Howard] is a great defender and great rebounder.”

O’Neal on Dwight Howard and the nickname ‘Superman’: “The good thing about Dwight Howard is he listened and responded. The one thing you have to know about me is that I know what I’m doing.”

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Game 1: Boston Celtics (91) @ Orlando Magic (83)

Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Mike Fratello (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter)

Fratello on Orlando forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis: “When it comes to team defense, ‘Big Baby’ Davis is an important part.”

Fratello on potential Eastern Conference playoff matchups: “In the East there are two teams who are clearly a step above the rest – Chicago and Miami. After that, who can’t beat anybody else in the Eastern Conference? If one of those teams [Orlando or Boston] end up with the wrong matchup in the first round [of the playoffs], watch out.”

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Halftime

Johnson, O’Neal, Smith and Barkley

Smith on the Boston Celtics’ sloppy first-half play resulting in the Magic holding a 21-point lead: “It’s mental effort that makes the difference, not always shots and rebounds.”

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Magic center Dwight Howard on trade rumors: “I’m not going to get traded any time [soon], so just play.”

Fratello on the Celtics’ surge in the second half and the Magic’s demise due to poor shot selection at the end of the 24-second clock: “Those are the shots the Magic have wound up with in the fourth quarter.”

Fratello on the Celtics defensive pressure that helped them close a 27-point deficit and win tonight’s game against the Magic: “You normally don’t see, in a NBA game, pressure take a toll [on a team] the way the Celtics did in the first game of this week [Monday vs. the Clippers] and the second half of tonight’s game.”

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Game 2: Memphis Grizzlies (91) @ L.A. Clippers (98)

Announcers: Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) with Cheryl Miller (reporter)

Reggie Miller on Memphis Grizzlies Marc Gasol as the second best center in the league: “(Gasol is) much more well-rounded than [Los Angeles Lakers’] Andrew Bynum or [Utah Jazz’s] Al Jefferson. He can rebound, blocks shots, he’s got great hands and he can score.”

Kerr on the throwback uniforms and the night’s retro theme: “I wish some of the guys would’ve busted out the mutton chops and afros for tonight’s game.”

Reggie Miller on the Los Angeles Clippers offensive identity this season: “Eventually, they will be a good half-court team because of CP3 [Chris Paul] and Chauncey Billups. They’ll be an excellent half-court team.”

Kerr on the popularity of the Clippers in Los Angeles: “It’s fun. Let’s face it, the Clippers…they’ve been, probably, the worst franchise in the history of this league. You can’t sugarcoat it – 33 seasons here in L.A. and three winning seasons. Finally, we’re seeing some hope; actually, more than hope. We’re seeing tremendous talent from a team that is on the rise.”

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Halftime

Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith

O’Neal on Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay: “He’s leading his team and playing very well. When big Zach [Randolph] comes back they’re going to be a dangerous team.”

Barkley on Grizzlies forwards Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph: “That’s a really nice combination those two guys. If they can get on the same page, Memphis is a legit contender in the West.”

Smith on the Celtics head coach Doc Rivers: “I would love to play for Doc Rivers because he’s the kind of coach who’s with you in the trenches.”

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Kerr on Clippers point guard Chris Paul’s ability to score at the end of a game: “Chris Paul is a world-class game closer.”

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Clippers point guard Chris Paul following the game.

Chris Paul on what it will take to get to the next level despite blowing a big first-half lead: “We gotta get better defensively.”

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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai

Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith

Barkley on the Clippers weaknesses: “They aren’t the best team in their own building. Their half-court offense is not very good and I don’t like their bench as far as the ‘bigs’ go. There is such a drop-off [in size] after Blake [Griffin] and DeAndre [Jordan] come out of the game. They get really small.”

O’Neal on the Clippers: “They are a work in progress but they play with a lot of effort and energy. They can win a lot of games with that. Down the stretch, they will become a better half court team as they play more games. I think they are going to be fine.”

Barkley on the Dwight Howard trade rumors: “The Dwight Howard [trade rumors] are not going to go away because the trade deadline is looming [March 15]. [The Magic] are going to have to address that and answer that question every day.”

The TNT studio crew picked their biggest surprise of the season

O’Neal on Magic guard Ryan Anderson: “He’s a great role player and a very consistent shooter. He doesn’t try to do too much, he does what he does and gets the open shot. If I was a general manager, I would sign him up today.”

Smith on the Chicago Bulls: “They’ve had injuries to key players and through that time, they’ve had John Lucas, Jr. and Mike James holding the fort down. When you expect Rose, Noah and Boozer to lead the team, [head coach Tom] Thibodeau has done a great job to get them to say, ‘no excuses, we should still be the best team in the East’ and they are.”

Barkley on the Denver Nuggets and Grizzlies: “The Nuggets are one of the best teams in the West and the Grizzlies have played very well since losing Zach Randolph [to injury]. [Nuggets] head coach George Karl has proven that he is one of the best coaches in the league.”

The TNT studio crew picked their biggest disappointments of the season

Barkley on the level of play in the NBA: “I love basketball but we’ve got some bad basketball teams in the NBA.”

O’Neal on the Washington Wizards: “With all the ability and talent that [guard] John Wall has, he needs to do a better job leading the team. They make a lot of juvenile mistakes. [Forward] Andray Blatche is a good player but he needs to step up his game a little bit. I’m surprised and disappointed that they are the worst team in the league right now.”

Smith on the New York Knicks: “They made a big acquisition with [center] Tyson Chandler and now they have ‘stickum’ on the basketball. They have a lot of guys that hold the basketball. This is not a team I want to watch with [head coach Mike] D’Antoni and the way it’s constructed.”

Ohio State/Michigan & Baylor/Texas on CBS

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:41:00 +0000

From CBS Sports -

BIG TEN BATTLE BETWEEN MICHIGAN AND OHIO STATE HIGHLIGHTS
CBS SPORTS’ COLLEGE BASKETBALL LINE-UP ON SATURDAY, JAN. 28 AND SUNDAY, JAN. 29

CBS Sports’ college basketball schedule continues on Saturday, Jan. 28 (1:00-3:00 PM, ET) with national coverage of *No. 6-ranked Baylor taking on Texas. On Sunday, Jan. 29 (1:00-3:00 PM, ET), CBS Sports broadcasts nationally *No. 4-ranked Ohio State hosts *No. 20-ranked Michigan.

Verne Lundquist joins CBS Sports’ lead college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg to call the action at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas for the Baylor-Texas contest. Bob Dekas, CBS Sports’ coordinating producer for college basketball, produces and Bob Fishman directs.

Kevin Harlan is joined courtside by Bill Raftery for the call from Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio State-Michigan game. Steve Scheer produces and Bryan Lilley directs.

AT THE HALF, CBS Sports’ halftime studio show, hosted by Tracy Wolfson provides all the day’s news, scores and highlights live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Vin DeVito produces and Jim Cornell directs. Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

In addition, CBS Sports will stream the Ohio State-Michigan game, as well as select games from the entire 2011-12 college basketball schedule, live on CBSSports.com. The games are available exclusively on CBSSports.com and CBS Sports Mobile.

*AP Poll as of 1/23/12

NBC's got the Pro Bowl Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:40:00 +0000

From NBC Sports -

NBC SPORTS’ SUPER BOWL WEEK KICKS OFF WITH LIVE PRIMETIME COVERAGE OF 2012 NFL PRO BOWL, SUNDAY 7 P.M. ET

Bob Costas, Tony Dungy & Rodney Harrison Host Pre-Game, Halftime and Post-Game Coverage from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Site of Super Bowl XLVI

Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Ray Lewis Will Wear Microphones Throughout the Game

Access to Coach/QB Radio Transmissions Highlight NBC’s Production

NEW YORK – January XX, 2012 – Super Bowl XLVI Week on NBC begins this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with the NFL’s top stars competing in the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl. The NFL’s All-Star Game will take place once again at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii and is the signature event to start the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, to be played between the New England Patriots and New York Giants in Indianapolis on Sunday, Feb. 5, on NBC.

Dan Hicks (play-by-play), Mike Mayock and Doug Flutie (analysts), Alex Flanagan and Randy Moss (sideline reporters) call the action from Aloha Stadium.

Football Night in America’s Bob Costas, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison will host the pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage from inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the site of Super Bowl XLVI.

The 43-man teams are comprised of 21 offensive and 17 defensive players plus five specialists, including a long snapper. The AFC All-Star team will be led by Gary Kubiak and the coaches from the Houston Texans while Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers’ coaching staff will guide the NFC Pro Bowl squad.

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees lead the NFC against the NFL’s leading rusher Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger.

PRO BOWL PRODUCTION ELEMENTS: Five quarterbacks in the game – Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger, Cam Newton and Philip Rivers, along with Ray Lewis - will wear microphones during the game. In addition, NBC will have access to coach-quarterback radio transmission and will deploy its ‘stedi-cam’ operator into the teams’ huddles.

NBC Sports’ Notre Dame Football producer Rob Hyland, who worked as the Sunday Night Football replay producer for three years under SNF producer Fred Gaudelli, will produce the game. Artie Kempner, who directs NFL games for NFL Network and Fox, and who directed Super Bowl XLII, will direct.

NBC AND THE PRO BOWL: Sunday’s broadcast marks fourth time ever and the second time in three years that NBC has broadcast the Pro Bowl. The last NBC broadcast of the Pro Bowl was the week after Super Bowl XLIII in February 2009. Prior to that NBC’s last Pro Bowl broadcast was on Jan. 20, 1974 from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City when the AFC, coached by then Raiders coach and former NBC analyst John Madden, defeated the NFC 15-13 on five Garo Yepremian field goals. Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis called the game for NBC. The only other time the Pro Bowl was on NBC was two years earlier, on Jan. 23, 1972, when the AFC defeated the NFC 26-13. That game took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

PRO BOWL STARTERS:

AFC OFFENSE

QB Ben Roethlisberger Steelers

RB Maurice Jones-Drew Jaguars

FB Vonta Leach Ravens

WR A.J. Green Bengals

Mike Wallace Steelers

TE Antonio Gates Chargers

T Joe Thomas Browns

D’Brickashaw Ferguson Jets

G Ben Grubbs Ravens

Marshal Yanda Ravens

C Nick Mangold Jets

AFC DEFENSE

DE Elvis Dumerville Broncos

Dwight Freeney Colts

DT Haloti Ngata Ravens

Richard Seymore Raiders

OLB Tamba Hali Chiefs

Von Miller Broncos

ILB Ray Lewis Ravens

CB Darrell Revis Jets

Champ Bailey Broncos

FS Ed Reed Ravens

SS Eric Weddle Chargers

AFC SPECIAL TEAMS

P Shane Lechler Raiders

K Sebastian Janikowski Raiders

KR Antonio Brown Steelers

ST Montell Owens Jaguars

NFC OFFENSE

QB Aaron Rodgers Packers

RB LeSean McCoy Eagles

FB Michael Robinson Seahawks

WR Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals

Steve Smith Panthers

TE Jimmy Graham Saints

T Jason Peters Eagles

Joe Staley 49ers

G Jhari Evans Saints

Carl Nicks Saints

C Ryan Kalil Panthers

NFC DEFENSE

DE Jared Allen Vikings

Jason Babin Eagles

DT Justin Smith 49ers

Jay Ratliff Cowboys

OLB DeMarcus Ware Cowboys

Clay Matthews Packers

ILB Patrick Willis 49ers

CB Charles Woodson Packers

TBA

FS Earl Thomas Seahawks

SS Adrian Wilson Cardinals

NFC SPECIAL TEAMS

P Andy Lee 49ers

K David Akers 49ers

KR Patrick Peterson Cardinals

ST Corey Graham Bears

ESPN at Super Bowl XLVI

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:38:00 +0000

From ESPN -

ESPN at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis

110+ Hours of Television and Radio Programming

25+ On-air Commentators with 19 Super Bowl Rings

30^th Super Bowl for Host Chris Berman

ESPN’s live coverage leading up to Super Bowl XLVI begins Monday, Jan. 30, at 6 a.m. ET from Pan American Plaza in Indianapolis and continues through Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, when the New England Patriots face the New York Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium. Highlights:

· More than 110 hours of television and radio programming;

· More than 25 on-air commentators (hosts, analysts, reporters and contributors) on site in Indianapolis – in all, an analyst team of former players and coaches with a combined 19 Super Bowl rings in 29 appearances in the NFL’s biggest game;

· Content across 18 ESPN platforms: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPNEWS HD, ESPN Deportes HD, ESPN International, ESPN.com, ESPN Radio, ESPNRadio.com, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPNdeportes.com, ESPN The Magazine, WatchESPN, and ESPN Mobile properties; and

· Super Bowl XLVI aired live in more than 68 million households in 162 countries and territories via ESPN International.

All shows originating from Pan Am Plaza will be available for free public viewing. The on-site operation includes:

§ A 62-by-40-foot outdoor set, enclosed in glass and overlooking Lucas Oil Stadium;

§ A 24-by-48-foot demo field;

§ Aerial views via a “flycam” that spans 300 feet and is suspended 30 feet in the air;

§ Two 16-by-9-foot LED screens for fan viewing of ESPN’s on-site programs; and

§ Two pod camera locations at Pan Am Plaza that showcase the downtown skyline, Union Station and the stadium.

New in 2012:

· Themed SportsCenter Specials (M-F, 3-4 p.m., ESPN): Host Steve Levy and NFL Insiders John Clayton, Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter discuss the latest league news Monday and Tuesday; Mike Tirico, Trent Dilfer and Merril Hoge discuss safety and head injuries Wednesday; the Monday Night Football team of Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski preview the Super Bowl matchup Thursday; and, on Friday, ESPN’s Super Bowl champion analysts – Tedy Bruschi, Dilfer, Mike Ditka, Gruden, Keyshawn Johnson, Jerry Rice, Mark Schlereth and Steve Young – talk with Tirico about playing in the NFL’s title game.

· SC Special: NFL Face to Face with Hannah Storm (Tues., Jan. 31 at 9 p.m., ESPN2): ESPN’s Hannah Storm conducts one-on-one interviews in this one-hour special with some of the NFL season’s biggest newsmakers: Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers, Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton, Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, and Colts owner Jim Irsay. Full release.

· Bill Parcells’ Super Bowl Confidential (Wed., Feb. 1, 7 p.m., ESPN): Two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells discusses all facets of the Super Bowl with Tirico, drawing upon his more than 30 years of experience, including leading both the Giants (1986 and 1990) and Patriots (1996) to the Super Bowl, and his relationships with this year’s head coaches, Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick, both of whom he mentored when they served as assistant coaches on his teams.

· NFL32 (M-F, 6 p.m., ESPN2), which debuted in September, is a social media-driven NFL discussion show featuring host Suzy Kolber, NFL Insider Mortensen and a rotating cast of ESPN analysts and guests while engaging with fans via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

· NFL Kickoff (Friday, 7-9 p.m., ESPN2) with host Trey Wingo, and NFL analysts Bruschi and Schlereth. The show will cover team news, strategies, and injuries.

· NFL Live expanded to one hour this year (previously 30 minutes) and will air daily from Indianapolis during Super Bowl week with host Wingo, and a rotating cast of ESPN NFL analysts (M-F, 4-5 p.m., ESPN).

· SportsNation (M-F, 5-6 p.m., ESPN2) will originate from ESPN’s demo field with hosts Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd. Two acts that will be part of the show all week: the Blue Monkey Sideshow carnival act for SN’s ‘Halftime Show’ and Indy’s own “The Twin Cats” will be the show’s official house band.

Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5

· A special Sunday 6-10 a.m. edition of Mike & Mike from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios can be heard and/or watched on ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN2 (6-9 a.m.) and ESPNEWS (9-10 a.m.). The show will provide a comprehensive live game-day preview of the Super Bowl in addition to Mike & Mike’s best interviews from Super Bowl week in Indianapolis.

· Mike Tirico will host SportsCenter from Lucas Oil Stadium the morning of the Super Bowl (9-10 a.m., ESPN) with analysts Merril Hoge, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski.

· Covering his 30th Super Bowl, Chris Berman will host the special four-hour Super Bowl edition of Sunday NFL Countdown (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) from Pan Am Plaza with analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, and Keyshawn Johnson. The Monday Night Football team of Tirico, Gruden and Jaworski will join the crew from Lucas Oil Stadium, with Super Bowl champions Tedy Bruschi, Trent Dilfer, Jerry Rice and Steve Young. NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter will also contribute reports.

· Reporters Rachel Nichols (covering the Giants) and Ed Werder (Patriots) will provide team updates.

· Postgame coverage on ESPN includes Berman, Jackson and Young on NFL Primetime (10:30-11:30 p.m.), followed by Stuart Scott, Steve Levy, Carter, Dilfer, and Johnson on SportsCenter (11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.).

ESPN Programming

Throughout Super Bowl week, a host of ESPN studio shows will originate from Pan Am Plaza in Indianapolis. The schedule:

Date	Time (ET)	Show	Network
Mon, Jan. 30 – Thurs, Feb. 2	6-10 a.m.	*Mike & Mike in the Morning*	ESPN Radio/ESPN2
	9 a.m.-2 p.m.	*SportsCenter AM*	ESPN
	10 a.m.-1 p.m.	*The Herd with Colin Cowherd*	ESPN Radio/ESPNEWS
	1-4 p.m.	*Scott Van Pelt Show*	ESPN Radio/ESPNEWS
	3-4 p.m.	*SportsCenter Special*	ESPN
	4-5 p.m.	*NFL Live*	ESPN
	5-6 p.m.	*SportsNation*	ESPN2
	5-6 p.m.	*SportsCenter*	ESPN
	6-7 p.m.	*NFL 32*	ESPN2
	8-9 p.m.	*ESPN International coverage*
	9-10 p.m.	*SportsCenter*	ESPN
Fri, Feb. 3	6-10 a.m.	*Mike & Mike in the Morning*	ESPN Radio/ESPN2
	9 a.m.-2 p.m.	*SportsCenter AM*	ESPN
	10 a.m.-1 p.m.	*The Herd with Colin Cowherd*	ESPN Radio/ESPNEWS
	1-2 p.m.	*NFL Semanal*	ESPN Deportes
	1-4 p.m.	*Scott Van Pelt Show*	ESPN Radio/ESPNEWS
	3-4 p.m.	*SportsCenter Special*	ESPN
	4-5 p.m.	*NFL Live*	ESPN
	5-6 p.m.	*SportsNation*	ESPN2
	5-6 p.m.	*SportsCenter*	ESPN
	6-7 p.m.	*NFL 32*	ESPN2
	7-9 p.m.	*NFL Kickoff*	ESPN2
	10-11 p.m.	*SportsCenter*	ESPN
Sat, Feb. 4	10-11 a.m.	*SportsCenter*	ESPN
	1-2:30 p.m.	*ESPN International coverage*
	6-7 p.m.	*SportsCenter*	ESPN
Sun, Feb. 5	9-10 a.m.	*SportsCenter*	ESPN
	10 a.m.-2 p.m.	*Sunday NFL Countdown*	ESPN
	10:30-11:30 p.m.	*NFL Primetime*	ESPN
	11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.	*SportsCenter*	ESPN

Note: Interview segments for First Take, Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption and other ESPN programs will also originate from Indianapolis.

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio will air more than 50 hours of live programming from Indianapolis prior to Super Bowl XLVI.

Super Bowl Week: Monday, Jan. 30-Friday, Feb. 3

ESPN Radio’s weekday Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m.), The Herd with Colin Cowherd (10 a.m.-1 p.m.), The Scott Van Pelt Show (1-4 p.m.), and co-host Mark Schlereth’s half of Hill & Schlereth (7-10 p.m.), co-hosted by Mike Hill in Bristol, will originate from Indianapolis during Super Bowl week.

Mike & Mike with co-hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, and The Herd with Cowherd, will be open for public viewing at ESPN’s main set in Pan Am Plaza, surrounded by the NFL Super Bowl Village events. Van Pelt, with Ryen Russillo, and Schlereth, will broadcast their shows from the adjacent Pan Am Building. Mike & Mike is simulcast on ESPN2, while The Herd and Van Pelt are simulcast on ESPNEWS. All shows are streamed live on ESPN.com and available via ESPN Podcast.

Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5:

A special Sunday 6-10 a.m. edition of Mike & Mike from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios can be heard and/or watched on ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN2 (6-9 a.m.) and ESPNEWS (9-10 a.m.). The show will provide a comprehensive live game-day preview of the Super Bowl in addition to Mike & Mike’s best interviews from Super Bowl week in Indianapolis.

ESPNRadio.com will carry ESPN Radio programming live.

ESPN.com

ESPN.com will provide complete reporting and analysis of the game, teams, players, coaches and the entire Super Bowl scene from Indianapolis on Page 1 and the main NFL page, as well as on the 2012 edition of Super Bowl Central. ESPN.com will also present chats with ESPN.com writers and others, as well as video reports throughout the week.

ESPN’s roster of journalists will be on hand, including senior NFL writer John Clayton, as well as Adam Schefter, Ashley Fox, Elizabeth Merrill, the NFL Blog Network and Scouts Inc. They will provide insight, commentary, breaking news and analysis of all facets of the Super Bowl XLVI matchup. Other highlights:

·         NFL Any Era team: ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine put together a 20-member panel of Pro Football Hall of Famers to select an NFL Any Era team -- current players who the stars of yesterday most admire for their toughness, grit and skill. ESPN.com will reveal four players a day, culminating with the final four on Friday, Jan. 27. The presentation includes a video roundtable with Hall of Famers Mike Ditka, John Randle and James Lofton, as well as a video interview with the No. 1 player;
·         Interactive presentation Inside a Moment in Time takes readers inside John Elway’s famous “Helicopter Run” in Super Bowl XXXII against the Packers. The presentation has video interviews with Elway, Rod Smith, Eugene Robinson and more;
·         Road to Indy blog: reports from ESPN.com’s blog network;
·         Complete coverage of Media Day, where users can interact with bloggers on the scene;
·         Super Bowl rings presentation highlighting one player from each of the 45 teams who have earned Super Bowl rings; and
·         In-depth analysis, scouting reports and rankings of all 106 players on the Super Bowl rosters from Scouts Inc.

ESPN Mobile will provide fans on-the-go with alerts, updates and news throughout the game. Additionally, fans can access the latest action through the ESPN mobile Web site and up-to-the-minute scores via the ESPN ScoreCenter mobile app.

ESPN International

ESPN International will air Super Bowl XLVI live to more than 68 million households in 162 countries and territories throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Brazil, Africa, the Middle East, Israel, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim, and much of Europe. Commentary and analysis will be provided in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Highlights:

· The game will be seen in HD in Australia, Latin America, Brazil and the Caribbean;

· ESPN International’s SportsCenter production team will report throughout the week to Latin America and throughout the Pacific Rim;

· ESPN Latin America will also air daily editions of NFL Semanal;

· ESPN Brazil will air live the pre-game Abre o Jogo Super Bowl XLVI directly from Lucas Oil Stadium, along with a dedicated live Twittcam @espnagora behind the scenes and commentary from on-air duo Everaldo Marques and Paulo Antunes;

· Live coverage on Super Bowl Sunday in Latin America will begin at 3 p.m. with an extended pregame: NFL Esta Noche: Previo Super Bowl XLVI EN VIVO, followed by the telecast of Super Bowl XLVI at 6 p.m.; and

· Spanish-language Emmy nominee and play-by-play announcer Álvaro Martín, analyst and former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning kicker Raúl Allegre, NFL Esta Noche hosts Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega, and reporters John Sutcliffe, Goga Ruiz and Ciro Procuna will report daily on Spanish-language editions of SportsCenter, Radio Formula, Nacion ESPN and Los Capitanes.

ESPN DEPORTES

ESPN Deportes will offer the most comprehensive coverage of Super Bowl XLVI on Spanish-language television in the U.S. The network will have a team of reporters and commentators in Indianapolis all week for nightly segments on SportsCenter and live feeds during Los Capitanes and Nación ESPN. Additionally, ESPN's signature Spanish-language NFL news and analysis program, NFL Esta Noche, will air a special Saturday edition from Indianapolis with hosts Allegre, Martín, Procuna and Sutcliffe.

ESPN Deportes Radio, the only around-the-clock national Spanish-language sports radio network in the U.S., will provide Super Bowl reporting beginning Sunday, January 29. It will be heard during the regularly scheduled weekday programs ESPN Al Despertar, Zona ESPN and two special editions of the NFL show El Ultimo Pase.

ESPNdeportes.com, the Spanish-language Web site, will provide complete reporting and highlights from Indianapolis all week, including daily Cover It Live chats with ESPN Deportes’ on-site commentators, including Álvaro Martin, Raúl Allegre, Lalo Varela, Ciro Procuna and John Sutcliffe.

Spanish-language fans can also follow the action via social media on the network’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Extensive coverage of Super Bowl week will also include fan polls, blogs, video reports, chats and exclusive video.

ESPN The Magazine

ESPN The Magazine is hosting its eighth annual NEXT EVENT on Friday, February 3, in Indianapolis to celebrate its annual NEXT issue, which recognizes an elite group of emerging athletes to watch in the year ahead. The Magazine will take over 40,000 square feet of a warehouse a few short miles from downtown Indy and convert the space into the most anticipated Super Bowl celebration of the weekend. The event includes a 40-foot “red carpet” entrance and a tailored social media studio featuring ESPN NFL analyst Marcellus Wiley and Numbers Never Lie host Charissa Thompson, as well as on-site sponsorship activations.

The Magazine’s NEXT Event will feature a live special performance by multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated artist DRAKE with music by DJ D-Nice in addition to athletes, musicians, VIPs and celebrities. The invite-only party will showcase what's NEXT in sports, technology, lifestyle and, of course, what’s NEXT from ESPN. ESPN The Magazine’s NEXT Event sponsors include: Bud Light, Dunkin’ Donuts, Ford, Kaspersky Labs, LG, Makers Mark, Old Spice, Powerade, Snickers, Van Heusen Institute of Style, and Vicks Dayquil/Nyquil.

espnW

Kate Fagan will report daily from the Super Bowl for espnW.com starting Monday, Jan. 30. She will cover a variety of topics including Media Day and will preview Madonna’s much anticipated halftime show.

*All times ET unless otherwise noted.

Bulls/Heat on ABC Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:36:00 +0000

From ESPN -

NBA Sunday Showcase Returns with Bulls-Heat on ABC

ESPN’s NBA Ratings Up 31 Percent

ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase returns with a blockbuster matchup this weekend when the Miami Heat and LeBron James host the Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose – in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch – at 3:30 p.m. ET. ESPN’s lead commentator team – Mike Breen and analyst Jeff Van Gundy – will call the game with reporter Lisa Salters. Kia NBA Countdown with Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and analysts Jon Barry, Michael Wilbon and Chris Broussard will preview the action at 3 p.m. Additionally, ESPN Radio will broadcast the game with coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. Hall of Famers Jim Durham and Dr. Jack Ramsay will describe the action.

Also, ESPN will televise a Sunday night contest when the defending champion Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki host the San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan at 8 p.m. Dan Shulman will call the game – also available via ESPN3, ESPN Mobile TV and the WatchESPN app – with analyst Doris Burke.

ESPN’s Van Gundy and Breen on Heat/Bulls game:

On whether this matchup is a preview of the 2012 Eastern Conference Final:

Van Gundy – “Without question. I don’t see anybody beating the Heat in the early rounds. Atlanta and Indiana, with their length and depth, could give Chicago a good run. Right now, they have what it takes to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Even though last year’s matchup was decided in five games, I thought it was a close series. Chicago is going to have to be a very driven team to overcome Miami’s talent.”

On the Heat as his championship pick:

Van Gundy – “They are the best team because of their talent and tenacity. They can be a dominant team. Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem are healthy, Shane Battier was a great pickup and Norris Cole has been a great backup at the point guard position. They have good chemistry and a phenomenal talent base. I think they are better than last year when Dallas beat them in The Finals.”

On the top storyline heading into Sunday:

Breen – “So far, they are clearly the top two teams in the East and both teams have a real shot at winning the championship. It will be interesting to see how Chicago comes out after being eliminated by the Heat last season. The Bulls know this is the team they will have to go through again this postseason. It’s tough to get a barometer on the teams right now with so many players missing time and there is a long way to go between now and the playoffs.”

On Derrick Rose as the best point guard in the NBA:

Van Gundy – “He’s certainly one of the elite players in the league and he was deserving of the MVP award last year. The point guard position is excellent. Chris Paul and Deron Williams are excellent. There are a lot of really good players. Rose had a special season and he’s a special player. Most importantly, it sounds like he’s a special teammate who cares most about team success.”

ESPN’s NBA Ratings Up 31 Percent

ESPN’s 14 NBA telecasts this season are averaging a 1.7 rating, an increase of 31 percent when compared with a 1.3 rating for 13 NBA games during the same time span (since Christmas) last year, according to Nielsen. The corresponding household impressions are up 26 percent (1,664,000 vs. 1,319,000) and average viewers are up 21 percent (2,149,000 vs. 1,780,000).

ESPN.com’s Heat/Bulls Coverage

This weekend’s content on ESPN.com, ESPNChicago.com and the Heat Index will include:

a “Hot Button” feature on which team improved the most since last season;
previews (including Sunday’s ESPN.com Daily Dime), photo galleries and columns leading up to the game;
in-game updates;
immediate reaction and postgame reports.

ESPN Classic: “The Heat is On”

Prior to the Heat’s matchups against the Knicks and Bulls this weekend, ESPN Classic will re-live some of the best games between the teams Friday, Jan. 27, including:

1992 NBA Playoffs, First Round, Game 3: Bulls vs. Heat (2-4 a.m.) – Michael Jordan nets 56 points in a 119-114 Bulls victory;
2000 NBA Playoffs, Semifinals, Game 3: Heat vs. Knicks (4-6 a.m.) – Anthony Carter hits a baseline runner with 2.2 seconds left as the Heat escape 77-76 in overtime;
1999 NBA Playoffs, First Round, Game 5: Knicks vs. Heat (8-10 a.m.) – Allan Houston scores the game-winning basket in a 78-77 Knicks win;
2000 NBA Playoffs, Semifinals, Game 7: Knicks vs. Heat (10 a.m.-12 p.m.) – the Knicks survive with a 83-82 win in a classic Game 7;
1997 NBA Playoffs, Semifinals, Game 5: Knicks vs. Heat (12-2 p.m.) – the Heat win 96-81 as a brawl occurs with 1:53 remaining in the game;
1998 NBA Playoffs, First Round, Game 4: Heat vs. Knicks (2-4 p.m.) – the Knicks edge the Heat 90-85;
2011 regular season: Knicks vs. Heat (4-6 p.m.) – Amare Stoudemire blocks LeBron James’ layup with seven seconds left to secure a 91-86 Knicks win;
2011 regular season: Bulls vs. Heat (6-8 p.m.) – the Bulls win the third straight regular season game against the Heat 87-86.

Face-to-Face with Hannah Storm on ESPN

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:35:00 +0000

From ESPN -

SportsCenter Special: NFL Face to Face with Hannah Storm

In-depth interviews with Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Ndamukong Suh and Jim Irsay; Airs Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Before the 2011 NFL season culminates with Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, SportsCenter Special: NFL Face to Face with Hannah Storm (Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2) will highlight some of the biggest newsmakers of the year in pro football. The one-hour special’s long-format interviews will offer a personal look inside some of the sport’s biggest stars, as well as the team owner hosting Super Bowl XLVI, who is also facing the biggest decision of the NFL offseason:

Aaron Rodgers – The Green Bay Packers star quarterback and favorite for the 2011 NFL MVP takes Storm to historic Lambeau Field and to the local restaurant where he has eaten every week since his rookie season. During their far-ranging conversation, Rodgers discusses how his life has changed since last year’s Super Bowl title, how he handled the Brett Favre transition, his pranks, his personal life and what he wants his legacy to be.

Cam Newton – The Carolina Panthers quarterback and leading candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year in his only national television interview of the season visits Welcome All Park in the Atlanta area where he played football during his childhood. Newton talks about the difficulties he encountered this season and apologizes for his behavior after a loss to the divisional rival Falcons, his hometown team. He also discusses at length the criticism aimed at him prior to the 2011 NFL Draft, as well as the pay-for-play investigation of his father during his final season at Auburn.

Ndamukong Suh – The Detroit Lions dominating defensive lineman tours his alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with Storm, where he shows her the weight room facility he funded. In the only in-depth one-on-one interview since his Thanksgiving Day stomping incident, Suh discusses what happened in detail that day and in other incidents involving Andy Dalton, Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler. He speaks openly about his private meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and addresses the criticism directed towards him. He talks about being labeled ‘the NFL’s dirtiest player’ and how he plans to change that image by bringing the Lions back to prominence and by continuing to be among the most charitable athletes in sports.

Jim Irsay – In a rare sit-down, the Colts owner and CEO shares his personal collection with Storm, which is on display at the Indiana State Museum through Super Bowl. Items include Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” scroll and a collection of rare guitars – including one given to him by Steve Stills that he plays a rendition of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page.” The outspoken Irsay talks about the franchise’s decisions regarding Peyton Manning's future and how the team will handle the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He also delves into his often painful childhood, the relationship with his father, Bob Irsay, and his own battle with addiction.

“This is a project I’m very passionate about and one I’ve wanted to do for several years; it’s a classic format that offers fans a more intimate look at their favorite sports stars beyond the statistics and labels that are often used to define them,” said Storm. “It was revealing to see some of the biggest names in the NFL open themselves up, both in our interviews and by taking our ESPN cameras to places that were very personal to them. I think that viewers will walk away understanding how complex and fascinating each of these highly accomplished four men are.”

The Science of NHL Hockey on NBC

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:33:00 +0000

From NBC -

NBC NEWS, NBC SPORTS AND NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION LAUNCH “SCIENCE OF NHL HOCKEY”

THE 10-PART VIDEO SERIES STARRING CURRENT NHL STARS WILL BE FEATURED ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK DURING NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND, ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND IN VENUES ACROSS THE U.S.

New York, NY—Jan 26, 2012—NBC News’ educational arm, NBC Learn, and the NBC Sports Group are teaming up with the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Science Foundation (NSF) to release “Science of NHL Hockey”— an informative 10-part video series exploring the science behind the fastest game on ice that will be distributed across several NBCU platforms. Made especially for students and teachers to use in the classroom, these videos will be aligned to lesson plans and national state education standards, and are available to the public cost-free on NBCLearn.com, NBCSports.com and Science360.gov. NBC News’ Lester Holt narrates the series.

The “Science of NHL Hockey” videos will debut during NBC Sports Network’s all-encompassing coverage of the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend from Ottawa January 26-29, including a select number of videos airing throughout the Honda SuperSkills Competition on Sat., January 28, from 7-9:30 p.m. ET. The NHL will feature the videos on NHL.com, NHL Network in the U.S. and Canada and in a number of arenas throughout the League. The series will also appear in retail venues across the country, including Wovenmedia outlets, and on American Airlines in-flight entertainment and NBC’s affiliate stations.

This collaboration between NBC Learn, NBC Sports and NSF uses the universal appeal of hockey to drive an understanding of complicated scientific concepts. Students and teachers see how the principles of science enable players to perform actions such as quickly stopping on ice, passing the puck to a teammate, shooting a slap shot and making a great save.

The science is broken down by capturing the athletes’ movements with a state-of-the-art, high-speed Phantom camera, which has the ability to capture movement at rates of up to 10,000 frames per second. These dynamic visuals allow for frame-by-frame illustrations of specific scientific principles such as Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, kinematics and velocity. Other video episodes analyze the hockey science behind reflexes and reaction time, statistics, vectors, linear motion, geometry and more.
NBC Sports Group oversaw the Phantom video shoot in September 2011 during the yearly media tour sponsored by the NHL and its players association. NBC Sports Group also provided research and technical support throughout the project.

Current NHL players who participated in the video series include:
Jaroslav Halak, Goaltender, St. Louis Blues
Erik Johnson, Defenseman, Colorado Avalanche
Brenden Morrow, Left Wing, Dallas Stars
Matt Moulson, Left Wing, New York Islanders
Pekka Rinne, Goaltender, Nashville Predators

In each video, an NSF-supported scientist explains a selected scientific principle, while NHL athletes describe how the principle applies to their respective positions. Series scientists supported by NSF are: Edward Burger, Williams College; Irene Fonseca, Carnegie Mellon; Jim Gates, University of Maryland; Robert Gehrz, University of Minnesota; and Patricia Shewokis, Drexel University. The videos also include actual game footage provided by the NHL, and the lesson plans that accompany the videos will be provided by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).

“Science of NHL Hockey” follows in the footsteps of the "Science of NFL Football" and "Science of the Olympic Winter Games" collections, which are part of an ongoing "Science of Sports" collaboration with the NSF that was awarded a 2010 Sports Emmy for "Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming."
“Wayne Gretzky once said, ‘The only way a kid is going to practice is if it's total fun for him... and it was for me,’” said Morris Aizenman, Senior Scientist for NSF’s Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. “‘Science of NHL Hockey’ is an NSF and NBC Learn project that continues our effort to make science total fun for students. We hope, after watching these videos that students will also want to learn and practice science.”

“Building on the innovative partnership that NBC Learn has with NSF and NBC Sports, we are thrilled to expand the ‘Science of Sports’ franchise to include hockey,” said Soraya Gage, Executive Producer of NBC Learn. “These one-of-a-kind videos have set a new precedent for teaching science in the classroom, by literally breaking down concepts and illustrating their real life application through sports.”
"The NHL is excited to partner with NBC and the National Science Foundation on this special project," said Charles Coplin, Executive Vice President of Content for the NHL. "Students, teachers and NHL fans everywhere will experience hockey in a unique way through the spectacular footage captured during filming with the players."

“It was exciting to be part of a unique project that utilizes hockey to help educate students on science and physics,” said Brenden Morrow of the Dallas Stars. “It was fun to participate in and was very interesting. I learned a lot myself.”

Celtics/Magic on TNT Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:21:00 +0000

From TNT Sports -

NBA on TNT Continues with Doubleheader Featuring Celtics @ Magic (8 p.m. ET) followed by Grizzlies @ Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET)

TNT NBA Thursday continues on January 26 with a doubleheader beginning at 8 p.m. (ET). The first game will feature Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic hosting Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics. Marv Albert (play-by-play) will be courtside along with Mike Fratello (analyst) to call the game with Craig Sager (reporter). The second game of the night will feature Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers taking on Rudy Gay and the Memphis Grizzlies at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Reggie Miller (analyst) will call the action with Cheryl Miller (reporter). Following the second game, Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai with Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst) will recap the night’s action.

Through 13 games of TNT’s 2011-12 NBA regular-season schedule, the network continues to deliver double-digit gains vs. last year’s corresponding coverage. The NBA on TNT is averaging a 2.0 U.S. HH rating (+66%), 3,132,000 total viewers (+67%) and 2,298,000 households (+62%).

Exclusive content, analysis from TNT announcers and replays of Inside the NBA are available on NBA.com (http://www.nba.com/insidethenba/). Additionally, check out the NBA on TNT pages on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NBAonTNT) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/nbaontnt) to see the latest NBA on TNT schedule, news updates and special features from TNT announcers.

NBA ON TNT NBA SCHEDULE:

DAY/DATE
TIME (ET)	EVENT

Thurs., January 26

8 p.m.	*TNT* *NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com*
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

	Boston Celtics @ Orlando Magic
	Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Mike Fratello (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter)

10:30 p.m.	Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Clippers
	Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Reggie Miller (analyst) with Cheryl Miller (reporter)

Post-game	*Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai*
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

NBA ON TNT UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Thurs., February 2

7 p.m.	*TNT* *NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com*
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

8 p.m.	Chicago Bulls @ New York Knicks
	Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Reggie Miller (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter)

10:30 p.m.	Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Clippers
	Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Steve Kerr (analyst) with David Aldridge (reporter)

Post-game	*Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai*
	Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O’Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

Source: Nielsen Media Research, Based on Live+Same Day data. 2011-12 Season (12/25/11-1/19/12 - 13 games) vs. 2010-11 Season (12/30/11-1/20/11 – 10 games). Includes all TNT games.

ESPN The Magazine's Recruiting Issue

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:20:00 +0000

From ESPN -

Cover | Sneak Peak Video Shoot | Articles

Recruiting: It’s not just for college coaches anymore. Wooing your way to a better roster is practically a sport of its own.

ESPN The Magazine’s “Recruiting” issue on newsstands Friday, January 27, explores the various shapes the recruiting process takes featuring the nation’s No. 1 high school football prospect, Mario Edwards, who wouldn’t mind if he never saw another logo-emblazoned envelope; a pitch-by-pitch account how one team (the Angels) recruited the best bat (Albert Pujols) and arm (C.J. Wilson) on the free agent market; “The Mayor’s” group of transfers in Ames, Iowa, who had to endure the recruiting process all over again in college; and the daunting paths ahead for both Landon Collins, the No.1 safety from Louisiana who shunned the Tigers for the Tide, and Rushel Shell, a top-three running back who didn’t have much choice but to stay close to home after facing the biggest decision in his life – a decision which suddenly got bigger when he found out his girlfriend was expecting twins.

In addition, to shed light on which states and programs dominate recruiting, The Mag and ESPN.com’s Recruiting Nation combed through data from the past five years of ESPNU’s top 150 rankings. They learned that Florida can officially lay claim to the title of America’s football hotbed. They also learned that February signees don’t guarantee January trophies.

“Recruiting” Issue Features

And Then There Were Two

Rushel Shell is ESPNU’s third-ranked high school Running Back, Pennsylvania’s all-time leading rusher and a national record-holder with 39 consecutive 100-yard games. He’s also the expectant father of twins. A look at how this imminent family effects his decision:
how coaches leverage babies when recruiting young fathers and how recruiters try to convince a teenager to leave his new family behind. By Molly Knight

Show Me More Than The Money

The Los Angeles Angels won (and spent) big this offseason when they signed Albert Pujols, arguably the best player in baseball, and C.J. Wilson, the best pitcher on the market. The Marlins were also courting both players and, in fact, offered them more money and perks. How were Angels owner Arte Moreno and GM Jerry DiPoto able to win the recruiting game? By Sam Miller

The Mayor Returns

In 2010, former Iowa State guard Fred Hoiberg, nicknamed “The Mayor” in his playing years, accepted the head-coaching job at his alma mater. The team went only 16-16 in his first year, but thanks to a few high-profile transfers, things might end differently this year. By Ryan McGee

One Mother of a Recruiting Battle

Top recruit Landon Collins, a senior safety at Dutchtown high in Geisma, La., and his younger brother, Gerald Willis, a sophomore defensive lineman at Edna Karr High School, were separated after Katrina. But they could soon find themselves playing for the same team, thanks to scholarships already offered to both by LSU and Alabama. By Christopher Schultz

The Mag’s “Recruiting” Issue also features a photo act with some of the nation’s top recruits to find out how they will try to recruit other top guys to their schools including Mario Edwards, Jameis Winston, William Goldman, Trey Griffey, Deion Sanders Jr., and Joey O’Connor. Below are the online links to each video:

· Trey Griffey

· Deion Sanders Jr.

· Eddie Goldman

· Jameis Winston

· Joey O’Connor

· Mario Edwards

· Coaches On Recruiting

Beyond Recruiting:

· Super Bowl Preview: The Stars will shine on Super Sunday, but the Big Game will be won by the team that knows how to plug its leaks. In preparation for the Super Bowl, writes The Mag’s Seth Wickersham, the best teams spend as much time figuring out how to cover up their weaknesses as they spend accentuating their strengths.

· NFL: For the Any Era project, The Mag polled 20 Hall of Fame members for their picks for the toughest active players. One big winner: Ndamukong Suh. A look at the thin line between dirty and tough.

· NHL: Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard currently leads the NHL in wins but wasn’t even listed on the All-Star ballot. A look at the league’s most unappreciated goaltender.

· The Truth: Howard Bryant looks at how this NBA season has exposed David Stern as not a player-friendly commissioner but, rather, a servant of the owners.

· The Fix: Chris Jones explores how being transported from obscurity in Phoenix to the biggest goalie contract ever, Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has struggled to find his footing and confidence in high-pressured Philadelphia.

UFC on FOX Saturday Night

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:19:00 +0000

From FOX Sports -

UFC on FOX Officially Begins Partnership with Tripleheader from Chicago Saturday Night

Strahan: “This Year’s Patriots/Giants Super Bowl Could be Tighter Than Last One”

UFC ON FOX TRIPLEHEADER LIVE FROM CHICAGO SATURDAY NIGHT – UFC on FOX officially kicks off its partnership with a two-hour tripleheader broadcast on Saturday, Jan. 28 (8:00-10:00 PM ET), live from the United Center in Chicago. In the night’s main event, former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans (21-1-1) takes on undefeated former national champion wrestler Phil Davis (9-0-0) to determine the next challenger to the 205-pound title currently held by Jon Jones. The co-main event features middleweight contender Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) battling British star Michael Bisping (23-3-0) for the right to fight champion Anderson Silva. The action begins with dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Demian Maia (15-3-0) taking on unbeaten Chris Weidman (7-0-0). Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan call all the action inside the Octagon and versatile broadcaster Curt Menefee hosts pre- and postfight coverage with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and the aforementioned Jon Jones offering their insights on the action. During prefight coverage, fans get a special behind-the-scenes look at preparation for their big night in Chicago, including a feature on Rashad Evans as he and his family balance the excitement of being part of the main event in Chicago with the stress and tension of his brother’s impending deployment.

“This is the show that officially starts our deal with FOX and we’re bringing what the fans want – a night packed with great fights,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’re kicking this thing off with an incredible tripleheader. Rashad Evans looked fantastic in his last fight against Tito Ortiz and he wants to get the belt back. But Phil Davis is no joke. He’s undefeated at 9-0 and has stormed through guys like Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson and Rogerio Nogueira. He wants the title shot just as bad as Rashad.”

The weekend’s action kicks off Friday, Jan. 27 (5:00 PM ET) with the live “UFC on FUEL TV: Weigh-in.” Jay Glazer hosts the show while UFC veteran and FUEL TV’s “UFC Tonight” host Kenny Florian steps in as the analyst, commenting on all the activities from Chicago. Two-time MMA Journalist of the Year Ariel Helwani interviews fighters backstage. FUEL TV coverage continues Saturday, Jan. 28 (5:00 PM ET) with three hours of live preliminary bouts. Glazer is joined by Florian to introduce the fight, while Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan call the action live inside the Octagon. Helwani will interview fighters live backstage. Following these preliminary matchups on FUEL TV and three main events on FOX Sports, coverage returns to FUEL TV for the post-fight wrap-up show (10:00 PM ET).

History was made in November when the UFC made its broadcast television debut on FOX and a record audience tuned in as challenger Junior dos Santos defeated defending champion Cain Velasquez in a first round knockout to claim the coveted heavyweight crown. More than 5.7 million viewers tuned in to make it the most-watched UFC event ever and the most-watched professional fight of any kind on any network since 2003.

FLORIAN: IT’S TOO EARLY FOR DAVIS TO FIGHT EVANS – FUEL TV’s UFC analyst Kenny Florian doesn’t believe Phil Davis is ready to fight Rashad Evans in the UFC on FOX main event Saturday, Jan. 28 (8:00 PM ET) from the United Center in Chicago. “It’s one or two fights too early for Phil Davis to fight Rashad Evans,” said Florian. “Evans’ experience and his ability to put it all together will be the difference. He’s going to win and face [current Light Heavyweight Champ] Jon Jones later this year.” Florian also picks Chael Sonnen over Michael Bisping and Chris Weidman over Demian Maia in the other main card match-ups.

Follow the talent on Twitter at: @jayglazer; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani

Friday, Jan. 27
5:00 PM UFC ON FUEL: WEIGH-IN LIVE FUEL TV

Saturday, Jan. 28
5:00 PM UFC ON FUEL: PRELIMINARY MATCHES: FUEL TV / FOX Deportes
Dunham vs. Lentz / Russow vs. Einemo / Swanson vs. Roop / Oliveira vs. Wisely Johnson vs. Roller / Beltran vs. Johnson

Saturday, Jan. 28
8:00 PM FOX Sports/ FOX Deportes
UFC ON FOX: Maia vs. Weidman / Sonnen vs. Bisping / Evans vs. Davis

Saturday, Jan. 28
10:00 PM UFC ON FUEL: POST-FIGHT SHOW FUEL TV

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY COUNTDOWN ON SCOUT.COM POWERED BY FOXSPORTSNEXT – College football National Signing Day is only a week away and Scout.com powered by FOXSportsNEXT is your source for all of the big stories leading up to February 1. FOXSportsNEXT and Scout.com provide detailed player evaluation including the regional and national ratings and rankings of nearly 2,000 football prospects each year. The recruiting coverage is powered by the most comprehensive content team in the business with 32 full-time, independent football recruiting analysts and reporters, and over 100 individual team sites and their content providers. For videos and information on this year’s top college football recruits, visit the Scout 300 at http://tinyurl.com/3fhm6ob. To find out where each school’s recruiting class ranks, visit http://tinyurl.com/3vetver.

STRAHAN SAYS BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN ’07 GIANTS VS. THIS YEAR’S TEAM: “OFFENSIVE CONSISTENCY” – FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Michael Strahan told fellow FOX Sports broadcaster and NFL on FOX insider Jay Glazer there’s nothing that special about just getting to the Super Bowl. Glazer caught up with the Giants honorary captain for this week’s edition of ‘After Party,’ a weekly NFL recap show airing on FOXSports.com. “There is nothing special about a Super Bowl unless you win it and get that ring,” said Strahan. “You’ve just got to go out there and execute the game of football.” When asked about the difference between this Giants team and the 2007 Giants, Strahan explained. “Their offense is more consistent. You pretty much know that they are going to score. It’s going to be a great game against the Patriots, they are very similar teams. This could be tighter than the first one.”

For the ‘After Party’ with Jay Glazer in its entirety please click here: http://tinyurl.com/7budbzq

HOW SERIOUS IS DANICA? ASK INDY – In what began as a part-time stint in 2010, now becomes a full-time commitment to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2012 for Danica Patrick. FOXSports.com motorsports columnist Lee Spencer says Patrick’s commitment is illustrated by her recent decision to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and forgo an eighth-straight start in the Indianapolis 500. The two races are scheduled for May 27. “She’s already balancing the NNS schedule with the 10 Sprint Cup races in the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet with Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick added the Coca-Cola 600 as Race 9 in that allotment and intimated that running the Brickyard 400, NASCAR's annual race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Race 10 ‘sounds like a great idea.’” Spencer speculates a newfound confidence can be at the heart of Patrick’s decision: “Over the last two seasons while running IndyCar full-time, Patrick ran just a total of 25 events in the Nationwide Series. Considering that Patrick has top-of-the-line equipment from JR Motorsports, does she believe she can win the Nationwide title?”

Feherty LIVE expands on Golf Channel

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:18:00 +0000

From NBC Sports / The Golf Channel -

GOLF CHANNEL HIT SERIES ‘FEHERTY’ EXPANDS TO ONE HOUR FOR SECOND SEASON BEGINNING FEB. 27

Special ‘Feherty Live’ Show from Super Bowl XLVI to Air on Sat., Feb. 4

‘Feherty’ Teams With New Season of ‘The Haney Project’ for All-New Monday Nights on Golf Channel

“Feherty has been a definite success. He’s been able to bring out comments from his guests that in some cases they held in check their whole career. Since he’s been through so much he has the ability to bring out the human side of the players. They have a tendency to answer from their heart and from raw emotion. The show has really been interesting and exciting that way.” – Johnny Miller

ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2012) – The second season of Golf Channel’s hit primetime series, Feherty, will premiere Monday, Feb. 27 and will build on a successful first season with more shows and – by viewer demand – longer episodes. Feherty will expand to an hour and moves to a new night, shifting to the 10 p.m. ET Monday timeslot where it will follow a new season of The Haney Project to form a potent Monday primetime lineup.

The premiere of the second season will get a boost from a special Feherty Live show from Super Bowl XLVI and the most popular interviews from season one airing in the weeks leading to the 2012 premiere.
Feherty, which originally debuted in June as Golf Channel’s most-watched original series in the network’s 17-year history, has been called “a cross between Oprah Winfrey and Johnny Carson” by The New York Times, “must-see TV” by the Orange County Register, and “a show that has all the ingredients to be a breakout hit” by The Augusta Chronicle. David Feherty, called “one of the funniest men in the game” by Yahoo! Sports, returns as host of his series filled with his unmistakable wit, irrepressible personality and blunt humor.

Before the new season of Feherty premieres begin, viewers will be treated to a special Feherty Live from the Super Bowl and new, one-hour versions of the most popular shows from 2011, including surprisingly heartfelt conversations with Tom Watson and Johnny Miller.

“We were blown away by the positive reaction our viewers had to this show and their appreciation for the truly heartfelt moments David was able to pull from each interview,” said Golf Channel President Mike McCarley. “People know David as funny and a bit irreverent, but they never knew how much emotion would come from this series. The one comment we heard repeatedly from viewers was ‘give us more’ – so that’s exactly what we plan to do in season two.”

Super Bowl Bound: Before the Monday, Feb. 27 premiere, Golf Channel will host a super celebration of the new season by traveling to Indianapolis, Ind., during Super Bowl week to produce a special stage show titled Feherty Live, with Feherty performing before a live theater audience and welcoming a slate of guests from the world of sports and entertainment. The performance also will air on Golf Channel as a one-hour show, Saturday, Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. ET.

Bonus Shows: Never-before-seen footage shot for two popular “Feherty” episodes from season one will be added and re-aired as hour-long shows in the two weeks leading to the Feb. 27 premiere of season two. Those episodes include interviews with multiple major championship winners Johnny Miller (Feb. 13, 10 p.m. ET) and Tom Watson (Feb. 20, 10 p.m. ET).

“The footage left on the cutting room floor for both of these episodes was as good as what made air, but we had to accommodate the 30-minute format,” said Keith Allo, Golf Channel vice president of Original Productions. “Our viewers now will be able to enjoy the original with twice the compelling content. It will be a great way to lead into the start of the new season.”

Feherty Programming Leading to Season Two Premiere (all times Eastern):Feherty Live from Super Bowl XLVI Sat., Feb. 4, 10 p.m.
Feherty Live (replay) Mon., Feb. 6, 10 p.m.
Feherty – Johnny Miller Mon., Feb. 13, 10 p.m.
Feherty – Tom Watson Mon., Feb. 20, 10 p.m.
Feherty – Season Two Premiere Mon., Feb. 27, 10 p.m.

What the stars are saying about Feherty:
“I’m a big fan of David on TV and when I got a chance to do his show, I was not disappointed. It was awesome.” – Charles Barkley

“David has the gift of allowing an interview to flow to get the most out of his subjects. He’s really found his niche. I’ve done many interviews, but I must say working with my good friend David and Golf Channel was probably the best I’ve ever experienced.” – Greg Norman

“Feherty has been a definite success. He’s been able to bring out comments from his guests that in some cases they held in check their whole career. Since he’s been through so much he has the ability to bring out the human side of the players. They have a tendency to answer from their heart and from raw emotion. The show has really been interesting and exciting that way.” – Johnny Miller

No topic is off limits in this “unfiltered” series which shares revealing interviews with well-known personalities from all walks of life – from golf and sports to entertainment and politics – along with unique stories and anecdotes from the brilliant yet zany mind of David Feherty. Shot in settings both intimate and personal to the guests, Feherty displays an uncanny interview style that engages his subjects and brings out answers both honest and revealing. During the first season, Feherty went one-on-one with the likes of Greg Norman, Tony Romo, Tom Watson, Charles Barkley and Don Cheadle.

Feherty has made a name for himself in the sports world for his unabashed candor, extensive knowledge of the game, and his propensity to say whatever is on his mind. A native of Northern Ireland and a former European Tour and PGA TOUR professional, he’s become more famous off the golf course as a golf commentator, columnist and author. His career as an on-course reporter and interviewer for CBS Sports has spanned more than 300 tournaments, including such prestigious events as the Masters and PGA Championship on CBS. He writes a monthly column for GOLF Magazine and is a New York Times bestselling author of four books, A Nasty Bit of Rough, Somewhere in Ireland a Village Is Missing an Idiot, An Idiot for All Seasons, and David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup. He also is a co-announcer with CBS’ Jim Nantz on EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game series.

Tiger Woods tees off on Golf Channel Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:16:00 +0000

From NBC Sports / The Golf Channel -

WOODS, MCILROY AND DONALD FEATURED GROUPING IN TONIGHT'S EXPANDED LIVE COVERAGE OF ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINNING AT 10:30 P.M. ET

Westwood, Kaymer and Garcia Featured in Live, First Round Abu Dhabi Coverage Continuing 4 a.m. ET
Golf Central to Prepare Viewers for Live Tournament Action at 10 p.m. ET

Watson and Mickelson Headline Farmers Insurance Open Field at Torrey Pines Golf Course

Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf ChampionshipDates: Jan. 25-29
Venue: Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Airtimes: Wednesday 10:30 p.m.-3:30 a.m. and 4-8 a.m. (Live) / 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Thursday Replay)
Friday 4-8 a.m. (Live) / 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 4-8 a.m. (Live) / 8 a.m.-Noon (Replay)
Sunday 4-8 a.m. (Live) / 8 a.m.-Noon (Replay)
Golf Channel Tournament Broadcast TeamSteve Burkowski (Studio Host)
Renton Laidlaw (Play-by-Play)
Warren Humphreys (Analyst)
Ken Brown (Tower)
Paul Eales (On Course)
Steve Sands (Interviews)
Broadcast Notes:· Expanded Round One Live Tournament Coverage – Live tournament coverage of the opening round at Abu Dhabi will air tonight (Wednesday) from 10:30 p.m.-3:30 a.m. ET, and continuing from 4-8 a.m. ET. Tiger Woods, Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy will be the featured grouping during the 10:30 p.m. broadcast. Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia will be the featured grouping during the 4 a.m. live broadcast.
· Expanded news coverage from Abu Dhabi – Golf Channel’s Steve Sands and Rex Hoggard will report live and on-site throughout the week at Abu Dhabi. Golf Central will air a special Pre Game show tonight (Wednesday) at 10 p.m. ET prior to live tournament coverage at 10:30 p.m. ET. Sands will contribute to the live tournament telecast in addition to daily reports for Morning Drive and Golf Central.
· Headlining the field— Former World. No. 1 Tiger Woods headlines the field in Abu Dhabi with World No. 1 Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, K.J. Choi, Jason Day, Miguel A. Jimenez, Alvaro Quiros, Francesco Molinari, Edoardo Molinari, Tom Lewis, Todd Hamilton and Ben Curtis.
Farmers Insurance OpenDates: Jan. 26-29
Venue: South Course, Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla, Calif.
North Course, Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla, Calif.
Airtimes: Thursday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 9:30-11:30 p.m. (CBS Replay)
Sunday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 9:30-11:30 p.m. (CBS Replay)
Golf Channel Broadcast TeamTerry Gannon (Play-by-Play)
Nick Faldo (Analyst)
Peter Oosterhuis (Tower)
Peter Kostis (Tower)
Phil Parkin (On Course)
Todd Lewis (Interviews)
Broadcast Notes:
· Mickelson and Watson headline field — Defending champion Bubba Watson and San Diego native Phil Mickelson headline the field this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
· Weekend Lead-in Coverage Begins Saturday – Golf Channel will air live, weekend tournament coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday for 90 minutes. Golf Central Pre Game will deliver expanded weekend coverage with one-hour shows at Noon ET and a half hour show at 2:30 p.m. ET leading into CBS Sports live coverage.
· Headlining the Field— San Diego native Phil Mickelson, defending champion Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Ernie Els, Nick Watney, Dustin Johnson, Ryo Ishikawa, Keegan Bradley, Camilo Villegas, Angel Cabrera, Robert Allenby, Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, Vijay Singh, Bill Haas and Jhonattan Vegas.

NBC is all over Super Bowl XLVI

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:15:00 +0000

From NBC Sports -

NBCUNIVERSAL SURROUNDS SUPER BOWL XLVI

Features and Segments from NBCUniversal Properties Include CNBC, Golf Channel, Bravo, Telemundo, Access Hollywood, Weather Channel, E!, Style, G4, iVillage

NBC Sports Network to Present More Than 18 Hours of Live Super Bowl Programming including Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl and Daily Editions of NBC SportsTalk: LIVE from the Super Bowl

TODAY Show Segments Live from Indianapolis Start Friday

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to Originate Four Shows from Indianapolis including LIVE Show on Super Bowl Sunday Night

NEW YORK – January 25, 2012 – NBCUniversal will surround its coverage of Super Bowl XLVI with an unprecedented and diverse collection of assets ranging from sports to news to entertainment. It will also utilize Spanish-language programs, kids news services, theme parks and in-flight programming to cover and promote the game.

Coverage of Super Bowl XLVI from Indianapolis on Sunday, February 5 begins at Noon, ET with the Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Game Show.

NBCUNIVERSAL AT THE SUPER BOWL: The following NBCUniversal properties and programs will have live presence in Indianapolis to cover Super Bowl XLVI.
· TODAY Show
· Weekend TODAY
· Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
· E! News
· Access Hollywood
· Bravo’s Top Chef
· CNBC sports-business reporter Darren Rovell
· Weather Channel’s Al Roker, Jim Cantore and Stephanie Abrams
· Style correspondents, Jeannie Mai and Alexa Prisco
· Golf Channel’s Feherty Live· Telemundo
· NBC SportsTalk · Scholastic Kids press corps reporter

NBC Sports Network: The recently rebranded NBC Sports Network will be live on site in Indianapolis with more than 18 hours of live coverage including the first ever Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl and daily editions of NBC SportsTalk: LIVE from the Super Bowl.

TODAY Show: America’s No. 1 Morning News Program will kick off Super Bowl weekend with a split show from Indianapolis on Friday with Al Roker and Ann Curry. Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie will join TODAY’s coverage on Super Bowl morning.

TODAY with Kathie Lee and Hoda: The fourth hour of the TODAY Show will feature a Super Bowl-themed “Who Knew” segment on Wednesday of Super Bowl week and a Super Bowl kickoff featuring cuisine and chefs from the two Super Bowl cities Friday of Super Bowl weekend.

Weekend TODAY: Jenna Wolfe will report from Indianapolis for Weekend TODAY for Saturday’s coverage.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: For the first time in the show’s history, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will take the show on the road – to Indianapolis – for a total of four shows; including one first-ever LIVE Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show on Sunday night after Super Bowl XLVI.

Weather Channel: Jim Cantore will join NBC’s Super Bowl coverage from Indianapolis, and Wake Up with Al’s Stephanie Abrams and Al Roker will also be on-site reporting the Super Bowl headlines for Weather Channel.

CNBC: Sports business reporter Darren Rovell will do live hits from Indianapolis Thursday-Sunday, and will also tape his NBC Sports Network show, Sports Biz: Game On from Indianapolis on the Friday before the game.

Golf Channel: In anticipation of season two of his critically acclaimed series premiering Feb. 27, David Feherty will host a special Feherty Live stage show from Indianapolis Friday night, which Golf Channel will air as a one-hour special Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. And throughout Super Bowl week, Golf Channel’s popular morning show, Morning Drive, will feature various NFL guests, including former and current players and executives to talk Super Bowl predictions. Friday’s Golf Central show will include look-ins at Feherty’s rehearsals in Indianapolis and promote Sunday’s Super Bowl.

E!: The nation’s premier destination for celebrity and entertainment news will report from Indianapolis Wednesday through Monday with correspondents Catt Sadler and David Burtka.

NewsChannel/Affiliates: NBC’s NewsChannel, which feeds all 235 NBC affiliates nationwide, will have numerous reporters on-site in Indianapolis doing live stand ups for stations and offering technical support for other on-site stations.

Bravo: Top Chef, Bravo’s Emmy-Award winning culinary show, will be on-site in Indianapolis with host Tom Colicchio and two popular former contestants, Richard Blais and Antonia Lofaso, competing to create the perfect tailgate food. Their tailgate preparations and end result will be featured on NBC’s Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Game Show. Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison of Football Night in America will determine the winner.

NBCU Entertainment: Stars of NBC’s primetime line-up will hit the Super Bowl pre-game red carpet with host Nick Cannon. Celebrities from NBC’s new primetime shows include Jessica Simpson (Fashion Star), Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Carson Daly (The Voice) and Katharine McPhee (Smash).

Access Hollywood: The No. 1 entertainment show will be on-site in Indianapolis with reports on all Super Bowl festivities Tuesday through Monday.

Style: The destination for inspiring lifestyle programming will feature a pre-game Super Bowl party-planning segment with Bill and Giuliana Rancic. Throughout Super Bowl week, the couple will offer party tips on Style and through Style’s twitter handle, @mystylequicktip. The segments will pay off in a Super Bowl Party reveal with Bill and Giuliana during Super Bowl pre-game, a few hours before the game kicks off.

iVillage: the largest content-driven community for women online, will feature VIDEOS and profiles on wives of NFL players on how they achieve family balance with the hectic schedule of the NFL. iVillage will also feature stories on Super Bowl community and philanthropic events throughout the week. The iVillage community will participate with their Super Bowl content through activities and discussions on the iVillage social media pages.

Telemundo/mun2: Stars of Telemundo and mun2 will be in Indianapolis all week, covering all the NFL and Super Bowl activities. Telemundo will air a 1 hour special, Sabor Al Super Bowl XLVI, on Saturday at 2pm EST/PST, 1pm CST, highlighting all activities leading up to the big game and providing expert analysis for the US Hispanic audience.

Universal Parks: Universal Parks and Resorts in Los Angeles and Orlando will help promote NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl XLVI by featuring NBC Sports-produced trailers and video on their CityWalk Astrovision screens throughout Super Bowl week. Super Bowl signage on print billboards and other signage throughout the Parks will also be present.

Universal Pictures: Several movies from Universal Pictures will be promoted during Super Bowl pre-game.

NBC News Scholastic Reporter: Kids press corps reporter Grace Ybarra will be on-site in Indianapolis to report on the youth-themed Super Bowl activities for Scholastic News, a youth-oriented news service and NBC News partner.

G4: The gaming and technology network will air a special Super Bowl-themed segment of the popular show, Gadget Pr0n, which will feature all the best gadgets and technology needed to create the ultimate Super Bowl viewing experience. The episode will air Monday, Jan. 30.

NBC Experience Store: The popular Rockefeller Center destination features a window display promoting NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl XLVI.

American Airlines: NBC’s in-flight programming on American Airlines, which reaches 5 million viewers/month is airing Super Bowl features throughout the month of January.

NBC Out-of-Home Platforms: NBC Sports utilized the promotional platforms of NBC’s out-of-home assets to extend the Super Bowl tune-in message. Super Bowl spots ran on the following screens: taxi cabs, universities, arenas, PATH stations and gas pumps.

NBC Retail Store Screens: NBC Sports-produced Super Bowl promos ran in retail stores including Wal-Mart, Costco and Sam’s Club stores nationwide throughout January. Super Bowl promos were seen on 210,000 screens in 6,400 stores, reaching 600 million viewers.

Red Sox/NESN team up for Town Hall

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:51:00 +0000

From NESN -

RED SOX AND NESN TO HOST 2012 RED SOX “TOWN HALL MEETING” WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1

AT WORCESTER TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL

NESN to Deliver Complete Coverage on February 2 at 10 PM

BOSTON, MA – As the Boston Red Sox prepare to head to Fort Myers to begin the 2012 season, the team is partnering with NESN to host a town hall-style meeting for fans on Wednesday, February 1 at 7:00 pm. The 2012 Red Sox Town Hall Meeting will be an interactive conversation between fans and Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington and Manager Bobby Valentine.

“The value our fans continue to bring to the team is unequaled, and this town hall meeting is an opportunity for the organization to have an open and honest dialogue with the people who have been the touchstone of this franchise for so many years,” said Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington. “We look forward to engaging with our fans face-to-face, and having a lively discussion that we will all benefit from.”

The Red Sox Town Hall Meeting will be held at Worcester Technical High School in Worcester, MA and televised on NESN on February 2 at 10:00 PM immediately after NESN’s Boston Bruins coverage. NESN’s Red Sox studio host Tom Caron will serve as the host for the event.

“NESN is always looking for ways to give fans unparalleled access to the team,” said Sean McGrail, NESN President and CEO. “Worcester is an ideal place for this event, giving fans in central Massachusetts an opportunity to interact directly with two of the team’s top decision-makers a few weeks before pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers.”

“It is an honor to host the Red Sox and NESN at our school,” said Worcester Technical High School Principal Sheila Harrity. “We recently celebrated our 100th anniversary just like Fenway and look forward to welcoming ‘Red Sox Nation’ to Worcester Technical High School.”

Fans interested in attending the Red Sox Town Hall can send an email to NESNTownHall@redsox.com. Space will be limited and fans will be selected on a first-come first-served basis.

For those in Red Sox Nation who are unable to attend the Town Hall Meeting in person, there will still be an opportunity to participate by submitting questions in advance online at NESN.com/TownHall or via Twitter by sending a tweet to @NESN and including the hashtag #TownHall. Excerpts from the Red Sox Town Hall event will also be posted on NESN.com/TownHall after it airs on NESN.

NHL All-Star Weekend on NBC

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:50:00 +0000

From NBC Sports -

NBC SPORTS NETWORK SHOWCASES HOCKEY’S TOP TALENT WITH 10 HOURS OF NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND COVERAGE

NHL Viewership on NBC and NBC Sports Network up from Last Year

NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft on Jan. 26 (8 p.m. ET); 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 28 (7 p.m. ET); and 2012 NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 29 (4 p.m. ET)

Fantasy Draft Pre-Show on Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET and NHL Overtime from Ottawa on Jan. 27 at 10 p.m. ET

NEW YORK, N.Y. (January 24, 2012) – NBC Sports Network will air an all-encompassing 10 hours of coverage of the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend, beginning with the NHL Fantasy Draft Pre-Show on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft at 8 p.m. ET. The network will then air the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, showcasing the league’s top stars as they demonstrate their skating, puck-handling and shooting skills. The weekend will culminate with coverage with the 59th NHL All-Star Game on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, live from Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

The NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft will once again show the two captains, Daniel Alfredsson of the All-Star Weekend host Ottawa Senators and Zdeno Chara of the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, and their alternate captains (New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul, respectively) hand-pick their All-Star teams live on Thur., Jan. 26, on NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET. Each All-Star team will be comprised of three goalies, six defensemen and 12 forwards.

Heading into the All-Star break, viewership for NHL games on both NBC and NBC Sports Network has grown compared to last season. NHL games on NBC (excluding the Winter Classic) are averaging 1.36 million viewers, up nine percent from the same number of games last year. On NBC Sports Network, NHL telecasts overall are averaging 330,000 viewers, up 13 percent from the same number of weeks last year, while exclusive time-period games (Wednesday and Sunday nights) are averaging 467,000 viewers, up 17 percent from last year’s exclusive coverage. NBC Sports Network recorded its most-watched regular-season game ever with this season’s opening night match-up between Philadelphia and Boston on Oct. 6 (874,000 viewers), and has already set records for highest local household ratings in several markets, such as Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tampa.

Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Eddie Olczyk (analyst) will serve as the in-booth announce team for the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sat., Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. ET. They will be joined by Pierre McGuire and Jeremy Roenick on the ice for player interviews after each competition, as well as Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones from the studio at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play) and Olczyk (analyst) will anchor NBC Sports Network’s All-Star Game coverage, with McGuire stationed “inside-the-glass” and Roenick conducting player interviews. The studio show will feature host McHugh, with Milbury and Jones live from Ottawa.

Additional All-Star Weekend Programming – NBC Sports Network will offer viewers live reports from Ottawa during each of the network’s nightly shows, beginning with a special 90-minute NBC SportsTalk on Thur., Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. ET. Additionally, a special NHL Overtime will air from Ottawa on Fri., Jan. 27, at 10 p.m. ET. NHL Overtime will examine the biggest stories, surprises and disappointments of the NHL season thus far, as well as a look towards the second half of the season and playoffs.

Digital/Social Media – This week at Facebook.com/NHLonNBCSports, NHL fans will have the chance to flex their fantasy muscles in this year's NHL on NBC Sports All-Star Fantasy Draft Master challenge. Beginning Wed., Jan. 25, through Facebook, fans will be challenged to choose the order that they think each starting position and player will be drafted in during the All-Star Fantasy Draft. This year's Draft Master who most closely predicts the draft order will be announced during the NHL Skills Challenge on the NBC Sports Network on Jan. 28, and featured on the NHL on NBC Sports Facebook page.

Baseball IQ debuts on MLB Network

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:03:00 +0000

From MLB Network -

MLB NETWORK’S BASEBALL IQ PREMIERES TOMORROW, JANUARY 24 AT 9:00 P.M. ET

Bracket-Style Tournament Includes Participants from All 30 MLB Clubs, MLB.com and the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum

New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies Participants Match Up in Premiere Episode

Secaucus, N.J., January 23, 2012 – The rivalry between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies is on display in the premiere episode of MLB Network’s first-ever game show, Baseball IQ, tomorrow, Tuesday, January 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET, immediately followed by a matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays participants at 9:30 p.m. ET. Hosted by Matt Vasgersian, MLB Network’s Baseball IQ is a recall-based trivia show featuring two participants, 30 minutes and a chance to win up to $45,000 for charity. Questions cover all things baseball, from current players and managers to World Series champions, MVPs, Cy Young Award winners, Hall of Famers, milestones and more.

MLB Network surveyed all 30 Clubs, MLB.com and the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum for the best and brightest trivia minds in their organizations to represent them, and thirty-two participants will be matched up in a bracket-style tournament across 31 episodes. Two new episodes will air every Tuesday through Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET from January 24 through February 23, leading up to the start of Spring Training.

Baseball IQ features participants including front office personnel, equipment managers, scoreboard operators and museum curators. Future first round episodes will include participants matched up in a bracket opposite their clubs’ rivals, pitting the St. Louis Cardinals against the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim against the Texas Rangers. The winning player of each episode will win $5,000 for the organization’s charity they represent. The championship episode will award $25,000 for the winner’s organization’s charity and $15,000 to the runner-up’s organization’s charity.

MLB Network’s programming schedule for the first round of Baseball IQ is available below. The complete bracket and information on rules, participants and charities can be found here. Additional show information and programming updates will be posted to MLB Network’s Facebook page and Twitter feed via #MLBNBaseballIQ.

MLB Network’s Baseball IQ - First Round Episode Schedule (all times Eastern)

Tuesday, January 24:

9:00 p.m. – Mets (Ben Baumer, Statistical Analyst) vs. Phillies (Jay McLaughlin, Baseball Information Analyst)

9:30 p.m. – Orioles (Jay Moskowitz, Coordinator, Baseball Information) vs. Rays (Shawn Hoffman, Asst., Baseball Research & Development)

Wednesday, January 25:

9:00 p.m. – Royals (Curt Nelson, Dir., Royals Hall of Fame) vs. Blue Jays (Howard Starkman, VP, Special Projects)

9:30 p.m. – Giants (Greg Marinec, Manager of Client Relations) vs. Dodgers (Seth Bluman, Dir. of Ticket Operations)

Thursday, January 26:

9:00 p.m. – Braves (Mark Lehman, Corporate Partnerships Manager) vs. Marlins (Dan Noffsinger, Asst. Dir. of Pro Scouting)

9:30 p.m. – Brewers (Jeff Hibicke, Senior Account Exec., Client Services) vs. Nationals (Samuel Mondry-Cohen, Baseball Operations Analyst)

Tuesday, January 31:

9:00 p.m. – Reds (Rich Linville, Scoreboard Operator) vs. Pirates (Steve Morse, Account Mgr., Premium Seating)

9:30 p.m. – Rockies (Aaron Heinrich, Dir. of Retail Operations) vs. Padres (Fred Gerson, Executive VP and CFO)

Wednesday, February 1:

9:00 p.m. – Angels (Shane Demmitt, Asst. Equipment Manager) vs. Rangers (Chuck Morgan, SVP, Ballpark Entertainment)

9:30 p.m. – Cardinals (Brian Finch, Mgr. of Stadium Tours/Museum Outreach) vs. Cubs (Ryan Balogh, Account Exec., Corporate Partnerships)

Thursday, February 2:

9:00 p.m. – MLB.com (Cory Schwartz, VP of Statistics) vs. Hall of Fame (Craig Muder, Dir. of Communications)

9:30 p.m. – Astros (Benjamin Coburn, Ticket Sales Rep.) vs. D-backs (Josh DeFamio, Supervisor, dbTV Graphics)

Tuesday, February 7:

9:00 p.m. – White Sox (Dan Fabian, Dir. of Baseball Operations) vs. Tigers (Ron Wade, Dir. of Marketing)

9:30 p.m. – Athletics (David Nosti, Account Manger) vs. Mariners (Tony Blengino, Special Asst. to the GM)

Wednesday, February 8:

9:00 p.m. – Red Sox (Billy Broadbent, Video Coordinator) vs. Yankees (Brian Richards, Museum Curator)

9:30 p.m. – Twins (Craig Nordquist, Guest Services) vs. Indians (Jeff Stocker, Season Ticket Account Exec.)

Nearly 58 million watch Giants/49ers

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:03:00 +0000

From FOX Sports -

57.6 MILLION WATCH NFC CHAMPIONSHIP OVERTIME THRILLER ON FOX

Sunday’s Giants/49ers Battle Ties 2010’s Vikings/Saints

As Highest-Rated Conference Title Game Since 1996

NFL on FOX Regular & Postseason Combine for Network’s Most-Watched Ever

New York – Yesterday’s epic 2012 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME on FOX between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers delivered an extraordinary 30.6/44 fast-national rating/share according to figures released by Nielsen Media Research. The overtime battle scored an average audience of 57.6 million viewers to rank as the third most-watched Conference Championship Game ever, after the 1982 Cowboys-49ers NFC Championship Game (68.7 million viewers on CBS) and 2010’s overtime Vikings-Saints NFC Championship (57.9 million viewers on FOX).

The rating for Sunday’s battle for the NFC crown ties with 2010’s game (Vikings/Saints - 30.6/45) as the highest-rated NFC Championship Game since 1996 (Packers/Cowboys – 33.3/58).

Last night’s fast-national rating of 30.6/44 is a +9% gain over last year’s 28.1/50 for Packers/Bears in the early window and +8% better than last year’s 28.3/43 for Jets/Steelers in the late window on CBS. Ratings climbed to extraordinary levels as the game progressed toward overtime, peaking at an astounding 36.9/52 rating and 69.0 million viewers from 10:00 – 10:30 PM ET.

The 2012 NFC Playoffs on FOX averaged a 23.9/43 (42.6 million viewers) making it the network’s most-watched NFL Playoffs ever. The average for FOX Sports’ coverage of the NFC’s Wild Card, Divisional and Conference Championship rounds is up +11% over last year’s 21.6/39 (38.7 million) and is FOX’s highest-rated NFL Playoffs since 1996’s 25.1/48 (37.2 million). The complete 2011-12 NFL season on FOX averaged over 23.2 million viewers for the regular season and playoffs combined, making it FOX’s most-watched NFL season ever, excluding Super Bowls.

San Francisco posted a 47.4/77, the second highest-rated NFL on FOX postseason game ever in the City by the Bay. New York notched a 41.8/58, FOX’s best NFL rating ever in the Big Apple for a non-Super Bowl game. After the Patriots punched their ticket to Super Bowl XLVI earlier in the evening, Boston tuned-in to find out who New England’s opponent would be, posting a 35.1/49, Boston’s highest-rating NFL on FOX non- Super Bowl playoff game. Other metered markets of note include Los Angeles (28.4/49) and Detroit (30.2/42).

AFC Championship Ratings - Best in 30 years

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:02:00 +0000

From CBS Sports -

CBS SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF AFC CHAMPIONSHIP BOASTS HIGHEST VIEWER AVERAGE FOR EARLY AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 30 YEARS WITH 48.7 MILLION

Fast National Rating is Highest for Early AFC Championship Game in 17 Years with 27.4/48

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2012 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game featuring the New England Patriots defeating the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Jan. 22 (3:07-6:16 PM, ET) averaged 48.7 million viewers (Persons 2+), which is the highest viewer average for the early AFC Championship game in 30 years (1/10/1982; 51.6 million viewers; San Diego-Cincinnati: NBC).

The 48.7 million viewers for the 2012 AFC Championship game also was the second-highest viewer average (behind last year’s 54.9 million for New York Jets-Pittsburgh) for the AFC Championship game in 30 years (1/10/1982; 51.6 million viewers; San Diego-Cincinnati; NBC).

The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game earned a fast-national live + same-day average household rating/share of 27.4/48, which is the highest rating for an early AFC Championship game in 17 years (1/15/1995; 28.3/58; San Diego-Pittsburgh; NBC)

The Network’s coverage in the comparable early window in 2010 earned a 26.3/47 (New York Jets-Indianapolis) and last year earned a 28.3/43 (New York Jets-Pittsburgh) in the late window.

The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game rating peaked at a 31.2/52 with an average of 56.8 million viewers from 5:30-6:00 PM, ET.

“THE NFL ON CBS” SCORES WITH HIGHEST RATING FOR AFTERNOON AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 18 YEARS

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2012 AFC Championship Game featuring the New England Patriots defeating the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, on Sunday, Jan. 22 (3:00-6:15 PM, ET), earned an average overnight household rating/share of 29.1/51. This was the highest rating in the metered markets for an afternoon AFC Championship in 18 years (1/23/1994; 29.5/57; Kansas City-Buffalo; NBC).

The Network’s coverage in the comparable window in 2010 earned a 28.4/50 (New York Jets-Indianapolis) and last year earned a 31.3/46 (New York Jets-Pittsburgh) in the late window, which was the highest-rated AFC Championship game in 24 years in the metered markets.

This year’s AFC Championship Game rating peaked at a 34.9/56 from 6:00-6:15 PM, ET.

NBC Previews Super Bowl XLVI Patriots vs. Giants

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

From NBC Sports -

COSTAS, MICHAELS, COLLINSWORTH, DUNGY & HARRISON WEIGH IN ON GIANTS-PATRIOTS

“Brady meets Manning in Indianapolis, but its Eli, not Peyton.” – Costas

“It’s a great chess match with two elite quarterbacks and two teams with great traditions and great histories.” -- Michaels

“I expect greatness from the game.” – Collinsworth

“The pass rushers are going to tell the story.” – Dungy

“They might deny it, but it’s a factor. It matters.” – Harrison on the rematch

NEW YORK – January 22, 2012 – The New York Giants and New England Patriots will meet in Super Bowl XLVI on NBC on Sunday, Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. NBC Sports’ coverage begins at Noon ET that day with the Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Game Show. The game will mark the 17^th Super Bowl broadcast by NBC, equaling CBS for the most Super Bowls broadcast by any network.

The Sunday Night Football production team of Fred Gaudelli (producer) and Drew Esocoff (director) will produce Super Bowl XLVI. Sunday Night Football, this year’s most-watched primetime television program, has won the Emmy for Outstanding Live Sports Series in each of the last three seasons. Gaudelli and Esocoff led NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl XLIII from Tampa, Fla., which was honored with the Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Special.

Following are comments by Sunday Night Football analysts Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, and Football Night in America commentators Bob Costas, Tony Dungy, and Rodney Harrison about the New York Giants-New England Patriots matchup in Super Bowl XLVI:

COSTAS

ON GIANTS-PATRIOTS: “No matter how they got there, this would be a bold-faced matchup: Patriots-Giants, a rematch of one of the most memorable Super Bowls ever with the key principals still in place – the coaches and the quarterbacks. When you think of how they got here and how good the games were today with the Patriots almost going to overtime and the Giants in fact going to overtime.
“The Giants trip to the Super Bowl closely mirrors what happened last time. The Patriots are not the juggernaut they were then, but the Giants had to go on the road and beat the Packers and beat San Francisco. It certainly feels like what happened four years ago. And there’s an irony that I am sure will be repeated a thousand times between now and two weeks from now that Brady meets Manning in Indianapolis, but its Eli, not Peyton.”

MICHAELS

MICHAELS ON GIANTS: “Much as it was the case four years ago, the Giants were almost given up for dead in early December, and stayed alive with a tremendous comeback on that Sunday night in Dallas, which set them up for this post-season run.”
MICHAELS ON QUARTERBACKS AND COACHES: “Despite that fact that Tom Brady was very critical of himself after today’s game, he is one of the greatest of all time, obviously. And Eli is an elite quarterback as well, there’s no doubt about that. So you have two great quarterbacks and two really outstanding coaches. Bill Belichick is clearly one of the best of all time and I think Tom Coughlin will finally get some of the respect that I felt he has deserved for a long, long time.”

MICHAELS ON THE MATCHUP: “An extremely attractive matchup. The Patriots offense against the Giants defense that is playing a heck of a lot better than it was playing earlier in the season. The Patriots defense of late has played better, too. So it’s a great chess match with two elite quarterbacks and two teams with great traditions and great histories. It should be a terrific matchup.”

COLLINSWORTH

ON GIANTS SEASON: “It reminds me so much of what happed in 2007, the lowest of expectations going into the playoffs, and were they going to even make the playoffs. It’s really a credit to the resiliency of Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning. Somehow this team just finds a way in the most unlikely of circumstances to come together and to play great football. What Eli has done with his come-from-behind wins this year has been remarkable.”
ON GIANTS VS. 49ERS: “The beating that Eli took in the game tonight…San Francisco’s defense was just so good. He just kept getting hit and kept making plays and he’s brought his team to the Super Bowl. It’s only fitting with the way he’s played in the fourth quarter all year.”
ON PATRIOTS DEFENSE: “The story for the Patriots, a defense that did not put up good statistics all season long, came together and played their best football in the playoffs. Based on Brady’s comments at the end of the game, he wasn’t too happy with his game and yet the defense was good enough, with a little help from a missed field goal at the end of the game, to carry them through.”
ON TOM BRADY’S POST-GAME COMMENTS: “It’s not often that Tom Brady needs help from anybody to make his way to the Super Bowl, but you know that he is going to be inspired in a way that he hasn’t been, maybe ever. Hearing his post-game self-critique, you know that he has a little chip on his shoulder going into the Super Bowl.”
ON SUPER BOWL REMATCH: “This is a rematch of a game that probably bothers the New England Patriots the most. They had the chance to stake their claim to be the greatest team of all time and the Giants beat them in major underdog fashion. The conditions are going to be perfect for both teams in this one, and I expect greatness from the game.”

DUNGY

ON SUPER BOWL XLII REMATCH: “These teams do know each other. There are some of the same players and coaches, but the way both teams play is significantly different. The Patriots don’t have the deep passing game that Randy Moss gave them. Now they utilize the two tight ends. The Giants were a running team, but now it’s Eli.”

ON WHAT TO WATCH FOR: “The pass rushers are going to tell the story. Both quarterbacks and receiving corps are operating at a high level. I expect the secondaries to have a tough time, which is why I think the team that can generate the most quarterback pressure will have an advantage. The Giants have obviously been hot at pressuring the quarterback the latter part of the season, but the Patriots have gotten hot the last two games.”

ON THE MATCHUP: “It’s going to be a great matchup. You have veteran coaches on both sides and many of the key players competed in Super Bowl XLII. The stadium is a wash. It favors the passing game, but it also favors pass rushers. It will make for a better game for the fans.”

HARRISON

ON SUPER BOWL XLII REMATCH: “I definitely think it’s a factor. The Patriots still have Tom Brady, Kevin Faulk, Wes Welker and others players who still have bitter tastes in their mouths. They might deny it, but it’s a factor. It matters.”

ON GIANTS: During the regular season, the Giants were very inconsistent. Right now, they are the most complete team in the playoffs. You really don’t want to face a team that can get after the ball like they can. They are a very scary team for the Patriots to face.

“The Giants are resilient. They believe right now, no matter what the situation. They went to Green Bay and beat the No. 1 offense. They go to San Francisco and beat the No. 1 defense. What can’t they do? They are not afraid and they are a scary team right now.”

ON PATRIOTS: “If you’re the Patriots, you have to be excited about how your defense is playing. They are really showing a mental toughness that wasn’t there in the regular season. They aren’t perfect, but they are playing a lot better. I think what Bill Belichick has done is to tell the unit that the regular season is over and now they have an opportunity to prove themselves based on what they’ve done in the playoffs. They are playing loose and having fun.”

Patriots vs. Giants in Super Bowl XLVI

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:50:00 +0000

Get ready for lots of David Tyree talk ladies and gentlemen!

Patriots over Ravens, 23-20 at the AFC Championship Game while the Giants nip the 49ers in overtime, 20-17 at the NFC Championship Game.

Early line has the Patriots a 3.5 point favorite in Indianapolis on Sunday, February 5th.

HBO's Real Sports Premieres Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:09:00 +0000

From HBO Sports -

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL

EXAMINES THE USE OF TORADOL IN THE NFL;

PROFILES BASKETBALL’S VAN GUNDY BROTHERS;

VISITS A REMARKABLE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM THAT NEVER PUNTS;

AND RECONNECTS WITH SUPER BOWL NO-SHOW BARRET ROBBINS

WHEN THE EMMY^®-WINNING SHOW RETURNS JAN. 24, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

Entering its 18th season, REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL presents more enterprising features and reporting when its 178th edition, available in HDTV, debuts TUESDAY, JAN. 24 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.

HBO On Demand availability: Jan. 30-Feb. 20

Segments include:

*Toradol in the NFL. Real Sports investigative team looks at the largely unknown practice of NFL players being administered the controversial pain drug Toradol. For years, NFL players in every locker room across the league have lined up to get a shot of Toradol before kickoff because it is the most effective remedy to mask pain throughout the entire body unlike local numbing agents such as Novocaine. Toradol is not a narcotic, is perfectly legal and provided by team doctors. Also, it is not physically addictive and does not affect your mental state, but the long-term effects are something that have recently become a hot topic of debate. When abused, Toradol has shown to cause permanent damage to internal organs, including stomach bleeding, liver disease and kidney failure. REAL SPORTS correspondent Andrea Kremer speaks with current and former players, doctors and the NFL about the issue of the use of Toradol.

Producer: Chapman Downes.

*Brothers. Over the last 15 years, the Van Gundy brothers, Stan and Jeff, have made quite a name for themselves in the NBA. Having found limited success as players, they followed their father, who coached college basketball teams, into the family business of patrolling the sidelines. Stan, 52, is currently head coach of the Orlando Magic and previously served as head coach of the Miami Heat. Jeff, who turned 50 on Jan. 19, led the New York Knicks and then the Houston Rockets for years before becoming one of the game’s top broadcasters. In this REAL SPORTS/Sports Illustrated collaboration, correspondent Bernie Goldberg sits down with the brothers to discuss their remarkable ascent to the top of the game.

Producer: Lisa Bennett.

*Between the Numbers. Kevin Kelley, head football coach at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark., uses his own research to back up the mantra that his team should never punt, should always kick onside kicks after a score and should never return punts. If this sounds too unorthodox to be effective, Kelley’s theories have resulted in a 104-19 record since he became head coach at the high school, and statisticians have supported his theory on the relative value of punting. REAL SPORTS correspondent Jon Frankel visits the 42-year-old Kelley in Little Rock as his team prepares to seek its third state title under his leadership.

Producer: Nick Dolin.

*Barret Robbins. On Jan. 26, 2003, one of the strangest Super Bowl controversies ever unfolded when Barret Robbins, Pro Bowl center for the Oakland Raiders, went AWOL, leaving no trace of his whereabouts two days before the biggest game of his career. For the Raiders, Robbins’ disappearance was a major distraction, but for Robbins, the episode was the beginning of a dark and tragic story that would include a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, substance abuse, numerous stints in rehab and multiple run-ins with the law. In 2009, six years after the Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII, the Houston native sat down with HBO’s Andrea Kremer to reflect on his troubles. Now, Kremer leads REAL SPORTS cameras into the Florida State Prison where the 38-year-old former NFL star has been incarcerated on drug charges after another encounter with the law.

Producers: Zehra Mamdani, Chapman Downes.

REAL SPORTS has won the Sports Emmy^® for Outstanding Sports Journalism 14 times and has received a total of 22 Sports Emmy Awards. It is the only sports program ever honored with the duPont Award for excellence in broadcast journalism, having first been recognized in 2005. On Jan. 19, Real Sports will receive its second duPont Award when Columbia University recognizes the show for its series of investigative reports on concussions, highlighted by the Aug. 2010 story revealing the scientific link between sports concussions and the onset of ALS.

The executive producer of REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL is Rick Bernstein; Kirby Bradley is senior producer.

ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown Pregame Notes - Championship Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:08:00 +0000

From ESPN -

ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown Notes and Quotes: Conference Championships

ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, and Keyshawn Johnson previewed the NFL’s Conference Championships with Suzy Kolber, Merril Hoge, Bill Parcells, guest analyst Greg Jennings and NFL Insiders Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen. Some excerpts:

On Joe Paterno’s passing…

Ditka: “He (Paterno) recruited me in high school in 1957. I was at Aliquippa. He came to the high school and recruited me. He was the backfield coach under Rip Engle. And my parents fell in love with him. I fell in love with him. I was goin’ to go to Penn State. At the last second, I changed my mind. Ended up goin’ to Pitt because I wanted to be a dentist. Unfortunately that didn’t work out, thanks that it didn’t work out because the patients are a lot safer. Let me say one thing about him. He is – there was an old saying a long time ago that Grantland Rice said about class. He said, ‘Class is a hard thing to define,’ he said, ‘but once you see it,’ he said, ‘you never forget it’. This was a man of class. Not only in football, but in life. With his family, with his friends, with that university, with everybody he met, he handled himself with dignity and class in every situation. It’s a sad day really for Penn State and for his family. And really, my sympathy goes out to them.”

Parcells: “(I) had the opportunity as a very young coach at Army to coach against Coach Paterno – as I was an assistant… To put it in a condensed form, just think about all of the young men’s lives that were affected by contact with this man. And that’s thousands of players. That’s legacy in itself in my opinion. It’s something to be very proud of. He’s a remarkable guy.”

On whether Joe Flacco and the Ravens can keep pace if the game is high-scoring…

Carter: “Absolutely not. I don’t know why we’re foolin’ ourselves… And if the game gets too high scoring, then Flacco is more likely to blow the game, than to keep it low.”

Johnson: “I don’t think Joe Flacco could compete with Tom Brady and put points up. Period. I mean that’s just the bottom line like CC (Cris Carter) said. When you look at Joe Flacco and you look at his regular season statistics, okay. You look at his post season, not so okay. And when I watch him and I watch his body language and his demeanor, he looks like a scaredy-cat out there playin’ to me.”

Parcells: “I kind of feel sorry for Flacco in a couple ways. And here’s the reason why. When he first came into the league, what had been the Ravens’ formula for winning? It had been runnin’ the ball and defense. And so when he was integrated into the system, that’s what he was integrated into… Problem is now, everyone’s trying to compare him to Brees, Brady, Manning, those kinda guys who come out and throw for 400 and be the reason that they win the game. And I’m not sure that that team is built to do that.”

Greg Jennings’ reflections on the Green Bay Packers’ season and their loss to the Giants…

Jennings: “When you go through a regular season and have success the way we had success, and you don’t really taste the failures and the lulls, you see some of the things that you need to correct, but you don’t really get to experience those losses. I think sometimes that plays against you. But, in our case, I think we just came out sluggish in that game. The Giants were a team that was rolling at the time, and they’re still rolling now, playing good ball, and I think that’s really what it’s all about. It’s not how you start; it’s really, ultimately how you finish. And I know that sounds cliché, but it’s fact. You know, any time you can get a team and you can find your identity and you can start rolling at the right time, you know, the Green Bay Packers of last year, that’s what the Giants are doing and that’s what we did last year, and that’s ultimately what you want as a head coach and as a team.”

On confidence in quarterback Alex Smith and the 49ers…

Johnson: “I think you have to have confidence in him, Boom. You can’t go away from that confidence. I think Jim Harbaugh instilled that in him as an ex-quarterback himself. Put him in a position as Tommy said to win the football game, not once, but twice... over the course of the season he has six fourth-quarter game-winning drives which is tied for first in the National Football League.”

Carter: “This is not only about the quarterback; it’s who he’s goin’ to throw to. I feel a lot more confident about Alex since he’s settled in with Harbaugh, when they get a major weapon. If you look at Steve Young and Joe Montana, their success was tied to the weaponry which they put around them. Now you put the same type of weaponry around him, I’ll have far more confidence.”

On the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick legacy…

Ditka: “If they go to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl again, I don’t think anybody can question that this is the greatest coach-quarterback combination in the history of football. It really is. I think the game’s different now, but you can’t take it away from them. What they’ve accomplished together is unbelievable.”

Jackson: “If they win another Super Bowl, any discussion about coach and quarterback, I think Coach Parcells, you would agree – they would have to be included.”

Johnson: “Five Super Bowl appearances, possibly four championships and a number of records. And let’s not get into the winning percentage. I mean, consistent.”

Carter: “I think they’re the greatest, especially if they’re able to pull it off. But, not because of the numbers, but because of their development. You need to get one picture of Tom Brady at the NFL Combine, and you’ll see why he was a sixth-round pick. But for him developin’ into the quarterback that he has and Bill Belichick, great coordinator – was not a very good head coach and was not a good communicator – but the word on the street is, guys in the National Football League, they want to go to New England now. Why? Not because of the nice stadium, not ‘cause of the owners, because of Bill Belichick, and that’s a huge change.”

Red Sox send Scutaro to Colorado

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:48:00 +0000

The Red Sox have sent starting shortstop Marco Scutaro to the Rockies for pitcher Clay Mortenson (Denver Post). Who replace Scutaro - maybe Mike Aviles or Nick Punto or rookie Jose Iglesias. With Scutaro's $6 million off the books, Boston may make a run at free agent starter Roy Oswalt.

What Time Is It? Almost GameTime!

noreply@blogger.com (The Crowe's Nest) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:41:00 +0000

Ray Lewis "GameTime" courtesy of the great DJ Steve Porter