Flik, who is not a cicada, from Disney’s “A Bug’s Life”

Cicadas aren’t sports fans.

It is the only reasonable explanation as to why, after 17 years underground, billions of bugs visited suburban Bristol, Conn. but none were spotted on our ESPN campus (despite multiple searches from several of our best amateur entomologists).

Maybe they were waiting for an invitation to an ESPN “Car Wash?” Or hoping to get a first tour of the new Digital Center?

The Connecticut brood inspired the culinary crowd and raised the decibel level near ESPN Plaza (to employees listening carefully at their homes it sounded a bit like “Awesome, Baby” on a February evening.)

The last time the crustaceans visited Connecticut, Robin Roberts was preparing to anchor SportsCenter’s Atlanta Olympic coverage; Suzy Kolber was hosting the Spelling Bee; ESPNEWS hadn’t even been announced. . . yet. (It would launch six months later.) And college softball and the NBA were not yet staples of the schedule. The KISS principle – Keep It Simple Stupid – had not made its way to Bristol as evidenced by our website being called “ESPNET SportsZone” and our magazine clunkily referred to as “ESPN Total Sports Magazine.”

When our billions of friends return in 2030, all that is assured is we will have SEC games to lure them to Bristol.

Do you have any predictions for what ESPN will look like 17 years from now? Share your prophecies at our Faceboook page.

Doris Burke (Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)

When fans tune into Game 6 of the NBA Finals tonight (9 p.m. ET, ABC), they don’t know if they’re going to see the San Antonio Spurs win their fifth NBA title or the defending champion Miami Heat extend the series to a Game 7. They do know ESPN reporter Doris Burke and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, considered the toughest interview in the NBA – if not all of sports – are sure to provide compelling content in the form of Popovich’s in-game interview.

Front Row caught up with Burke to discuss what it’s like interviewing Popovich in the heat of competition.

How does Popovich’s interview style compare with his Heat counterpart Erik Spoelstra?
For me, the Pop interviews are heart-stopping, terrifying experiences. For everyone else, they are must-see TV. It makes me smile, once they are over, of course, that everyone else is having a good time watching them. As far as Erik Spoelstra goes, he divulges nothing, but in a much kinder fashion.

What has been your favorite Popovich interview/interaction so far?
Pop is unaware of this, but he is responsible for one of the best moments of my career. I was sitting in his office before a game that I was in the analyst role for. Pop looked me dead in the eyes and said: “Doris, you are a basketball person. You get this.” That moment gave me great confidence to sit in the analyst role on our NBA telecasts. Pop probably doesn’t even remember it, but I will never forget it.

On an ESPN.com story written by Marc Stein (appropriately titled Do not disturb: Gregg Popovich), you say “there is absolutely a level of anxiety each time I have to do an end-of-quarter interview with Pop.” How do regular season and even playoff interviews with Popovich differ from the NBA Finals interviews?
Here’s the beauty of Pop: He is exactly the same way, whether it’s game one in October or as he will be on June 20 [if the NBA Finals reaches a Game 7].

In a TrueHoop interview after Game 4 with Henry Abbott titled ‘Toughest Job in Sports,’ you say you know Coach Popovich likes and respects you. Can you imagine what the interviews would be like if he didn’t?
Pop is in the game of basketball because he loves the game and he loves his guys. He does not suffer fools, so I try not to act like one.

In a recent SportsCenter feature, you enlisted [ESPN NBA analyst and former NBA head coach] Jeff Van Gundy for “Popovich Practice.” While this was done in humor, did you actually speak with Jeff or anyone else about tips or suggestions for interviewing Pop during the finals?
Everyone, including play-by-play guys who occasionally have to do Pop interviews, has a Pop story. We all commiserate and swap stories. It reminds me of being in a locker room after a particularly hard practice and everyone is venting.

Editor’s note: Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat kicks off tonight with KIA NBA Countdown (8:30 p.m. ET) and the game is at 9 p.m. on ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3 and WatchESPN.

Last week, former NBA All-Star and head coach Doug Collins spent the morning after Game 3 of the NBA Finals in ESPN’s Bristol studio cohosting Mike & Mike with Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. At the conclusion of his four-hour on-air stint, the 1972 U.S. Olympian took a few minutes to speak with Front Row about his experience on the set and a variety of other topics.

Collins, the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers this season, has years of broadcasting experience on television and radio. In the video above, he mentions a broadcasting tie he has with one of the show’s hosts that predates Mike & Mike. Even that experience did not prevent Collins from doing his homework for the co-hosting assignment.

“I’m big on preparing. I put about four hours of prep work into today so I’d know a little bit about what was going on,” Collins said.

Among other things, Collins also reflected on participating in ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary short Silver Reunion. The film, published on Grantland.com, reunited members of the 1972 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team more than 40 years after the squad’s controversial loss to the then-Soviet Union in the gold medal game.

Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat kicks off tonight with KIA NBA Countdown (8:30 p.m. ET) and the game is at 9 p.m. on ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3 and WatchESPN.

Video produced by Ariel Bond

Julie Foudy (R) with 15-year-old Brazilian soccer player, Barbara. (Photo credit: DGA Productions)

ESPN’s Julie Foudy, alongside former U.S. soccer teammate Brandi Chastain, recently traveled to Sao Paolo, Brazil as part of the Sports United program overseen by the U.S. State Department.

“Our mission was not to help train the next Marta Vieira da Silva [five-time FIFA World Player of the Year],” Foudy said. “But to encourage Brazil to support programs that would help produce the next million Martas.”

All eyes are already on Brazil as the country prepares to host the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013, 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. Front Row spoke with the busy Foudy — who also recently interviewed American soccer star Jozy Altidore — about her South America trip.

How are female athletes perceived in Brazil?
Many Brazilian women told us their culture encourages girls to play only specific sports, largely volleyball and dance. We heard many stories about how soccer for girls in Brazil is very hard to find. It is seen as a male sport and as a result, many parents and coaches do not encourage girls to play. Just to give you some perspective, 13 million girls play soccer in the US and only 400,000 girls are playing in Brazil. This small number seems impossible in a country synonymous with soccer. The path to playing for girls is just not there… yet.

What was the biggest takeaway from your trip?
The universal need we all share — first, having the courage to dream and then having the chance to pursue that dream. Barbara, a 15-year-old we followed from a small town outside Sao Paolo, told me she just wants to be able to dream about one day playing soccer for Brazil. She wants to play the sport she loves and have her country embrace that dream.

What’s ESPN’s presence like in Brazil?
They have three channels of ESPN in Brazil so they are very familiar with ESPN. I saw a lot of Cleveland Indians games while I was there!

What’s next for you at ESPN?
Up next for me is completing an ESPN Films project on our 1999 World Cup-winning [U.S. Women's National] team. “The 99′ers” documentary airs in August as part of the Nine for IX series. We are weaving in lots of footage I shot during the ’99 World Cup along with recent interviews with that ’99 Team and the current US Women’s National Team. It is full of bad dancing, bad mullets and bad singing, so consider yourself warned.

For more info, visit: http://bit.ly/WC2014Home

ESPNBoston.com and ESPNChicago.com

The Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks are not the only ones working overtime in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. The staffs at both ESPNBoston.com and ESPNChicago.com are busy working extra shifts delivering quality coverage for fans in both hockey-mad cities.

Through blogging, columns, post-game videos and more, reporters Scott Powers (Blackhawks) and Joe McDonald (Bruins) will be at home and on the road serving fans the latest from all the action on the ice, which through two games has produced two sudden death finishes. Additionally, colleagues from ESPNChicago.com — Jesse Rogers, Jon Greenberg and Melissa Isaacson — and ESPNBoston.com – Jackie MacMullan and James Murphy — provide additional coverage and analysis.

With Game 3 of the 1-1 series tonight in Boston, Front Row spoke to both Powers and McDonald about The Cup and what fans can expect from their coverage on the ESPN Local sites. (Also, SportsCenter has Steve Levy and Barry Melrose on-site for every game. Levy discussed coverage and more in this Front & Center podcast from last week.)

Talk about the diversity of content you and your team produce.
Powers: What I’m looking to do is tell the story of the team I’m covering in whatever way possible. In this case, it’s the story of the Chicago Blackhawks playing for the Stanley Cup. I may do that with something as simple as tweeting a picture of the freshly-painted Stanley Cup Final logo on the United Center ice or typing out a few sentences about lineup changes in practice.

On ESPNChicago.com, our goal is try to keep our Blackhawks blog updated constantly with news stories, features, columns and analysis pieces before, during and after games. There are plenty of stories to be told at this time of year. We also use videos from inside the locker rooms and stand-ups featuring our reporters discussing the team. I think Chicago fans want to devour a bit of everything when it comes to their teams, and it’s certainly a fun challenge as a reporter trying to provide that.

How do you capture the passion of Boston fans in your reporting?
McDonald: Boston fans are passionate and educated about their sports and teams. Growing up in Rhode Island, I was a huge fan of the Bruins and Red Sox, so when I began my journalism career at the Providence Journal I wanted my passion for sports to be reflected in my reporting and writing. Bruins and Red Sox fans keep you on your toes and they’re not afraid to share their opinions with you.

I’ve been extremely fortunate in my career to cover some special events, including two World Series titles for the Red Sox, and now I’m in the midst of my second Stanley Cup with the Bruins. Since both teams have enjoyed success for the majority of my career, the fans’ passion and dedication for their teams in Boston has made it fun for me to hopefully deliver quality reporting.

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Aaron Boone
(Allen Kee/ESPN Images)

Baseball Tonight and Monday Night Baseball analyst Aaron Boone is part of a very special legacy. Between his grandfather Ray, his father Bob, his brother Bret, and Aaron’s own career, the Boone tribe is one of only four three-generation Major League Baseball families and the only one to send a player from each generation to the All-Star Game.

Aaron joined ESPN as an analyst in 2010 but according to Bob, now assistant general manager of the Washington Nationals, that career was in the works from a very young age.

“We always figured he’d be an analyst one day,” Bob Boone said. “He could mimic anything. He did that from the time he was maybe four years old and coming around ballparks. He would analyze the game while he was sitting there. When Bret’s team won the Connie Mack World Series, Aaron [then 14 years old] did the play-by-play for the entire game and taped it. It was there his whole life. He just used his major league career as practice for what he is doing now.”

For Father’s Day, Front Row asked Aaron to discuss how his childhood shaped his work as an analyst and what his family’s accomplishments mean to him. Aaron will appear on Monday Night Baseball tomorrow when the Chicago Cubs visit the St. Louis Cardinals at 7 ET on ESPN.

You were analyzing games as a child, according to your father. When did that start?
Growing up with my dad playing Major League Baseball, me and my brothers were going to the ballpark every day. It was just an awesome childhood. From a very young age, I was watching every game — from the stands or on television and really paying attention. I think it all comes down to a certain love of the game. I always wanted to play ball, but I guess in a distant way, I always pictured myself doing something like this.

Has your father ever given you feedback or advice about your work on ESPN?
Every now and then, he will call and say “What the heck did you just say?” I remember — it might have been August or early September last season. At that point, I was saying that [Angels outfielder] Mike Trout would be the MVP. My dad called me after the game and said ‘You’re nuts!’ But by season’s end, I was [picking Detroit Tigers third baseman] Miguel Cabrera given the totality of his season.

What does your family’s legacy in baseball mean to you?
I just look at my grandpa, my dad and my brothers individually and I’m proud of them. We’re fortunate and blessed that we’ve all had good relationships. I always felt the greatest thing about us all playing was that we could relate to each other. I could talk to my brother about my work and he knew what I was going through — same with my dad, same with my grandfather. Baseball was always something that bonded us.

What was it like to interview your father on air during spring training [March 28 during a Mets-Nationals game on ESPN in the booth with Dave O'Brien and Rick Sutcliffe]?
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I don’t know if I was a little bit apprehensive but I wanted it to go well. Once he came on, it was comfortable. I think I had fun with it and Rick and Dave had fun with it, too.

Be careful what you Tweet for.

“Sara had Tweeted that one of her dreams was to throw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to a Rays game, so I responded and invited her to do just that,” said Jonathan Gantt, Senior Coordinator, Communications for the Tampa Bay Rays.

SportsCenter anchor Sara Walsh shared that dream in accepting a challenge from some of her Twitter fans, leading to her appearance on the Tropicana Field mound Wednesday night.

“We do lots of bad ‘First Pitches’ for the Not Top Ten, and it started on air when I was running my mouth saying I could get the ball there,” Walsh explained. “Folks on Twitter started saying I needed to throw out a first pitch, and were offering up suggestions of where I should do it, so I responded that I was waiting for my hometown Rays to do it.”

The Tampa area native got her wish.

“It was a really cool moment — incredible to be back in my hometown with a lot of friends and family there,” she said. “I probably would have been a lot less nervous except I knew the pitch would make it on SportsCenter, most notably if it was really bad.

“I swear the strikes were coming much easier in warm ups with [Rays pitcher] David Price, who I covered in Nashville when he was playing for Vanderbilt and I was at the local ABC affiliate there, so I’m bummed my pitch was high and outside. I’ve got no excuse for that, but I stand by my statement that if you’re an athlete, you can’t bounce it! And Price said if I had a pitch count of 100, I would have been right down the middle. Unfortunately, my pitch count was one.”

ICYMI: Highlights from the past week on Front Row

• In preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, ESPN has done some redecorating at the Bristol campus, most notably adding a new wall detailing the soccer event’s rich history.

• ESPN Content Associate Gavin Cote spends countless hours creating Miami Heat highlight packages for SportsCenter. He shared how he stays on top of the Heat action, despite his personal allegiance to the Boston Celtics.

• A “Lineup” of 11 things you don’t see at home from ABC’s NBA Finals coverage including production trucks, cameras and more.

• Cari Champion and the First Take crew have taken their show on the road for NBA Finals. Champion shared details of the experience so far.

Row of Four
Our favorites from across ESPN over the past week

• Bruce Irons talks about big waves, big wins, the loss of his brother and his Bali return

• Friday Funnies: Funny moments in sports captured from the past week

• espnW’s Brant James: Danica Patrick’s father, T.J., first instilled in her the notion she was a driver — not a girl driver

• Enjoy an array of photos from ESPN Images

Dan Quinn contributed to this post

ESPN weaves a common thread throughout its coverage of global soccer competitions: authenticity. From its presentation of matches on the field to capturing the atmosphere and culture in each event’s host country, authenticity is the driving principle that continues to elevate ESPN’s coverage. This attention to detail is evident in the design of ESPN’s studios and graphics for major events.

Last summer, ESPN created a unique studio environment for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship that highlighted host countries Poland and Ukraine. The company is employing a similar strategy for the two-week FIFA Confederations Cup, which begins in Brazil on Saturday (opening match: Brazil vs. Japan, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The brainchild of Executive Producer Jed Drake, the look of ESPN’s studio captures the essence of one of Brazil’s most picturesque destinations: Rio de Janeiro. During ESPN’s studio coverage of the event, fans will see images of the city skyline, complete with tropical colors, scenic beaches, and more. They might even hear the sound of waves crashing.

Creative Director Noubar Stone, featured in the video above, discusses how ESPN’s Creative Services and Studio Operations teams accomplished this feat, while Amy Rosenfeld, senior coordinating producer, and others discuss the soccer production team’s approach to this event.

The Confederations Cup studio is utilizing a 1.9mm LED screen, the highest-resolution screen ever used by the company. There is also an anchor desk, a touch-screen and an informal interview area.

The studio will be the home base for host Bob Ley and a rotating group of analysts — Alexi Lalas, Steve McManaman, Everton FC Manager Roberto Martinez, Jose Antonio (Tato) Noriega and Rubens Pozzi — through June 30, when the winner of the tournament is crowned.

Editor’s Note: Here is more information on ESPN’s coverage plans for FIFA Confederations Cup 2013, the warm-up tournament for next summer’s 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Video produced by Dave Williams and Tonya Malinowski