The Pardon the Interruption set with Tony Kornheiser (L) and Michael Wilbon. (Randy Sage/ESPN Images)

Bonnie Berko is not only Pardon the Interruption’s assistant director. She’s also the show’s designated prop manager. Here are some of the favorite pieces she’s bought, collected and curated for the PTI set in Washington, D.C. over the past 12 years.

1. LADY LEG LAMP

One of PTI’s first props, the lamp was purchased as a gift for the show by resident “stat boy” Tony Reali.

2. “PTI GOTHIC”

Berko had this “American Gothic” inspired caricature of Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon created.

3. BOBBLEHEADS

Berko has acquired an assortment of Kornheiser, Wilbon and Reali dolls through the years.

4. WALL OF HEADS

This signature PTI backdrop changes daily based on sports and pop culture newsmakers. Executive producer Erik Rydholm prints, cuts and pastes these himself. Seen here: Paul Pierce, Dwight Howard, Tom Brady, Bobby Orr, Kevin Garnett, Lance Armstrong, Mike Tyson — and even Katie Couric.

5. MAD MEN DOLLS

AMC sent Joan Harris and Roger Sterling dolls a few years ago when they learned Kornheiser and Wilbon were fans of the popular cable drama.

6. KATE MIDDLETON DOLL

Berko’s husband, Arty, is an ESPN producer whose assignments include covering the Olympics. Through the years, he has purchased Olympic mascot dolls for the set, as well as this doll of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, which he picked up during a site visit to London before the 2012 Summer Games.

7. STATUE OF LIBERTY

One of her first show purchases, Berko bought this from a local home décor store and drove to the office with Lady Liberty sticking out the back seat of her convertible. When studio guests bring hats and shirts to PTI, Berko often adorns the statue with them so they can be seen on TV.

8. ROBOT

Robots are a popular item on set (FYI: so are penguins). This one was made by a local D.C. artist.

9. PET JELLYFISH

Berko named the show’s gelatinous friends “Cuff” and “Link” after the pet turtles in Rocky. They were purchased at the annual Toy Fair in New York, a popular destination for Berko to find toys and trinkets for PTI.

10. PTI WINE

Made by one of Kornheiser’s friends, the bottle is a longtime favorite item of the staff. The PTI logo is etched in the glass – not a printed label.

11. EMMY STATUE

PTI received this Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show in 2009. It’s also a home for the Binghamton Bearcats mascot (Note: Binghamton, formerly Harpur College, is Kornheiser’s alma mater.)

12. NESTING DOLLS

One of the newest additions to the set, these dolls were custom-made just two weeks ago with the faces of Kornheiser, Wilbon and Reali.

Last night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the 38th annual Gracie Awards were held, honoring “exemplary programming created for women, by women, and about women in all facets of media including radio, television, cable and digital media.”

ESPN was recognized with awards for Outside the Lines and espnW. ESPN anchor Hannah Storm was both a winner (for the W series she produced) and a presenter. ESPN reporter Michele Steele accepted the honor on behalf of OTL.

“What an honor to receive a Gracie last night in Los Angeles, my third as a producer,” Storm said. “It’s such an empowering event that promotes stories by women, for women and about women.

“Last night’s Gracie for Internet content was for a story I produced through my company Brainstormin, for espnW for the ‘Journeys and Victories’ series we developed for Procter and Gamble,” she said. “This story was user-generated content and Payge McMahon tells her story of following a bucket list she found of her mother’s, after her mom passed away. It changed her life.

“Another big highlight was awarding a Gracie to Michele Steele for the OTL feature about WNBA star Seimone Augustus. It was great getting to hang out with her and espn.com’s Ramona Shelbourne, who was coming off a long day writing about the Clippers.”

Said Steele: “I accepted a Gracie award on behalf of Outside the Lines, of which our submission included my feature on WNBA star Seimone Augustus’ fight to marry her partner legally in Minnesota. The Alliance for Women in Media recognizes work that reflects a realistic and multifaceted portrayal of women across many platforms and it was an honor to be recognized and included in OTL‘s entry.

“I am thankful to [Senior Coordinating Producer] Dwayne Bray, [OTL producer] Nicole Noren and my own manager [Senior Director of Digital Media and Video] Ronnie Forchheimer, who supported my work on the piece last year. The last 12 months have seen breathtaking change in attitudes towards gay athletes — and I’m glad to have played a part in telling their stories.”

The night provided a bonus for Storm: “As a mom of three teenage girls and an avid watcher of Pretty Little Liars, I was really excited to sit at a table with the stars of ABC Family hit show Ian Harding and Lucy Hale, who play Ezra and Aria, respectively. I tried to pry details of next season out of Ian and Lucy, but Ian said he’s not even allowed to tell his own mom plot lines. He did intimate that Ezra has some wild plot twists, which isn’t surprising.”

Storm and Steele supplied the photos seen in the gallery above.

Fans who watch ESPN telecasts of NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races hear the voices of anchor Allen Bestwick and analysts Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree as they call the action perched high above the start/finish line at racetracks across America.

But what fans don’t see is the sophisticated bank of high-tech equipment that the announcers use in the television booth.

Bestwick’s position has multiple screens, including a monitor showing what’s on the air, a screen aligned with NASCAR’s timing and scoring system, a touchscreen that allows him to access stats and information, a monitor for previewing upcoming video, a telestrator and a standard iPad showing local weather.

All the equipment in the booth travels from race to race with ESPN’s NASCAR production team and is installed — and then disassembeled — every week.

In this video for Front Row, Bestwick gives a tour of the booth, providing a behind the scenes look at ESPN’s NASCAR coverage.

Note: ESPN’s coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series continues Saturday, May 25, from the Charlotte Motor Speedway with the History 300, the first race of the season on ABC. NASCAR Countdown begins at 2:30 p.m. ET with the race’s green flag at 3:02 p.m. ESPN2 will also televise qualifying earlier that day at 11 a.m. 

Nerlens Noel turned 19 years old in April. To our knowledge, ESPN’s cameras were not present at his birthday party. But ESPN has chronicled many milestone moments in the former University of Kentucky basketball star’s development.

In April 2012, ESPN aired his head-turning commitment to the Wildcats; in October, ESPN captured his first collegiate practices; in February 2013, the 6-foot, 10-inch shot blocker suffered a season-ending injury in a game airing on ESPN’s platforms. The next significant step in Noel’s career happens tonight on ESPN when the NBA conducts the 2013 Draft Lottery (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on KIA NBA Countdown) before Game 2 of the San Antonio Spurs-Memphis Grizzlies Western Conference Finals duel.

The lottery process helps determine the order of selection in the June 27 NBA Draft. During the telecast, Noel will be interviewed by ESPN’s Andy Katz.

Even as he recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, Noel still is considered by many experts to be the top draft prospect.

During Noel’s ESPN “Car Wash” visit to the network’s Bristol, Conn. headquarters on May 13, Front Row asked him to share his thoughts on: the ESPN Lottery Mock Draft page and its projections of where he might land; the numerous replays of his injury; and the advice Kentucky coach and frequent ESPN “Car Wash” guest John Calipari gave him for his Bristol visit.

Video produced by Ariel Bond

When most people hear “ESPN,” they probably think of SportsCenter. A lot of people probably can hum the theme song.

But what most fans know little about is all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into ESPN’s flagship news and information program. The time-lapse video above should shed some light on that.

It chronicles a day in the life on the SportsCenter set — inside Studio F on ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., campus.

This one studio is the home of up to 17 hours of live SportsCenter each day from 9 a.m. ET (or 8 a.m. on weekends) until the 1 a.m. ET edition airs from the Los Angeles Production Center.

A typical day on-set starts about two hours prior to the first show. During the initial 120 minutes, the producer, director and other control room staffers prep for the show, anchors write and review their scripts, and the on-stage crew tests equipment and preps the studio.

As the day progresses, the crew changes — including anchors, control room team and studio staffs. Shows can change in seconds depending on the events of a specific day. The set pieces, cameras and people often move just as frequently.

“Communication and preparation are the keys to success,” said director Becky Coole. “If we are prepared for any scenario and communicate well, we can be successful in delivering a clean and well-executed show, no matter what curveballs come our way.”

Top video produced by Brad Faison

The latest Indy 500 promo (above) produced by ESPN Sports Marketing is a stirring 30-second trip through 100 years of thrills the iconic event has provided. The spot features vintage footage — supplied by IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway — dating back to 1911. The promo, which began airing last week, has inspired sports fans anticipating Sunday’s Indy 500 (ABC, pre-race coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET, green flag at 12:15 p.m.).

“The campaign has been well-received by both internal stakeholders at ESPN as well as our league partners at IndyCar,” said Andrew Barge, associate manager, ESPN Sports Marketing. “In addition, the social conversation around the spot has been very positive.”

To wit:

Barge gave Front Row some background about the spot:

In 2012, the Indy 500 promo used singer/actor Jim Nabors’ rendition of the pre-race standard Back Home Again In Indiana as a theme. How did Marketing come up with “the greatest” theme for 2013?
This year, our marketing objective was to convey the Indianapolis 500 as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The campaign embraces the unique tradition, history, and thrilling on-track product to portray the event as part of the fabric of American culture. The Vault, the agency who developed the campaign, did a great job of bringing this goal to life.

What are some of the notable clips seen in the promo?
Our partners at IndyCar and IMS helped secure footage from the very first race in 1911, allowing us to convey the race’s history in an authentic way. We also featured some of the race’s most iconic, historical figures — [drivers] Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, Al Unser — and end the spot on two present-day drivers [three-time Indy 500 winners] Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti.

Please explain the colorization of some of the footage.
It was important to create a strong visual style that was distinct to the Indy 500. The Indy 500 has been part of the American life for long time, but continues to evolve in modern ways. The goal of the visual treatment was to showcase the class and timelessness of the sport in black and white, while hinting at its modern evolution in color.

An example of a Webby (center) ESPN has won in previous years. (Hannah Worster/ESPN)

Winners of the 2013 Webby Awards will be honored tomorrow night at an event in New York City. ESPN will receive awards in three categories.

The Webbys were established in 1996 and honor excellence in Websites, Interactive Advertising & Media, Online Film & Video, Mobile & App, and a new batch of categories for work in the Social Web. ESPN was recognized with the following Webbys in this year’s voting:

· In the category of “Online Film & Video: Documentary” — ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 Short Film Series won the Webby and the People’s Voice Award

· In the category of “Online Film & Video: Video Remixes/Mashups” — First Take’s “So Disrespectful” won the People’s Voice Award

· In the category of “Mobile & Apps: Tablet & All Other Devices” — ESPN’s Fantasy Football App won the Webby

A unique aspect of The Webbys is that those accepting awards on behalf of projects are asked to keep their acceptance speeches to a maximum of five words. Front Row asked some folks involved with this year’s awards to weigh in on the challenges that presents.

How do you plan on going about crafting a five-word acceptance speech?

Gabe Goodwin, on behalf of First Take:
Luckily for me, we plan on having the “So Disrespectful” mashup creator DJ Steve Porter accept for us and given his creative abilities when putting together his mixes, we’re all looking forward to his five-word speech.

Brendan Houle, on behalf of ESPN’s Fantasy Football App:
The ESPN Fantasy Football iPad app is the result of tremendous effort put forth by an incredibly talented team, so it’ll be difficult to convey the depth of my appreciation with only five words. Instead, I’ll probably have some fun with the speech and might even get a bit nerdy.

Dan Silver, on behalf of ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 Shorts:
For anyone who’s read me on Grantland, I have a very hard time being concise. Being limited to only five words will be incredibly tough. That said, I believe my speech will perfectly illustrate the thoughts of all the 30 for 30 Shorts fans in the room. It’s a great honor to have won and all of us at ESPN Films are looking forward to a great evening.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to ESPN’s NBA postseason coverage,” said Carlesimo. “I look forward to sharing a coach’s perspective, along with insights from nine playoff appearances, with ESPN viewers and NBA fans.”

Carlesimo has 39 years of basketball coaching experience, most recently as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, who he led to the 2013 NBA Playoffs. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 1992 U.S. Men’s Basketball team (assistant coach). He has previously worked as an analyst for ESPN, ESPN Radio, NBC Sports, Turner Sports and Spurs Television.

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Enjoy the comedy stylings of Ian Darke and Steven “Macca” McManaman as ESPN wishes BPL’s new home the best in its upcoming coverage:

“Who were those two lunatics?!” – Macca

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And now, the Tweetback. . .

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