Looking forward to tonight’s latest 30 for 30: This is What They Want (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET).
The trailer.
And a clip from his match with Patrick McEnroe.
Category Archives: ESPN
Icons: Real Sports on Reggie Jackson; NFL Network examines life of Pat Summerall
A couple of sports icons get examined tonight.
Bryant Gumbel has an interview with Reggie Jackson on the latest edition of Real Sports (HBO, 10 p.m. ET)
A Football Life: Pat Summerall (NFL Network, 9 p.m. ET)
The rundown:
As a player and broadcaster, Pat Summerall’s football life spanned more than 50 years. His passion for sports encompassed 82 years. His voice is eternal.
NFL Network’s Emmy-nominated series A Football Life continues Tuesday, October 22 at 9:00 PM ET with a profile of Pat Summerall – the voice of the NFL. The one-hour special chronicles Summerall’s transformation from an athlete to broadcaster and details the personal battles and professional challenges he endured along the way.
After a successful career in the NFL as a kicker and with a little luck and a lot of talent, Summerall would fall into sports broadcasting. Behind a transcendent voice, Summerall developed a public persona which touched millions of viewers, influenced hundreds of this peers and became synonymous with Thanksgiving. Quite simply, through the years, his presence signified the magnitude of a sporting event.
Featured stories in Pat Summerall: A Football Life:
Uphill Battle: Mentally, Summerall lived a fractured childhood. With his parents splitting-up before he was born, Summerall would live with his aunt and uncle as a boy before moving back in with his father. Physically, he was born with a club foot, which doctors said would prevent him from participating in athletic activities. Foreshadowing the rest of his life, Summerall endured.In high school, he was an accomplished football and basketball player which culminated in receiving a football scholarship to the University of Arkansas as a tight end. An injury would end his days as an offensive specialist, but Summerall was undeterred. He transformed into a kicker and, once again exceeding expectations, he would go on to kick in the National Football League and participate in some of the most memorable games in league history.
Voice of Authority: After starting out as a radio broadcaster, Summerall would eventually work his way into television and his second career took off. If there was a sporting event, Summerall had the talent to broadcast it. By the time he called his final game, Super Bowl XXXVI, he would call over 250 PGA Tour tournaments, numerous boxing and tennis matchups, a myriad of events and studio shows.
The Greatest Broadcasting Duo in Sports TV: When John Madden left the sideline, television executives couldn’t wait to put him in the booth. However, the perfect partner for the former Raiders head coach with wasn’t as definitive. In 1981, after a few years as an analyst, CBS would pair Madden with two different play-by-play announcers – Pat Summerall and Vin Scully. When the year was complete, CBS executives, after much debate, paired the former Super Bowl-winning head coach with Summerall on a full-time basis and, unknown at the time, the greatest duo in sports broadcasting history was born. Summerall and Madden spent more than 20 years together, with two different networks, and broadcasted the NFL’s biggest games.
Relationship with Tom Brookshier: Before he was teamed with Madden, Summerall worked with Tom Brookshier. In addition to being the No. 1 broadcast team on CBS Sports, the two cohorts were best of friends. Their camaraderie in the booth was palpable and resulted in seamless broadcasts. However, eventually their antics outside of calling the games became a concern for CBS executives. The demise of the popular duo is chronicled in the documentary.
Greatest Achievement: Throughout his successful professional career, Summerall fought a personal demon: alcoholism. Years of drinking would put a toll on his family life and on his career. After years of battling the disease, Summerall finally sought help after an intervention was conducted by his friends and family. After leaving the Better Ford Center, Summerall would remain sober for the rest of his life – his greatest achievement.
New 30 for 30: Kevin Connolly on con artist who bought New York Islanders
Yo E, whassup? How’s Vinny? Say hello to Johnny Drama for me.
Kevin Connolly, also known as “E,” has gravitated into ESPN’s orbit in his post-Entourage days. Connolly is the director of the latest ESPN 30 for 30, Big Shot (Tuesday, 7 p.m.).
If it is possible for a team in New York to be anonymous, it would be the New York Islanders. They haven’t made much noise since winning those Stanley Cups way back when.
Connolly, though, looks like he has an interesting story to tell.
Here’s an excerpt from Connolly’s write-up on the 30 for 30 site:
My personal connection was the driving force behind wanting to tell this story, but as the filmmaking process began I had to step away and look at it objectively to decide exactly what story I was going to tell and how I was going to tell it. The core of John Spanos story is that of a man unabashedly chasing the American Dream — and his American Dream, which I believe most men share, was to own a professional sports team. He grabbed his balls and schmoozed and lied and forged documents and made it to the top. He didn’t stay there very long, but he did it. During the interview, Spano recalls walking into the Coliseum and thousands of fans rising to their feet and chanting, Save us Spano. Imagine what thats like for this young guy, raised by middle class parents in Ohio. He was lured in by the promise of fame and adoration. It was the lifestyle he desired, not the money.
Native American group says Corso’s dressing as Seminole leader showed lack of respect
OK, here we go.
Andrew Cohen of The Atlantic and others didn’t find much humor in the Bill Murray-Lee Corso exchange during Saturday’s edition of College GameDay.
The headline said Corso dressing as the Seminole leader is “the Native Equivalent of Black Face.”
Cohen writes:
Evidently, no one at ESPN stopped to think: “Hey, maybe some folks might consider Corso’s dance inappropriate” especially for a network that has covered the “Redskins” controversy and has a huge stake in the success and reputation of the National Football League (and college football, for that matter). And clearly no one afteward at the network seemed inclined to offer any sort of explanation or rationale for what had just aired.
But the fact is that many people did consider the episode highly offensive. Here is what a spokeswoman for the National Congress of American Indians told me Saturday evening:
“This is a perfect example of how Native Americans are ridiculed in the course of sports entertainment. Good-natured rivalries are one thing. Wearing the native equivalent of black face is quite another. The Eagle Staff carried by Mr. Corso and thrown into the crowd by Mr. Murray is a sacred symbol of leadership and today is used to honor our Native veterans who have served this country. That it was used as a prop in this mockery and shown such disrespect is proof that our heritage and culture are not honored or respected by the slurs and caricatures used by sports teams.”
I posted the video on my site Saturday afternoon. I thought it was funny, and was shocked that GameDay landed Murray as a guest picker.
However, I did get some responses from people who criticized ESPN for showing a lack of respect in the segment. ESPN is declining comment.
Corso is a Florida State alum and loves the school. It isn’t the first time he has done the Seminole dance on the show. However, given the current climate, it might be the last.
New ESPN ad for NBA: Simmons gets first ride in RV; shares bed with Noah
Time to get ready for some basketball. Bill Simmons gets invited to ride in the ESPN RV for the first time.
Given Joakim Noah’s shaky health status, Bulls fans request that the center gets his own bed.
Here’s the rundown from ESPN.
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This week, ESPN will return the popular ESPN NBA RV campaign for the seventh year, in celebration of the upcoming NBA season.
The 30-second spot features NBA analysts Jalen Rose and Mike Breen sleeping soundly in the RV while bunkmates Bill Simmons and Chicago Bulls’ star Joakim Noah deliver a frustrated monologue about their sleeping arrangements. Jeff Van Gundy, unlikely to get any sleep throughout the night, also appears in the ad.
Additional spots will launch throughout the season. The campaign was created in collaboration with creative agency Wieden + Kennedy New York.
ESPN’s NBA season tips off Friday, Nov. 1, when the Brooklyn Nets host the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the defending Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs facing the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m.
Instant classic: Bill Murray guest picker on GameDay; body slams 78-year old Corso
They will be replaying this one forever. Still not sure how College GameDay bagged Murray.
ESPN Ombudsman on ‘League of Denial’ doc: ESPN journalism ‘wins ugly’
Robert Lipsyte has weighed in with more thoughts on ESPN and its murky relationship with the PBS documentary, League of Denial.
His conclusion:
ESPN, in this triumphant yet bittersweet moment, has something to prove, and the means to prove it. It can continue to turn loose the Fainarus and Keating and Van Natta, and its stable of hard-nosed reporters such as T.J. Quinn, Tom Farrey, Mike Fish and Shaun Assael. There is no end of stories out there, not least the ramifications of the settlement and the sequestered information that the ESPN audience needs as parents, players and fans, to make their emotional, physical and moral choices.
Ultimately, the proof in journalism is not in good intentions or future promises. As in sports, it’s the current score. Despite what at times seemed like sloppiness or naivete or compromise, ESPN journalism won. It may have won ugly, but it won.
Simmons to SI.com: Deadspin sources are ‘liars’; troubled that they likely came from ESPN
Will be interesting to see if Deadspin picks up on Richard Deitsch’s interview with Bill Simmons at SI.com today.
Simmons strongly denied a John Koblin story last week that he was responsible for Magic Johnson leaving NBA Countdown.
Simmons told Deitsch:
Those unnamed “sources” are liars. Someone planted a fake story to try to make me look bad, and there’s a 99.3 percent chance it came from someone in Bristol (which presents its own set of concerns). I was upset; I can’t lie. Maybe this happens to people more often than I realize, and maybe it comes with the territory, but man … I can’t properly explain how fantastic it was to watch basketball with Magic for nine months.
Later he told Deitsch:
Anyway, that’s why the “report” upset me so much — it wasn’t just that someone made it up (and how disturbing that is), but how I felt in real life was the exact opposite of what that “report” portrayed. I felt blindsided when Magic left. I thought he was quitting on the show, and I guess on me, too. I took it personally. But then I thought about the whole Dodgers thing (and how into those games he was), and it made more sense and I got over it.
Last week, when Simmons and Johnson’s agent issued statements denying Koblin’s story, Deadspin wound up burying them in the comments section. Koblin added, “Sure, OK, but who was saying they were enemies?”
Interesting that the comments weren’t included in an updated version of the main post. But then, that would have required balanced journalism where both sides of the story are reported.
Given that perspective, I shouldn’t expect Deadspin to do much with Simmons’ comments to a major platform like SI. Besides, everyone has moved on, and Deadspin is working on slamming someone else.
Also, Simmons has reason to be concerned that the original source came from ESPN. It’s a big place with a lot of different agendas. Clearly, there are people who don’t like or resent Simmons’ success. It likely will happen again.
So as they say: Consider the source.
NBA Countdown: Doug Collins signs on; replaces Michael Wilbon
This just in from ESPN.
As expected, Doug Collins is back in broadcasting. This time with ESPN.
The move also means Michael Wilbon won’t be bagging as many frequent flier miles. The grind of doing both Pardon The Interruption and Countdown was excessive. Wilbon, though, still will be a featured performer on ESPN’s NBA coverage.
The details from ESPN:
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ESPN today announced it has reached a multi-year agreement with veteran NBA head coach Doug Collins. Collins will serve as an analyst on NBA Countdown – ABC and ESPN’s NBA pre-game show – with Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons. In addition, he will serve as a game analyst for select telecasts on ESPN.
Collins will also make regular appearances across ESPN entities, including SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and additional news and information programming.
“ESPN’s NBA coverage plays a leadership role in the way fans experience the sport, so I’m eager to share my basketball insights with our viewers,” said Collins. “Working with Magic, Jalen, Bill and the rest of my new ESPN colleagues will be a lot of fun.”
In addition to more regular in-studio appearances on Pardon The Interruption, veteran ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon will continue to have a significant presence on ESPN’s NBA coverage across platforms. Wilbon will regularly contribute to ESPN news and information programming, including SportsCenter, where he will provide reports, analysis and offer essays on pertinent NBA topics. Wilbon will also be on site for the NBA Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
John Wildhack, ESPN Executive Vice President, Production:
“Doug Collins is a one of the most respected NBA voices and we’re thrilled to have him join NBA Countdown. Collins brings a contemporary coaching perspective, which will enhance the diverse discussion on Countdown. Additionally, Michael Wilbon will remain a leading authority for the NBA on ESPN while maintaining the flexibility to increase his in-studio appearances on our important Pardon The Interruption franchise.”
Collins has enjoyed successful coaching and playing careers in the NBA. He served as NBA head coach for 11 seasons, most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers, and reached the NBA Playoffs seven times. In addition to his coaching success, Collins played eight seasons combined in the ABA and NBA and is a four-time All-Star. He has also made a significant impact as a television analyst. Collins has contributed to NBC’s NBA game coverage and Olympics coverage and has worked as a game analyst for Turner Sports. In 2009, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, receiving the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award.
NBA Countdown will debut Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. ET during a special one-hour pre-game telecast, preceding ESPN’s season-opening doubleheader: Miami Heat/Brooklyn Nets at 8 p.m.; San Antonio Spurs/Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m.
New 30 for 30: Crazy tale of Spirits of St. Louis; Marvin ‘Bad News’ Barnes and young Bob Costas
If you’re like me, you probably have some vague notion that the Spirits of St. Louis were a wonderfully dysfunctional ABA basketball team in the mid 70s, but you probably don’t know the complete story.
Tonight you will. The latest 30 for 30 is Free Spirits (8 p.m. ET).
Wildly entertaining to say the least.
Here is the official rundown:
When the American Basketball Association disbanded in 1976, four ABA franchises joined the NBA — the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs. But one of the odd teams out found a different way to secure its future. “Free Spirits” tells the colorful story of the Spirits of St. Louis — an entertaining and at times controversial team featuring stars like Marvin “Bad News” Barnes and James “Fly” Williams with an upstart sportscaster named Bob Costas calling the play-by-play.
The Spirits managed to pull off a stunning playoff upset of the defending champions in their first season, and then, on their way to franchise extinction, co-owners Daniel and Ozzie Silna managed to negotiate a contract that has allowed the team to continue to exist in the most unusual fashion.