I have a few more press releases to give you.
Of course, the day would not be complete without an announcement from ESPN about something. Here’s that something. ESPN’s Chicago-centric website launches on Monday.
Opening Day: ESPNChicago.com Launches Monday, April 13
Online Destination for Chicago Sports Fans to Feature Exclusive, Original Local Coverage Including a Daily ESPN Chicago SportsCenter
Launch Marks Debut of Dynamic Geo-Targeted Audio Ad Insertion
ESPNChicago.com is set for its own Opening Day on Monday, April 13 just in time for the Chicago Cubs home opener. At launch, the Chicago-focused online sports destination will feature exclusive, original content, a stable of authentic Chicago voices, and customized content integrated from across ESPN’s multiple platforms, branded programming and award-winning contributors.
Building on the 10-year success of ESPN’s flagship owned and operated radio station (ESPN Radio 1000) and its dynamic Web presence, ESPNChicago.com offers a cleaner design and navigation schematic, with a premium on balancing the site’s breadth with ease of use. To organize all of that content, the new site includes a primary navigation bar similar to that of the new ESPN.com (with seven anchor menus, each with expandable rollover menus) and a secondary navigation bar (customized by the site’s editors to include easy access to the most timely topics and sports) on its front page. ESPN Radio 1000, ESPN’s local Chicago radio station, will be included as a subsection on ESPNChicago.com
“We’re excited to be building on the combined successes of both ESPN.com and ESPN Radio 1000 with a new platform for Chicago sports fans,” said Marc Horine, vice president of digital partnerships and sales development for ESPN. “Through a collaborative effort from ESPN Digital Media, ESPN production and ESPN Radio, fans now have a destination for their Chicago sports roundup on-air, online and on-site, and advertisers have a unique opportunity to reach a specific and passionate audience on multiple platforms.”
With the launch, ESPN Digital Media also launches new technology that allows for dynamic, geo-targeted content and ad insertion in both live audio streaming and downloadable audio. The technology will allow for locally relevant content to be delivered in live ESPN Radio streams and free ESPN podcasts (including podcasts available through iTunes), and will allow local and national advertisers to target ads in ESPN audio to Chicago and other markets nationwide.
Charter Advertisers
StubHub is the launch partner for ESPNChicago.com and will be the official ticket provider for the site. Other charter advertising partners include MillerCoors, Hiltons of Chicago, Chicago Lincoln Mercury Dealers and Hawthorne Race Course. They will be the first to take advantage of the new site’s enhanced advertising opportunities, which include more options and increased flexibility; more than double the number of advertising executions on the front page and index pages; and cleaner, bolder ad units.
Enhanced Video
ESPNChicago.com will also be the exclusive home of the daily ESPN Chicago SportsCenter, hosted by SC anchors familiar to Chicago
viewers. The video series will feature all things Chicago sports including breaking news and highlights, offering local fans a rundown of their hometown teams and athletes.
The new site will prominently feature a custom Chicago Video Hub, offering a library for the latest highlights and video content about Chicago sports. Additionally, a dynamic 16×9 main engagement area will be featured on the front page, with main index pages that can deliver a rich, integrated video experience and the day’s top videos. High quality video will be integrated throughout the site.
ESPN.com already has the top sports video library online, accounting for nearly 50 percent of total minutes spent with sports video online.
Exclusive, Original Content
As ESPN’s local home for Chicago sports online, ESPNChicago.com will integrate ESPN.com’s Chicago team clubhouse pages in addition to providing top-quality coverage of both the college and professional leagues, including:
- Professional: Bears (NFL), Bulls (NBA), Cubs and White Sox (MLB), Blackhawks (NHL) and Fire (MLS)
- College: Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, DePaul, Loyola, Illinois-Chicago and Illinois State
The site will also grow to include coverage of Chicago prep sports later this year.
Content, features, highlights and tools on ESPNChicago.com include:
Columnists, Contributors and Bloggers
ESPNChicago.com will feature insights, information and reporting from a lineup of notable Chicago writers and voices, as well as contributions from ESPN’s national experts weighing in on Chicago sports topics. Regular contributors include:
- ESPNChicago.com Editors:
- Kristin Lanning – a former freelance writer for The Chicago Tribune who has spent the past five years leading sports coverage on NBCChicago.com.
- Roman Modrowski – 13-year veteran of The Chicago Sun-Times who has covered the Bulls and Notre Dame and served as the online sports editor for Notre Dame the past five years.
- Keith Sgariglia – a lifelong Chicago native who has been overseeing digital media efforts at ESPN 1000 since June 2000.
- Rahula Strohl – a former producer for ChicagoTribune.com and ChicagoSports.com, Strohl has extensive experience covering the Chicago sports scene and interacting online with fans.
- ESPN Contributors:
- Wayne Drehs –an Emmy-winning senior writer for ESPN.com, where he spent the past eight years on the features and enterprise team. His work has been honored by the Football Writer’s Association and appeared in the Best American Sports Writing. He is a 2000 graduate of the University of Iowa.
- Scoop Jackson –an award-winning journalist who has covered sports and culture for more than 15 years. Jackson, a writer for Page 2, is a former editor of Slam, XXL, Hoop and Inside Stuff magazines and a noted author.
- Gene Wojciechowski –named ESPN.com’s first-ever senior national sports columnist in June 2005. Wojciechowski joined ESPN The Magazine as a senior writer in January 1998, after serving as a college football reporter for ESPN since 1992.
- ESPNChicago.com will also feature contributions from ESPN’s John Clayton, Peter Gammons, Tim Legler and Barry Melrose.
- Columnists:
- Jerry Bonkowski – award-winning sportswriter and lifelong Chicago native returns to ESPN having previously served as NASCAR columnist/writer for ESPN.com from 2001 to 2004. He served 15 years with USA Today and spent the last 4.5 years as National NASCAR Columnist with Yahoo! Sports.
- Jon Greenberg – editor of a sports marketing newsletter and has covered Chicago sports as a freelance writer for the last six years.
- Bloggers:
- Al Cimaglia (Blackhawks) – a lifelong Chicagoan who has covered the Hawks the last three years for HockeyBuzz.com.
- Jeff Dickerson (Bears) – Bears beat reporter for ESPN 1000 and the host of Chicago’s Football Tonight.
- Nick Friedell (All Teams) –has written for MLB.com, The Orlando Sentinel and, most recently, Yahoo! Sports, contributing to their baseball, college basketball and football coverage and serving as lead editor and writer for Yahoo!’s Olympic coverage.
- Bruce Levine (Cubs/Sox) – the popular host of Talkin’ Baseball, heard Saturdays on ESPN 1000 who has also maintained a popular blog for the station.
- Matt McHale (Bulls) – TrueHoop blog network member and the voice behind the popular Bulls blog Bulls By The Horns.
- Chuck Swirsky (Bulls) – radio play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls has more than 20 years of broadcasting experience including stints with University of Michigan basketball and DePaul University.
- Tom Waddle – former wide receiver for the Chicago Bears and currently co-host of Waddle & Silvy, which airs every morning from 9am-1pm on ESPN 1000.
Social Media
- Community: ESPNChicago.com will integrate and build upon the fast-growing ESPN.com community platform to connect fans of Chicago sports both locally and nationally, and will include Fan Profiles, SportsNation live chats, blogs and ESPN Conversations pages. Additionally, fans can get the latest updates on Chicago sports news via social networking platforms, including Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
- Web 2.0 Tools: ESPN’s Sports Travel Passport (providing tools to chronicle sports experiences and memories), an interactive sports calendar and interactive stadium guides.
Mobile
ESPNChicago.com sports content will be integrated across ESPN’s industry-leading mobile Web site, including mobile updates for upcoming guests, press conferences or other breaking news as well as call to action campaigns, interactive polls, trivia contests and more.
Audio
The subsection for ESPN Radio 1000 on ESPNChicago.com will provide an online home for the local sports station. Featured coverage and tools available to fans include robust show pages dedicated to Mike & Mike in the Morning, Waddle & Silvy, Tirico & Van Pelt and the top-rated Afternoon Saloon. Additionally the ESPN 1000 subsection will include local podcasts, blogs, photo galleries, events, live audio/video streaming and contest information for the radio station.
Enhanced Scoreboards
With enhanced scoreboards built into the top of the ESPNChicago.com homepage, fans have immediate access to the Chicago sports scores they’re looking for. For fans that personalize their favorite teams, scores are pushed to the front of the line and highlighted in yellow for fans. Additionally, each sport features a full scoreboard page with game previews and recaps, ESPN Gamecast and more.
Chicago News, Traffic & Weather
ESPNChicago.com will feature local news coverage, video, traffic & weather provided by ABC Owned TV station WLS. The site will also provide links back to abc7chicago.com.
Two hockey-related press releases. First from NBC Sports focusing on the last regular season Game of the Week which pits Original Six rivals Detroit against Chicago.
DETROIT MEETS CONFERENCE RIVAL CHICAGO IN NHL “GAME OF THE WEEK,” SUNDAY ON NBC
“They are a model franchise.” – NBC’s McGuire on Detroit
NBC’s Emrick Receives Sports Emmy Nomination
NEW YORK – April 9, 2009 – The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings travel to Chicago to face the Blackhawks in the NHL "Game of the Week," Sunday, 2 p.m. ET on NBC, on the final day of the NHL regular season. Hockey Hall of Famer Mike "Doc" Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter) call the action. McGuire will pull double duty, hosting NBC's studio show alongside analyst Mike Milbury on site at the United Center. Emrick last week received his second consecutive Sports Emmy nomination for Outstanding Sports Personality – Play-by-Play.
The Blackhawks qualified for the playoffs for the first time in seven years and stand in fourth place in the Western Conference. The Red Wings rank second in the conference assuring them of home ice advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs. The teams last met on NBC on New Year's Day in the NHL Winter Classic from Wrigley Field, a 6-4 Detroit victory.
MCGUIRE ON RED WINGS: "They are still the gold standard in terms of their team play and their skill level. They are a model franchise. The big question for them, as it's been all year, is what's going on with their goaltending."
ON MARIAN HOSSA OF THE RED WINGS:
MCGUIRE: "A great young man and a special player."
MILBURY: "He's got to hoist the Cup to make it a successful season but you have to admire him for giving up a lot of cash to join Detroit."
OLCZYK ON THE BLACKHAWKS: "Chicago got a taste of the pressure last year when they came so close. I think that will help them more than people think. They've learned how to win. [Nikolai] Khabibulin has been stellar all year and he's been through this before. I think they'll go as far as he takes them."
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS ON NBC: NBC Sports' coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins next weekend with coverage of the Conference Quarterfinals. NBC will broadcast weekend games throughout the postseason and up to five Stanley Cup Final games (Games 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7).
CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada announces its annual Play On! Street Hockey Tournament.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA PRESENTS PLAY ON!
ANNOUNCES 2009 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULETwelve-City Program to Culminate with 4th Annual National Championship in October
London, Ontario, April 9, 2009 – CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Presents Play On! – The Official Canadian Street Hockey Tournament today announced the return of the national 4-on-4 street hockey tournament and hockey festival series that involved over 80,000 Canadians in 2008.
In the words of Roy MacGregor, “There is something pure and sweet about road hockey that is worth preserving for generations to come. The game has meant more to young Canadians than any other game in any form.” With the first tournament happening in May and additional events across the country throughout the summer, each Play On! event features recreational and competitive street hockey tournament divisions for boys, girls, men and women of all ages and all skill levels.
Play On! events will be held over the full course of a weekend in Halifax, NS; Moncton, NB; Montreal, QC; Ottawa, ON; Oshawa, ON; London, ON; Winnipeg, MB; Saskatoon, SK; Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB and Vancouver, BC (please see specific event dates below*), with the first event of the tour slated to kick off in downtown Winnipeg, MB on May 23 & 24 at Memorial Boulevard. Approximately twenty-five rinks will be operated at all times over a kilometre of street during the course of each event.
Winners and finalists in Elite divisions from each event during the summer will progress to the 4th Annual National Championship to compete for the Redwood Cup – which was recently displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame – and recognition as “Canada’s Greatest Street Hockey Players”. The National Championship event will be held in Toronto in October, with additional details on this event to be announced in the weeks to come. Winners of all divisions at every event will have a chance to win great prizes including championship t-shirts and hats provided by The Hockey News.
CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Presents Play On! will also officially attempt to set a new Guinness World Record in the category of World’s Largest Street Hockey Tournament. If the national program had formally applied in 2008, it would have broken the current world record by well over 900 teams.
CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Presents Play On! is also proudly sponsored by The Hockey News, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), and Sande Hockey.
Canadian street hockey enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels are invited to visit www.playon.ca for more information, rules and regulations, and to register their teams. All Captains that register teams in advance of April 15th will be automatically entered into a draw to receive an authentic, autographed Dion Phaneuf jersey, compliments of the NHLPA.
2009 Event Dates:
WINNIPEG May 23-24, 2009 Memorial Boulevard
MONCTON June 6-7, 2009 Assumption Boulevard
EDMONTON June 6-7, 2009 Churchill Square
LONDON June 6-7, 2009 Victoria Park
VANCOUVER June 13-14, 2009 GM Place
OSHAWA June 13-14, 2009 Oshawa Downtown Core
HALIFAX June 20-21, 2009 The Commons
CALGARY June 20-21, 2009 Deerfoot Mall
OTTAWA June 27-28, 2009 Scotiabank Place
MONTREAL August 22-23, 2009 Location TBA
SASKATOON August 29-30, 2009 First Avenue North
*An event in ST. JOHN’s, NF is also expected to be announced at a later time
About CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Presents Play On!
CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Presents Play On! features recreational and competitive street hockey tournament divisions for both genders, all skill levels, and all ages. Since the program’s inception in 2003, more than 180,000 Canadians have ‘taken back the streets’ from coast to coast through participation in one of the twenty-two Play On! events held to date. The events have collectively included participation from many current NHL, AHL, CHL, and CIS players. These highly organized street hockey events have a festival atmosphere and celebrate the game of hockey in a form that expresses the imagination and innocence of youth, helping kids feel like NHL professionals and helping adults feel like kids again. All interested participants can visit www.playon.ca for tournament information, to register a team, and more.
About CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada
CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, the presenting sponsor of Play On!, has been a national institution since 1952. Now in its 56th season, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada remains the most popular weekly sports program in Canada, averaging more than a million viewers every Saturday night. Hockey fans can visit cbcsports.ca 24 hours a day, seven days a week for live and on-demand video streaming of all games as well as comprehensive NHL coverage, including weekly columns from CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA personalities, breaking news, in-depth reports, broadcast schedules and more.
About the Redwood Cup
The Redwood Cup is awarded annually to the CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Presents Play On! national champions, who are recognized as Canada’s greatest street hockey players. From 2005-2008 it was featured at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The Cup stands 49″ (124.5cm) tall and is made of solid redwood with plated sterling silver. The five silver sticks that encompass and support the trophy are representative of the number of players on each original Play On! team. They also guard the silver plated maple leaf, symbolic of the importance of hockey to our nation. Heavier than the Stanley Cup, it weighs over 63 lbs (28.6 kg)! The Cup gets its name from Redwood Road in Kingsville, Ontario.
Finally, Sunday MLB on TBS returns with a Mets-Marlins matchup.
“Sunday MLB on TBS” Leads Off With a National League East Showdown
Johan Santana scheduled to lead Mets against Hanley Ramirez and the Marlins
“Sunday MLB on TBS” leads off its 2009 season schedule with two-time Cy Young Award winner and probable starter Johan Santana taking the mound for the New York Mets as they head south to battle 2008 All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez and the division-rival Florida Marlins on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m. ET. Calling the action will be Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Ron Darling (analyst).
“Sunday MLB on TBS” includes match-ups on TBS every Sunday afternoon throughout the regular season. The network will also exclusively televise the MLB All-Star Selection Show on Sunday, July 5. Additionally, beginning in October TBS will once again provide exclusive coverage of the Division Series and the National League Championship Series (NLCS).
TBS has broadcast MLB coverage for more than 30 years serving as the exclusive home of the MLB Division Series (DS) and one League Championship Series (LCS) since 2007 and home of Atlanta Braves coverage from 1977 to 2007.
SUNDAY MLB ON TBS SCHEDULE:
Sun., April 12
1 p.m. New York Mets @ Florida Marlins
Announcers: Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Ron Darling (analyst)
SUNDAY MLB ON TBS UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Sun., April 19
1 p.m. Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
Announcers: Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Ron Darling (analyst)
Sun., April 26
12 p.m. Philadelphia Phillies @ Florida Marlins
Announcers: Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Ron Darling (analyst)
That’s going to do it. Pretty quick tonight.
