We have the programming schedule and guests for the ESPN TV networks and ESPN Radio live from Fort Worth and Cowboys Stadium in Irving, Texas. By the way, have you noticed Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Brooklyn Decker as guests on the shows from the Metroplex? I swear they’re on more the Green Bay Packers or the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s one way to grab the marketing for “Just Go With It” away from the Super Bowl.
Granted, Jennifer and Brooklyn are hot, but I don’t want to be reminded that Adam Sandler robs the American people of money from the bad movies that he makes. It’s bad enough that Dan Patrick has to latch onto him like a hurt puppy, but seeing Sandler all over the place is like that rash you can’t rid of. I mention this because Sandler who has been on countless interviews during Super Bowl week will be on ESPN again this weekend. Grrrr.
Anyway, here’s the schedule of what’s happening on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews and ESPN Radio.
ESPN and ESPN Radio Super Bowl XLV Weekend Coverage
Super Sunday Starts with Mike & Mike in the Morning at 5 a.m. CT;
Four-Hour Sunday NFL Countdown Preview Show Live from Sundance Square in Fort Worth at 10 a.m.
ESPN’s multimedia coverage of Super Bowl XLV will continue this weekend from ESPN’s main set location at Sundance Square in Fort Worth and from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios (all times CT).
Schedule of ESPN’s Saturday on-site programming (CT):
9 a.m. SportsCenter
Host: Trey Wingo Analysts: Tedy Bruschi and Steve Young.11 a.m. NFL Matchup (taping – will air Sunday)
Host: Sal Paolantonio. Analysts: Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski.3 p.m. SportsCenter (ESPN Deportes)
Host: Ciro Procuna. Analysts: Alvaro Martin and Raul Allegre.5 p.m. SportsCenter
Host: Steve Levy. Analysts: Trent Dilfer and Keyshawn Johnson.Sunday’s coverage will feature more than 16 hours of Super Bowl-related programming, beginning at 5 a.m. CT with Mike & Mike in the Morning (5-9 a.m./simulcast on ESPN2 from 5-7 a.m.) live from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios.
ESPN’s four-hour Super Bowl edition of Sunday NFL Countdown featuring host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, will preview the Steelers-Packers matchup beginning at 9 a.m. CT from a main set in Fort Worth. Analysts Bruschi, Dilfer, and Young will appear on the show from Sundance Square, and Monday Night Football’s Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski, as well as Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV winning coach Sean Payton, will occupy a set at Cowboys Stadium. Reporters Suzy Kolber (Steelers) and Ed Werder (Packers) will provide updates throughout the program from the team hotels in North Texas. ESPN will also cover the pre and postgame celebrations and reaction with reporters Rachel Nichols (in Green Bay) and George Smith (in Pittsburgh), beginning at 7 a.m. on SportsCenter and 2 p.m. on ESPNEWS, continuing through the end of the game.
Special Guests on set at Sundance Square (CT):
10:30 a.m. – Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, stars of the upcoming romantic comedy Just Go With It;
12 p.m. – Former Steelers running back and Super Bowl XL champion Jerome Bettis, a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2011 (to be announced Saturday night in North Texas);
12:15 p.m. – Entertainer, actor and record producer Snoop Dogg, a Steelers fan, returns to Countdown to discuss Pittsburgh’s chances of winning Super Bowl XLV. He made a similar Countdown appearance at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa two years ago.Schedule of ESPN TV and Radio Guests for Sunday (all times CT):
5 a.m. Mike and Mike in the Morning (ESPN Radio / simulcast on ESPN2) **
Hosts: Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic
Guests (via phone): NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (7:25 a.m.) and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith (8:25 a.m.)6:30 a.m. NFL Matchup (ESPN) … will tape Saturday at 11 a.m. at Sundance Square in Fort Worth
Host: Sal Paolantonio. Analysts: Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski7 a.m. SportsCenter (ESPN) **
7:30 a.m. Sports Reporters (ESPN) … will tape Saturday from main set in Fort Worth
Host John Saunders. Panelists: Mike Lupica (New York Daily News), Bill Rhoden (New York Times)and Bob Ryan (Boston Globe)8 a.m. Outside the Lines (ESPN) **
Host: Bob Ley Guest: Former Vikings defensive lineman Brad Culpepper and Ben McGrath of The New Yorker8 a.m. SportsCenter (ESPN) … from Cowboys Stadium
Host: Tirico. Analysts: Gruden, Jaworski and Payton.8 a.m. First Take (ESPN2) ** … three hours
Hosts: Jay Crawford, Dana Jacobson and Skip Bayless. Analysts: Lomas Brown and Jon Ritchie
Guests: New York Giants Super Bowl champion Amani Toomer, Super Bowl champion fullback Heath Evans, Ravens safety Haruki Nakamura, and two-time Super Bowl champion Jets defensive end Trevor Pryce.9 a.m. Sunday NFL Countdown (ESPN) … four hours
Host: Berman, Analysts: Jackson, Ditka, Johnson, Carter, Young, Dilfer, Bruschi, Mortensen and Schefter. From Cowboys Stadium: Tirico, Jaworski, Gruden and Payton. Reporters: Suzy Kolber and Ed Werder.
Guests: Aniston, Sandler, Bettis and Snoop Dogg11 a.m. SportsNation (ESPN2) ** … two hours
Hosts: Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd. Analyst: Herm Edwards
Guests: Puppies from Animal Planet’s annual Puppy BowlPostgame Coverage:
9 p.m. ESPN Radio – Brian Kenny will anchor three hours of postgame coverage from 103.3 ESPN Radio in Dallas9:30 p.m. NFL Primetime (ESPN) … from Cowboys Stadium
Host: Berman. Analysts: Young and Jackson10 p.m. SportsCenter (ESPN)
Host: Steve Levy and Trey Wingo. Analysts: Carter, Dilfer and Johnson.10 p.m. SportsCenter (ESPN Deportes)
Host: John Sutcliffe10 p.m. ESPNEWS – post-game press conferences
* Commentator and guest schedules subject to change
** Originating from ESPN Studios in Bristol, Conn.
There you have it.
