The morning is wrapping up, but already, we have some good release action for you this morning. I’ll do the Monday releases first, then post a few releases leftover from last week that can still be posted. So let’s get to them and then I’ll do linkage for you.
First, TNT and PGA.com will offer coverage of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf this week.
TNT and PGA.COM will Provide Live Coverage of the 2009 PGA Grand Slam of GolfMajor Champions Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Y.E. Yang will be Highlighted On-air and Online during Oct. 20 and 21 Event
TNT and PGA.COM tee off the 2009 PGA Grand Slam of Golf as four of the world’s best professional golfers hit the greens at the Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda to determine who’s the best of the best in the 36-hole event. To compete in this elite tournament golfers must be a major championship winner and this year’s field features Angel Cabrera (2009 Masters and 2007 U.S. Open winner), Lucas Glover (2009 U.S. Open), Stewart Cink (2009 Open Championship), and Y.E. Yang (2009 PGA Championship). TNT’s coverage will air on Tues., October 20 from 4 – 7 p.m. ET/PT and Wed., October 21 from 5 – 9 p.m. ET/PT, with exclusive early round coverage on both days of the tournament on PGA.COM.
TNT’s event coverage will feature veteran golf announcers in the booth, including 1991 British Open winner Ian Baker-Finch (analyst), Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Billy Kratzert (course reporter) and Jim Huber (essayist/reporter) who will provide on-air analysis and commentary.
PGA.COM, the official site of The PGA of America, will offer comprehensive online coverage of the event including a hole-by-hole course tour, player profiles, live scoring, photo galleries, daily on-demand highlights and video flyovers. In addition, PGA.COM will offer Bermuda Shorts, a daily feature offering quick, fun nuggets of information on both the tournament and the atmosphere surrounding the event to give fans an insider’s look at the Grand Slam from both inside and outside the ropes.
PGA.com’s Facebook fans and Twitter followers will have the opportunity to interact with the PGA Grand Slam of Golf participants. On both Tuesday, Oct. 20 and Wednesday, Oct. 21, fans can use both social media sites to submit questions for Cabrera, Glover, Cink or Yang. One question each day will be selected as the PGA.com Fan Question of the Day and asked by Huber at the conclusion of each round on TNT.
The picturesque Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda will serve as the home of the 2009 PGA Grand Slam of Golf, marking the inaugural year the event will take place at the resort.
Soccer fans, especially those who are regular watchers of the English Premier League will like the fact that ESPN has hired famed announcer Martin Tyler of Sky Sports for its World Cup coverage.
UK Soccer Commentator Martin Tyler to Join ESPN in the U.S. for 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
Martin Tyler, one of the most accomplished and respected television play-by-play commentators in the United Kingdom for over 35 years, will join ESPN for the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament in South Africa. Tyler, who has called matches in every FIFA World Cup since 1978, will be the lead play-by-play voice for ESPN’s exclusive English-language coverage in the United States, which will be available on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN360.com and ABC. He will make his ESPN telecast debut Friday, June 11, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. ET, the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Voted the “FA Premier League Commentator of the Decade” in 2003 by fans and a panel of football experts, Tyler has been with the London-based Sky Sports network since its launch in 1991. His arrival at Sky Sports coincided with the formation of Premiership football and Sky’s acquisition of the league’s broadcast rights. Tyler has led Sky’s critically-acclaimed soccer commentary team, calling some of the Premier League’s best matches.
“Martin Tyler is one of the top English-language soccer commentators in the world; his experience, authentic style and in-depth knowledge of the game will help elevate ESPN’s presentation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, informing and entertaining our viewers in the United States,” said Jed Drake, ESPN senior vice president and executive producer, event production.
Tyler added: “As a regular visitor to the USA, I am well aware of the quality and tradition of ESPN, and I am delighted to be part of their World Cup coverage. My Sky Sports colleague Andy Gray talks warmly about his time on ESPN during Euro 2008 and I hope to be able to meet the challenge as well as he did.”
Martin Tyler biographical background:
Tyler graduated from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, and started in journalism, working on Marshall Cavendish’s Book of Football in 1971.
In 1973 Tyler moved into television working behind the camera on LWT’s “The Big Match,” ITV’s first popular soccer program in the UK. He started commentating for ITV’s Southern TV region and later served Yorkshire TV, Granada and the ITV network. Tyler called his first television match on ITV on Dec. 28, 1974, at The Dell, a second division clash between home team Southampton FC vs. Sheffield Wednesday.
Tyler’s profile at the different ITV channels increased as he earned professional acclaim for his play-by-play role. He was named to the network’s 1978 FIFA World Cup broadcast team and four years later, he led ITV’s coverage of the World Cup, calling all of the England team’s World Cup matches and the final – a 3-1 Italy victory over Germany in Madrid.
Throughout the 1980s, Tyler continued to establish himself as a prominent television voice in soccer, working the 1984 and 1988 European Championships and the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In 1990, he joined the British Satellite Broadcasting’s (BSB) sports channel, which became Sky Sports in 1991. Following S
ky’s acquisition of the Premier League rights, Tyler, alongside analyst Andy Gray, a former Scottland National Team and English First Division player, have spearheaded what has become the generation’s standard for live soccer television commentary.
Tyler and Gray are also the voice-over commentators for the popular EA Sports FIFA video game series on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Tyler has also vast experience of broadcasting outside the USA covering the last five World Cups and European Championships and many of the major European Club Finals for SBS Australia.
This is what ESPN is covering in motorsports this week.
Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABCNASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goes Short Track Racing Live on ABC
The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins its final five races this weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on NASCAR’s smallest track, the half-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, for 500 laps on Sunday, Oct. 25. ESPN’s live, flag-to-flag coverage of the race and will air on ABC. The telecast begins with NASCAR Countdown at 1 p.m. ET and the race’s green flag is at 1:43 p.m.
ESPN’s coverage of the final 11 races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule airs on ABC, including all 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. ESPN’s coverage from Martinsville also includes NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying on Friday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m., practice on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. and same-day coverage of final practice on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., all on ESPN2.
Dr. Jerry Punch will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.
Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, co-owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in the ESPN pit studio.
Also this week, ESPN Classic airs an episode of the signature series SportsCentury featuring NASCAR star Tony Stewart on Monday, Oct. 26, at 8 a.m.
NASCAR Nationwide Series Live From Memphis on ESPN2
ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend as the series races at Memphis Motorsports Park. The live, flag-to-flag telecast airs Saturday, Oct. 24, beginning with NASCAR Countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with the green flag at 3:45 p.m. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.
Also airing on ESPN2 will be coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice on Friday, Oct. 23, at 4:30 p.m. and qualifying on Saturday at 10:45 a.m.
Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Randy LaJoie. Reporting from the pits will be Jack Arute, Rick DeBruhl and Mike Massaro.
Evernham, LaJoie, Said on NASCAR Now Roundtable
NASCAR on ESPN analysts Ray Evernham, Randy LaJoie and Boris Said will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program on Monday, Oct. 26, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.
Mike Massaro hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at 5 p.m., and then Nicole Manske hosts the program the rest of the week. Episodes air Thursday at 5 p.m. and then Friday at 6 p.m. following NASCAR Nationwide Series practice at Memphis.
Manske will be joined by Said for the one-hour weekend edition that airs Sunday, Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. The weekend wrap-up edition airs at 10 p.m. Sunday. Marty Smith will report from the speedway for both programs. .
NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Bestwick and Manske and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.
NHRA Programming Airs on ESPN Classic
Drag racing fans will have several hours of programming airing Monday, Oct. 26, on ESPN Classic. Highlights include the 2004 Mile-High NHRA Nationals from Denver at noon ET, featuring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Two half-hour episodes of The American Dragster air back-to-back beginning at 5 p.m., and then at 6 p.m. the NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series will be in action from Texas.
HBO Sports is producing its first 24/7 documentary series outside of boxing and doing it on NASCAR as driver Jimmie Johnson prepares for the Daytona 500. As usual, I’m sure it’ll be quite good.
HBO SPORTS PRESENTS 24/7 JIMMIE JOHNSON: RACE TO DAYTONA, A FOUR-EPISODE ALL-ACCESS SERIES CHRONICLING HIS PREPARATION FOR THE DAYTONA 500, LAUNCHING IN JANUARY 2010, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO
CHARLOTTE, Oct. 15, 2009 – HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured seven Sports Emmy® Awards, will debut its first non-boxing series with 24/7 JIMMIE JOHNSON: RACE TO DAYTONA, an all-new, four-episode, all-access series chronicling the driver and his team as they prepare for the Daytona 500, the Super Bowl of auto racing, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. Debuting TUESDAY, JAN. 26 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), the four-week series spotlights one of racing’s biggest stars, reigning three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, and gives viewers an inside look at the driver and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team as they prepare for the biggest race of the year.
Noted Greenburg, “Taking our reality series ‘24/7’ behind the scenes in the world of NASCAR is like a dream come true. The ‘24/7’ franchise thrives on larger-than-life personalities, engaging storylines and unrestricted access. With Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team, we have all of those ingredients, and more. We look forward to presenting a compelling television program that takes race fans deeper inside NASCAR than they’ve ever been before.”
Ensuing episodes of 24/7 JIMMIE JOHNSON: RACE TO DAYTONA will debut on subsequent Tuesdays – Feb. 2, 9 and 16 – in prime time. The Feb. 16 series finale will debut two days after the race, with cameras tracking all the drama and excitement surrounding Johnson and his team on race day. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand.
24/7 JIMMIE JOHNSON: RACE TO DAYTONA will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with in-depth interviews with Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus, team owner Rick Hendrick and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team as they prepare for the 2010 Daytona 500.
Johnson says that getting his wife Chandra on board with the idea of cameras following them around was not difficult, since they had seen earlier “24/7” shows. “Chandra and I were big fans of the ‘24/7’ series with Rick
y Hatton and Floyd Mayweather, and that’s kind of how this all came about,” says Johnson, who along with his wife founded the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, which has raised more than $2 million for various charities since its inception in 2006.“We thought HBO did a great job of showing what goes into a big-time event and capturing the personal side of each fighter and his camp,” he continues. “It just seemed like the perfect outlet to let the fans see what our team goes through and what better place to showcase that than our biggest race – the Daytona 500.
“This is something we’ve really never allowed with our race team before, an all-access look into how we operate. We’ve had some people that have followed us around on a limited basis, but no one has ever had the access like HBO will have. Personally, I’m really looking forward to it. This is a great chance for the fans to really see me and the race team and what makes us tick, especially away from the track.”
Making his HBO reality series debut, Johnson is currently competing in his eighth season at NASCAR’s highest level and is regarded as one of the biggest names and best drivers in racing. He has won the sport’s marquee races, including the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400, and currently ranks second on NASCAR’s all-time win list for active drivers with 45. In November 2008, Johnson won his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, solidifying his status as a bona fide superstar. The southern California native is leading the 2009 Chase for the Cup as he seeks a fourth consecutive title.
24/7 JIMMIE JOHNSON: RACE TO DAYTONA is HBO Sports’ first reality foray into the world of racing and the first non-boxing installment of the acclaimed “24/7” franchise that began in 2007 with “De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7” and “Mayweather/Hatton 24/7.” The series continued in 2008 with “Calzaghe/Jones 24/7” and “De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7,” and resumed in 2009 with “Pacquiao/Hatton 24/7” and “24/7 Mayweather/Marquez,” which will be followed by “24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto,” debuting Oct. 24.
Newsday.com has observed, “HBO’s ‘24/7’ series is the best sports program on television. Bar none.”
With seven Sports Emmy® Awards, “24/7” is the most honored sports series of the past two years. At the 2009 Sports Emmy® Awards, “De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7” was honored in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthologies, while “Calzaghe/Jones 24/7” was honored in the categories of Outstanding Edited Sports Special, Outstanding Editing and Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound. At the 2008 Sports Emmy® Awards, “De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7” was honored in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Special, while “Mayweather/Hatton 24/7” was honored in the categories of Outstanding Camera Work and Outstanding Writing.
The executive producers of 24/7 JIMMIE JOHNSON: RACE TO DAYTONA are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; coordinating producer, Dave Harmon; Liev Schreiber narrates. NASCAR Media Group, the leading producer of NASCAR on television, will provide production support for HBO Sports.
Versus plans a full boxing card around the return of Bernard Hopkins in December.
BERNARD HOPKINS RETURNS TO FIGHT IN PHILADELPHIA FOR "BROAD STREET BRAWL" ON DECEMBER 2 AT THE LIACOURAS CENTER
THE LEGENDARY "EXECUTIONER" TO FACE ENRIQUE ORNELAS LIVE ON VERSUS AT 8 P.M. ET
NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 15, 2009) - Long synonymous with the fighting city of Philadelphia, future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins' remarkable career will continue in his hometown on Wednesday, December 2, when "The Executioner," who will be fighting in Philly for the first time since 2003, faces hard-hitting Enrique Ornelas at the Liacouras Center at Temple University. The 12-round light heavyweight bout will be televised live on VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, at 8 p.m. ET.
In addition to fighting for his fans, Hopkins will be fighting for charity as he has committed to donating one dollar from each ticket sold to three select charities. Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Philadelphia & Susquehanna Valley, to which Hopkins will donate in memory of Shaun Negler, one of his biggest fans, whose last wish was to attend Hopkins' fight against Joe Calzaghe before succumbing to brain cancer in late 2008 at the age of 18, will be one beneficiary. The second recipient of the fight's proceeds will be The Hero Thrill Show, an annual day of events designed to raise money for the education of relatives of deceased police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty while protecting Philadelphia. Finally, one dollar will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. in memory of Hopkins' deceased mother Shirley who suffered from breast cancer and in recognition of all those who are currently battling the disease.
"I'm thrilled about the opportunity to once again bring a fight to the city of Philadelphia," said Hopkins, the former middleweight champion who owns a perfect 10-0 record in Philly. "A lot has changed in my career since I fought here six years ago and I want to give my fans the chance to see me fight again at home. To top it off, a portion of the proceeds from this fight will go to three charities that are extremely important to me. December 2 is going to be a great night for boxing and a great night for Philadelphia."
"Fighting Bernard Hopkins is an honor and I thank him for the opportunity," said Ornelas. "But once the bell rings, I'm going to do everything in my power to beat him and show the world what I can do when the spotlight is shining brightest."
"Broad Street Brawl": Hopkins vs. Ornelas is presented by Golden Boy Promotions East and will be televised live on VERSUS beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
A man who needs no introduction to fight fans, Philadelphia native Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KO's) already assured himself a spot in the boxing Hall of Fame with his more than 10-year reign as champion atop the middleweight division with a record 20 successful title defenses. Never one to rest on his laurels, in 2006 Hopkins moved up in weight and recorded a huge win over Antonio Tarver to win the light heavyweight title. With his subsequent win over Winky Wright and his destruction of the young er and then undefeated Kelly Pavlik in his most recent bout in October of 2008, Hopkins is showing the world that life begins at 40. Now 44 years young, Hopkins is back in action and eager to continue to show the young guns how it's done.
Hard-hitting, Enrique Ornelas (29-5, 19 KO's) has emerged from the shadow of his older brother, super middleweight contender Librado Andrade, and carved out his own niche in the fight game with his aggressive style and fight-ending power. Fresh off of a fourth round stoppage of Roberto Baro in July, the 29-year-old Los Angeles based native of Leon, Mexico is eager to put his mark in the history books by becoming one of the few fighters to own a win over Bernard Hopkins.
Despite being home to such legendary fighters such as Joe Frazier, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Jeff Chandler and Tommy Loughran, Philadelphia may be known to fight fans mainly for the great middleweights it has produced over the years, including Bernard Hopkins, Bennie Briscoe, Willie 'The Worm' Monroe and Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts. These 160-pound warriors made their names in such storied venues as the Blue Horizon and the Spectrum and with their never surrender attitude in the ring, they let the world know just what it meant to be a "Philly Fighter". Hopkins is modern day Philadelphia boxing's link to that tradition and will look to prove it on December 2 in front of his hometown fans in what could be his last fight in the City of Brotherly Love.
A full slate of exciting undercard bouts will be announced shortly.
And we move on to linkgathering next.
