Fang's Bites

ESPN Films Presents Documentary on 1986 Masters

Coming up on Wednesday, ESPN will present a documentary on the 1986 Masters where Jack Nicklaus at age 46 becoming the oldest golfer to win the Green Jacket at Augusta. Of course, the ESPN Films presentation will air on the eve of the first round of The Masters^® which begins the following day and it will be presented following coverage of the Par 3 Contest at Augusta. There’s a lot of interesting content in the documentary.

Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters Win Subject of New ESPN Film

On the 25^th anniversary of one of the most memorable moments in sports history, ESPN Films looks back at Jack Nicklaus’ win in the 1986 Masters in a one-hour documentary airing Wednesday, April 6, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Yes Sir: Jack Nicklaus and the ’86 Masters will explore the magnitude of what happened on April 13, 1986, when the 46-year-old Nicklaus charged from behind and won the Masters for the sixth time. He became the oldest player ever to earn the coveted Green Jacket at a time when many believed the legendary golfer would never win another tournament.

The film includes fresh new perspective from Nicklaus, his son and caddy Jackie, and others such as Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and Tom Watson who offer special insight into the Nicklaus’ achievement. In the film, Woods, who became the youngest ever to win the Masters 11 years to the day after Nicklaus’ historic win, and Nicklaus sit down separately to watch highlights of the 1986 Masters and discuss their golfing careers then and now.

“Jack Nicklaus’s dramatic comeback to win the ’86 Masters isn’t just a golf story or even a sports story,” said John Dahl, executive producer, ESPN Films. “It’s a human story of a father and son coming together for something so inspiring that it resonates powerfully 25 years later. The film is a poignant look at that magical father-son journey.”

The film follows three hours of live programming on ESPN from Augusta National Golf Club on April 6. SportsCenter at the Masters, a one-hour special, airs at 5 p.m. and will preview the 2011 version of the event. ESPN’s live coverage of the annual Masters Par 3 Contest airs from 3-5 p.m.

ESPN’s multiplatform coverage of the Masters also will include 4.5 hours per day of first and second-round play on ESPN, ESPN HD and ESPN Deportes on Thursday and Friday, April 7-8, five days and 10 hours on the ESPN 3D Network, extensive coverage on ESPN.com and a special 43-hour Masters tribute on ESPN Classic.

That will do it.

Bringing Out the Wednesday Links

Ok, let’s do the Wednesday linkage. Quite a few things to get to.

We begin with Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal who when we last saw him during the World Series last October, was wearing a bowtie despite his protests to management. Well, we find that Ken will continue wearing a bowtie this season, but rather willingly and for a very good cause.

Craig Calcaterra of NBC’s Hardball Talk applauds Ken for making this true fashion statement.

Now back to Ken, he writes at FoxSports.com that Major League Baseball has to do more to promote its game to a very tech-savvy fandom.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today has a few sports media observations in the Game On! blog.

Also in USA Today’s Game On! Steve Coogan writes that Jennifer Hudson is out from CBS’ One Shining Moment NCAA Tournament final montage.

One more from Game On! Mike McCarthy reviews Charles Barkley’s comments on truTV. It was a joke, people.

I had no idea that the former bassist for Guns ‘N Roses, Jane Addiction and Velvet Revolver, Duff McKagan had his own column at ESPN.com. Well, this is a very touching and well-written column on the late Seattle Mariners voice Dave Niehaus.

ESPN’s corporate blog, Front Row, has now launched and has been churning out pictures since midnight to show “A Day in the Life” at its various offices around the world. I have to say it’s quite fascinating. The pictures will continue to be published until late tonight.

Marisa Guthrie and Lindsay Powers at the Hollywood Reporter discuss ESPN’s Josh Elliot moving to ABC’s Good Morning America replacing the always lovely Juju Chang.

Tim Baysinger of Broadcasting & Cable writes about ESPN’s latest pickup for Baseball Tonight.

R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel News says ESPN Films will air a documentary on Jack Nicklaus’ iconic 1986 win at The Masters^®.

The great Ryan Ballengee of NBC’s Pro Golf Talk says The Masters^® iPad app will stream all four days of live TV golf coverage next week. That is very cool.

Jack Neff of Advertising Age says Vaseline Men will be unveiling an ad campaign for the NFL Draft.

In Mediaweek, Anthony Crupi says ad buyers are looking for alternatives as the NFL lockout goes longer.

Doron Levin at Fortune notes that Cadillac has quietly returned to sponsoring golf tournaments.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell examines whether the Chicago Cubs made the right call for their public address announcer.

Darren looks at the MLB Fan Cave that has two men watching every single regular season and playoff game this year.

And Darren goes inside the numbers of college football.

All Access says a Muncie, IN radio station is dropping ESPN in favor of Fox Sports Radio.

All Access also discusses Trenni Kusnierek joining a Milwaukee radio station full-time.

Richard Huff of the New York Daily News writes about ESPN’s Josh Elliot leaving SportsCenter to move to Good Morning America.

Newsday’s Neil Best takes a look at Yankees and Mets ticket prices on the resale market.

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union looks at former Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer joining ESPN.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record has Fox’s Tim McCarver thoughts on the Mets and Yankees.

Conor Orr at the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger says ESPN’s Jay Bilas is a man of many talents.

Neal Zoren of the Delaware County Times notes that Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is ready to cover the Phillies this season.

Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Bog at the Washington Post is amused with a new Pimlico Raceway ad that acknowledges the infield debauchery during the Preakness Stakes.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner writes that ESPN will be airing a prestigious high school basketball tournament live from the DC area.

Brandon Marcello of the Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger says Mississippi State University now has the announcers who will replace legendary voice Jack Cristil who retired after the basketball season.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman discusses ESPN shaking up its Sunday Night Baseball announcers and adding a new twist to Baseball Tonight.

Doug Zaleski of the Muncie (IN) Star Press notes that a Ball State-Indiana football matchup could end up on ESPN on Labor Day weekend.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Fox Sports Wisconsin will add some bells and whistles to its Brewers game productions.

Jon Nyatawa of the Omaha (NE) World-Journal says the Kansas City Royals won’t be heard on local radio this season.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post looks at FSN Rocky Mountain changing its name as of Friday.

Lya Wodraska in the Salt Lake Tribune says the University of Utah is open to moving its football games to Sunday in case of an NFL lockout.

Scott D. Pierce of the Tribune looks at FSN Rocky Mountain’s change of name.

Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times says FX’s plans to carry college football this fall might be part of a larger scheme to increase subscriber fees.

Mike DiGiovanna from the Times says while Fox Sports tested a new overhead camera during last night’s Dodgers-Angels exhibition game, players were concerned that it might be too intrusive.

Mark Hester from The Oregonian notes that ESPN is chock full of spring college football games.

Gretchen Holzang of the Portland Business Journal writes about FSN Northwest’s rebranding on Friday.

To the Toronto Globe and Mail where Bruce Dowbiggin talks with Rogers Sportsnet Blue Jays analyst Greg Zaun.

Sports Media Watch says NASCAR on Fox hit a ratings low for the first time this season.

The Big Lead critiques CBS/Turner’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament.

And we’ll end it there today.

Some Thursday Links

This day has been a headspinner as there was too much commotion at my Massachusetts office and the minute I step into the Rhode Island office, there was too much commotion. It’s the type of day where college basketball needs to reign supreme and thankfully, the NCAA Tournament is back in action. In case you’re wondering who is calling the games, check out my post on the Sweet Sixteen tip times.

Now to the links.

USA Today’s Mike McCarthy says former NFL coach Bill Parcells returns to ESPN for a one-time special on the Draft.

Tim Gardner of USA Today says Virginia Commonwealth University is taking the opportunity to bash ESPN’s Dick Vitale.

Reid Cherner from USA Today looks at a new movie based on high school wrestling.

At the Sporting News, Tripp Mickle of Sports Business Daily/Journal writes that the NASCAR Media Group is trying to diversify its portfolio.

Interesting interview conducted by XX Sports Radio with CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus who assesses how the first week of the NCAA Tournament went under the new CBS/Turner Sports consortium.

Adweek’s Anthony Crupi says CBS/Turner made the NCAA Tournament into a viewing masterpiece.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says Turner Media Group is using real-time billboards to keep commuters updated on the NCAA Tournament.

Marcus Vanderberg from SportsNewser says the two Oregon men arrested for stealing the Lee Corso head from the College GameDay set have pleaded guilty to the theft.

Glenn Davis at SportsGrid says Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi went too far in asking whether University of Florida basketball players are engaging in premarital sex.

Dan Daley at Sports Video Group looks at how TV production crews try to pick up the crack of the bat during MLB games.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks with Tiger Woods about his new pricey iPhone app.

Brian Lowry of Fox Sports proposes a new NCAA Tournament drinking game to liven up your watching of college basketball.

Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly says Eliza Dushku will play the character based on Friend of Fang’s Bites Michelle Beadle in the new CBS sitcom that will star Damon Wayans who is supposedly playing a character based on ESPN Radio hack Colin Cowherd.

Eliza made the announcement on her Facebook page and on Twitter last night.

Tom Renner of The Daily Fairfield (CT) recaps an appearance made by four ESPN SportsCenter anchors led by Bob Ley.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says WPIX has announced its Mets schedule for 2011.

In the New Jersey Newsroom, Evan Weiner writes that we may not like it, but sports owners are entitled to every penny they make from sweetheart stadium revenue deals.

Keith Groller from the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says former CBS college basketball bitter curmudgeon analyst Billy Packer will be on HBO next week.

Laura Nachman says Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia has announced its 2011 Phillies schedule.

Jen Royle writes her last post for MASN as she leaves the regional sports network to focus on radio.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner notes that Jen will be the host of a new Baltimore Orioles-centric pre and post game show.

Jim says the ratings prove that viewers like having access to all of the NCAA Tournament games.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says through TV and mobile apps, fans are finding ways to watch the NCAA Tournament.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talks with CBS’ Clark Kellogg.

Bob also talks with ESPN’s Jay Bilas.

Baxter Holmes of the Los Angeles Times notes that Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller was once on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

ESPN Films documentary on “The Fab Five” will air in Canada next week.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes that the Canadian Soccer Championships will be on TV once again.

Dave Kohl from Major League Programs talks about the NCAA Tournament coverage.

We’ll end with a video that’s making the rounds of the sports blogosphere today. It’s Funny of Die getting Screamin’ Gus Johnson to describe some of the greatest moments in history as only Gus can.

And we’re done.

ESPN Crowing About A Combined 52 Sports Emmy Nominations

When you combine the Sports Emmy Award nominations for ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN.com, the sports behemoth has a massive 52 nods. It doesn’t mean that they’ll win them all, but that’s a very big number. In case you’re wondering, ESPN has 22 nominations, ABC with 13, ESPN2 has 9, and both ESPN Deportes and ESPN.com with 1.

Some of the notable nominations include Chris Berman and Scott Van Pelt for Outstanding Studio Host, Tom Jackson and Kirk Herbstreit for Outstanding Studio Analyst, Jon “This Guy” Gruden in the Outstanding Game Analyst category, last year’s World Cup, Monday Night Football, College GameDay, E:60, The Two Escobars, among others.

Let’s take a look at this long press release which has every of the ESPN family of networks and platforms 52 nominations.

ESPN, Inc. – Industry Leading 52 Sports Emmy Nominations

FIFA World Cup – Most-Honored Entrant; E:60 & NFL Also Lead the Way;
First Nomination for ESPNU; Debut of ESPN 3D Cited for Technical Achievement

ESPN, Inc. earned 52 Sports Emmy Award nominations, the most of any submitting company for the 10^th time in 11 years, it was announced today by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  The winners will be announced Monday, May 2.

ESPN’s nominations were led by 12 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, more than the number earned by any other single production effort from any entrant.  Fittingly, as the largest commitment to a single event in ESPN’s 31-year history, it also earned the most nominations for any single entity ever for ESPN.  The nominations ranged from Outstanding Live Special for the final on ABC to ESPN Content Development’s I Scored A Goal in Edited Special to a variety of technical categories, including Technical Team Studio, Camerawork, Graphics and Music (two).

NFL programming garnered five nominations: Chris Berman (Studio Host), Tom Jackson (Studio Analyst, won in 2009), Monday Night Football (Live Series), Jon Gruden (Event Analyst, second nomination in his two years on MNF), and “ESPN NFL Unmasked” (a behind-the-scenes player profile regularly on Sunday NFL Countdown, in Production Design/Art Direction).

ESPN’s two critically acclaimed news magazine programs focusing on issues and personalities in sports combined for 10 nominations. E:60 totaled six (Edited Series, Journalism, three in Long Feature and Short Fetaure) while Outside the Lines earned four (Documentary, two for Long Feature and Short Feature).

NBA content drew four nominations.  The NBA Finals on ABC were cited in Live Special, Jeff Van Gundy earned a second straight nomination in Event Analyst; and the NBA Draft received two nominations (Open/Tease and Production Design/Art Direction).

ESPN Content Development also received four nominations.  In addition to I Scored a Goal, two “30 for 30” films were cited — “June 17, 1994” in Documentary and Editing and “The Two Escobars” in Documentary for its premiere on ESPN Deportes.

Among ESPN commentators, in addition to Berman, Jackson, Gruden and Van Gundy; Kirk Herbstreit, the 2010 winner, was again nominated in Studio Analyst; Orel Hershiser was a first-time nominee in Event Analyst; and another first-timer, Scott Van Pelt in Studio Host.

Other notable nominees:

• Three nominations combined in the two categories for Promotional Announcements:  “30 for 30” and The Open Championship in Episodic Promos, and “Is it Monday Yet?” in Institutional Promos.
• Two nominations for Technical Achievement:  ESPN 3D (debuted June 2010) and “Enhanced Visual Accompaniment,” a virtual studio technology used in a variety of ways, including Center Circle (soccer), Ultimate Uplink (NBA), and Virtual Pitch (MLB).
• ESPNU’s first nomination, for College Football Whiparound in Graphic Design
• The Breeders’ Cup World Championship in Live Special
• ESPN College Football in Live Series
• College GameDay in Weekly Studio Show (won in 2008 and 2010)

Overall, ESPN has won 135 Sports Emmy Awards in 23 years of eligibility.  ABC Sports won 160 from 1980 – 2008.

ESPN’s nominations by category (all are ESPN, except as noted):

Live Special
Breeders Cup World Championship
2010 FIFA World Cup (ABC)
The NBA Finals (ABC)

Live Series
College Football
Monday Night Football

Live Event Turnaround
World Series of Poker Final Table

Outstanding Playoff Coverage
2010 FIFA World Cup

Edited Special
I Scored a Goal (ABC)

Sports Documentary
June 17, 1994
Outside the Lines: Robben Island:  A Greater Goal (ESPN2)
The Two Escobars (ESPN Deportes)

Edited Series
E:60 (ESPN2)

Studio Show/weekly
College GameDay

Studio Show/daily
Pardon the Interruption
SportsCenter

Journalism
E:60 – Children of Bhopal (ESPN2)

Short Feature
E:60 – A League of her Own (ABC)
Outside the Lines: Santa Anita, A Dark History

Long Feature
E:60 – Josiah’s Time (ESPN2)
E:60 – Survival 1 (ESPN2)
E:60 — Unbreakable
Outside the Lines – Asian Carp
Outside the Lines – The Power of Dylan

Open/Tease
2010 FIFA World Cup (ABC)
NBA Draft

New Approaches – Short Format
Sport Science (ESPN.com)

Studio Host
Chris Berman
Scott Van Pelt

Studio Analyst
Kirk Herbstreit
Tom Jackson

Event Analyst
Jon Gruden
Orel Hershiser
Jeff Van Gundy (ABC)

Technical Team Remote
Winter X Games 14 (ESPN/ESPN2)

Technical Team Studio
2010 FIFA World Cup (ESPN/ABC)

Camerawork
2010 FIFA World Cup (ESPN/ABC)

Editing
2010 Scripps Howard Spelling Bee (ABC)
June 17, 1994

Writing
2010 FIFA World Cup (ESPN/ABC)

Music
2010 FIFA World Cup: Day One Tease (ESPN/ABC)
2010 FIFA World Cup: U2 7 Soweto Gospel Choir (ESPN/ESPN2/ABC)

Graphic Design
2010 FIFA World Cup
ESPNU College Football Whiparound (ESPNU)
Sports Science

Prod.Design/Art Direction
2010 FIFA World Cup (ESPN/ESPN2/ABC)
NBA Draft
“ESPN NFL Unmasked”

Technical Achievement
ESPN 3D (ESPN 3D)
“Enhanced Visual Accompaniment”

Promo – Institutional
“Is it Monday Yet”

Promo – Episodic
ESPN Films: “30 for 30”
The Open Championship

That’s it.

Breaking Out Some Wednesday Linkage

Let’s do some mid-week linkage on a very rainy Wednesday in Southern New England. Here we go.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says even with all of the NCAA Tournament games being nationally televised, CBS and Turner still have to figure out which games go where.

Sports Business Daily looks at the overnight ratings for the first two NCAA Tournament games on truTV.

Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock goes after Jalen Rose for writing revisionist history in the ESPN Films doc, “The Fab Five”.

Alex Sherman of Bloomberg News writes that DirecTV stands to lose millions in rights fees even if the NFL lockout comes to fruition.

R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel News writes that truTV’s HD feed has been picked up by several cable and satellite providers in time for last night’s start of the NCAA Tournament.

Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek says cable networks aren’t happy with Time Warner Cable’s new app that allow subscribers to stream content on their iPads.

At the Biz of Baseball, Maury Brown writes about MLB.TV experimenting with streaming one free Spring Training game a day on Facebook.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell notes that the NCAA Tournament hospitality business is up after a couple of down years.

Darren makes the case for you to not fill out an NCAA Tournament bracket.

At Time magazine, Sean Gregory recounts how he and his Princeton teammates upset defending NCAA Tournament champion UCLA in 1996.

Deadspin catches the leaked script for the sitcom pilot based on ESPN’s Mark Schlereth.

Newsday’s Neil Best celebrates SNY’s 5th birthday.

Toni Monkovic from the New York Times writes that DC NFL Team owner Dan Snyder continues to throw his weight around against the Washington media.

From the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record, Ken McMillan writes that Time Warner Cable will air several NY state high school basketball championship games.

Dave McKenna of the Washington City Paper, the same writer DC NFL Team owner Daniel Snyder is suing, discusses how Snyder forced the Washington Post to remove the team’s name from a popular blog.

Cindy Boren of the Washington Post’s The Early Lead blog also discusses the team’s name removal.

Just so you know, I have been calling the DC NFL Team, “the DC NFL Team” for several years, not because of Snyder, but because I find the term “Redskins” offensive to Native Americans. You can consider me ahead of the curve.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner looks at the multiple ways you can watch the NCAA Tournament this year.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle is already sick of the truTV promos and it was just the first night of the NCAA Tournament.

Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business notes that a suspended sports talk show host remains off the air almost two weeks after being arrested on DUI charges.

Lewis Lazare of the Chicago Sun-Times says Bulls guard Derrick Rose will be the face of a global Adidas ad campaign.

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that local CBS affiliates miss out on carrying area teams in the new partnership with Turner.

Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times looks at the new CBS/Turner partnership for the NCAA Tournament.

Diane says ESPN’s Baseball Tonight will travel to Sunday Night Baseball sites this year.

The Canadian Sports Media blog says Rogers Sportsnet has signed former Blue Jays catcher Greg Zaun as a studio analyst.

The Sports Media Watch says with Turner Sports involved and siphoning off viewers, CBS’ ratings for the NCAA Tournament could hit lower numbers.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media likes some subtle changes NBC Sports has made to Versus’ NHL Overtime overnight replay.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing talks with legendary Boston Celtics TV voice Mike Gorman about his 30 seasons with the team.

That will do it.

“The Fab Five” Becomes ESPN’s Highest Rated Documentary

ESPN Films’ presentation of “The Fab Five”, the critically acclaimed movie on the Fab Five of Michigan from the early 1990′s has become the highest rated documentary on the network, surpassing the “30 for 30″ docs, “The U”, on the University of Miami football program and “The Pony Express” which focused on the SMU football program. On Sunday, the documentary received a 2.1 rating breaking the old record of 1.8. Average viewership for “The Fab Five” was almost 2.75 million viewers which is very good for any TV documentary. We have the press release from ESPN in regards to “The Fab Five”.

ESPN Films’ The Fab Five – ESPN’s Highest Rated Documentary

The Fab Five, the latest production from ESPN Films which aired Sunday night, earned a 2.1 rating to become ESPN’s highest rated documentary, according to the Nielsen Company.  The two-hour review of the famed University of Michigan basketball team of the early 1990s topped two of the “30 for 30” films which each posted a 1.8 rating:  Pony Exce$$ (aired Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010, focusing on SMU football of the 1980s) and The U (aired December 12, 2009, a look at the rise and fall of the University of Miami football team in the 1980s and ‘90s).

“The Fab Five captured the essence of the ESPN Films’ mission as we launch a new series of documentaries following the excellence established by the acclaimed ’30 for 30’ initiative,” said Keith Clinkscales, ESPN senior vice president, ESPN Enterprises.  “Our director Jason Hehir, capably worked with our own Jalen Rose and Executive producer Connor Schell’s team to deliver an unfiltered look at the team that changed college basketball forever.”

The Fab Five – which followed Bracketology, an analysis of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament brackets, at 9 p.m. ET – was seen by an average of 2,088,000 households and 2,746,000 viewers (P2+), topping both categories among ESPN documentaries.  Pony Excess had been seen by an average of 1,843,000 homes and 2,517,000 viewers, the previous ESPN high marks for documentaries.

The Fab Five was reaired at 11 p.m. on ESPN2.  Between the two time slots, more than 11 million people watched part of the movie.

One of the films’ executive producers was ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose and his production company, Three Tier Entertainment.  Rose, who played for six teams in a 13-year NBA career, was one of five classmates on the team, along with Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson and Chris Webber.  The group entered Michigan together and started as a unit for two years (1992 and 1993), taking Michigan to back-to-back NCAA championship games.  Known for their style and swagger, along with their excellent play, the Fab Five became one of the most famous – and infamous – teams in college basketball history as the team’s record was tarnished years later by charges of improprieties involving college boosters.

“Through high-quality production and storytelling, we have established a real connection with sports fans,” said Connor Schell, executive producer, ESPN Films. “The Fab Five is the latest example of the increased commitment to differentiated, original programming by ESPN Films.”

And that’s it.

Our Thursday Linkage

Let’s do the Thursday links. Been up since 4 a.m. and I’m already dragging, but you don’t care. You want links so let’s provide them.

USA Today’s Mike McCarthy has ESPN’s Mel Kiper really down on NFL quarterback prospect Cam Newton.

Mike says ESPN and Sunday NFL Countdown analyst Cris Carter are negotiating a new contract.

Louisa Ada Seltzer at Media Life Magazine says college basketball is the main attraction on TV this week.

Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser notes that Apple TV picks up two sports out of market packages.

Jesse Lawrence at the Business Insider’s Sports Page says Madison Square Garden and New York are back as the Mecca of Basketball.

Multichannel News says Big Ten Network is running a sweepstakes tied to the Big Ten Tournament.

Dan Fogarty from SportsGrid has audio of WFAN’s Mike Francesa going ballistic after the Rutgers-St. John’s game which had an absolutely bizarre ending.

Brad Cohen of SportsGrid says a Philadelphia sports radio host unwittingly threw on “F” bomb on live TV.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the once harmonious NFL labor talks have now gotten stuck over financials.

Darren writes that a Miami bar owner is losing money over the Heat’s current six game losing streak.

Darren explains why Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel should have been fined more for covering up NCAA violations.

Newsday’s Neil Best raves about ESPN Films’ new documentary on Michigan’s Fab Five.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has CBS’ Gus Johnson and Clark Kellogg talking about Penn State’s chances to get into the NCAA Tournament.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call talks with Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia’s 76ers sideline reporter Meredith Marakovits about her first season on the job.

Keith Gabriel of the Philadelphia Daily News says the MLS’ Union is talking with Comcast SportsNet Philly to put most of its games on the regional sports network.

John Smallwood of the Daily News wonders if Charles Barkley will make CBS and Turner regret using him on the NCAA Tournament.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with Turner’s Marv Albert who gets to call the NCAA Tournament again after a nearly 30 year absence, although Marv did call college basketball with NBC throughout the 1980′s.

The Pee Dee (SC) Morning News says ESPN wants people to attend a live appearance of Mike & Mike in the Morning when it comes to Myrtle Beach next month.

Gary Smits of the Florida Times-Union says a relaxation of PGA Tour rules on groupings has allowed for a marquee trio to appear on Golf Channel today and tomorrow.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business says the local sports radio talk show host who was arrested on DUI charges last week has now been suspended by his station.

Ed says the Big Ten Network has finally unveiled who’s the top Conference icon of all-time.

Lewis Lazare of the Chicago Sun-Times says the local host has been suspended for the rest of the week.

Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune says CBS-owned WCCO-AM has lost the rights to University of Minnesota sports after a 7 decade relationship.

The Canadian Press says CBC has a new executive director for its sports properties.

And the Canadian Press says a former head of CBC Sports now has a position with the Commonwealth Games.

The Canadian Sports Media blog goes over the controversial comments made by a Toronto sports radio host in regards to International Women’s Day.

The Toronto Sports Media blog looks at more lineup changes at one local sports radio station.

Ben Koo of Awful Announcing looks at the migration of sports from free TV to cable.

New York Sports Journalism feels online viewing of March Madness will surge this year.

Emmett Jones at Sports Business Digest says Domino’s Pizza has signed an endorsement deal with the NCAA.

Sports Media Watch has some various NBA ratings notes.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says Versus had another good ratings month for the NHL.

Joe Favorito says there’s plenty of sponsor value to be had in March Madness.

And we are ending it there.

ESPN Announces the 2nd Volume of “30 for 30″ DVD Gift Set

Back in September of last year, ESPN announced the first half of the critically acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary series would be released on DVD just in time for the Christmas shopping season. Now, get word that the second half of the series, including The Two Escobars and the House of Steinbrenner will be included in this set. In addition, a limited edition set of all 30 DVD’s will released. This all comes out on May 17, which is Father’s Day. We have all the details of what will be released and other information in this announcement.

ESPN Films ‘30 for 30’ DVD Gift Set – Volume 2: Final 15 Films from Award-Winning Series to Be Released; Limited Edition 30 Film Collector’s Set Also Available

ESPN Home Entertainment, in conjunction with Team Marketing, will release ESPN Films “30 for 30” Gift Set – Volume 2, on May 17, in time for Father’s Day.  The six-disc “30 for 30” gift set, with  the final 15 films from the critically acclaimed series, presents a fresh take on some of the most extraordinary sports stories from the last 30 years.

In addition, fans will be able to purchase the ”30 for 30” Limited Edition Collector’s Set of all 30 films in a collectible box set at key retailers.  This limited edition will include “30 for 30” Gift Sets – Volume 1 & Volume 2 as well as an exclusive retro ESPN hat featuring the company’s original logo.

From sports-loving filmmakers with such diverse backgrounds as Barbara Kopple, NBA star Steve Nash, Ron Shelton and John Singleton each film showcases its crafters’ unique skill set and point of view.  Proving the sports world can be fertile ground for excellence in dramatic storytelling, several films were official selections from the Cannes, Toronto and Tribeca Film Festivals.  Films from the series were among the highest rated documentaries on ESPN and the final installment, Pony Exce$$, was the most watched documentary in the history of the network.

The first DVD installment of the series included Films 1-15 and was released for Holiday 2010, and the “30 for 30” series was honored with the 2010 International Documentary Association’s (IDA) Distinguished Continuing Series award.

Films from the second DVD installment include: The Two Escobars directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist, The Birth of Big Air produced by Academy Award nominee Spike Jonze,

Marion Jones: Press Pause directed by Academy Award nominee John Singleton, Jordan Rides the Bus directed by Academy Award nominee Ron Shelton and The House of Steinbrenner directed by two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple. Also included is the never before released on DVD One Night In Vegas by Reggie Rock Bythewood. Complete list of films and information for Volume 2.

In addition to the last 15 films in the series, the six-disc gift set includes more than three hours of bonus features, including deleted scenes, extended interviews, trailers and director’s statements.  Total running time is 1153 minutes (more than 19 hours).

The “30 for 30” Gift Set Volume 2 has a suggested retail price of $74.95.  The “30 for 30” Limited Edition Collector’s Set has a suggested retail price of $149.95.

“30 for 30” Gift Set  – Volume 2
Street Date:                                                      May 17
Direct prebook:                                                 March 22
Distributor prebook:                                          April 5
Pricing:                                                             $74.95 SRP
Run Time:                                                         1153 Minutes
Aspect Ratio:                                                    Widescreen
Audio:                                                              Stereo
Languages:                                                       English
Closed Captions:                                              Yes

“30 for 30” Limited Edition Collector’s Set
Street Date:                                                      May 17
Direct prebook:                                                 March 22
Distributor prebook:                                          April 5
Pricing:                                                             $149.95 SRP
Run Time:                                                         2314 Minutes
Aspect Ratio:                                                    Widescreen
Audio:                                                              Stereo
Languages:                                                       English
Closed Captions:                                              Yes

Film Festival Selections
Official Selection 2010 Tribeca Film Festival: The Two Escobars, The Birth of Big Air
Official Selection 2010 Festival de Cannes: The Two Escobars
Official Selection 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival: The Two Escobars
Official Selection 2010 Toronto Film Festival: Into the Wind
Official Selection 2010 Hamptons International Film Festival: Once Brothers

And that will do it.

Some Monday Night Linkage

I’ll add some links to the ones I provided earlier today. Let’s do this while the BCS National Championship Game is on.

R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel News says ESPN will commemorate Martin Luther King’s Birthday with a live, Town Hall Meeting.

Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek notes that Fox and NBC scored in the ratings for the NFL Wild Card playoffs.

Michael Dunaway of Paste magazine talks with the Executive Producer of ESPN Films and the 30 for 30 series.

Radio Ink magazine reports that the Dan Patrick Show has renewed its syndication agreement with Premiere Radio Networks at the same time the show has re-upped with DirecTV. 

Noah Davis at SportsNewser says NHL Network US has hired an ESPN veteran to be its Executive Producer.

At the Albany Times Union, Pete Dougherty notes Fox’s ratings for the the NFC Wild Card playoff game.

David Zurawik at the Baltimore Sun says CBS did not get the job done during the Ravens-Chiefs Wild Card playoff game.

The Baltimore Sports Report speaks with the lovely Jen Royle of MASN. 

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with the new MASN Nationals analyst.

Aaron Knox of the Tampa Bay Tribune says ESPN is not apologizing for putting the BCS on cable.

To the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Ray Buck who writes that Fox had a unique opportunity for a dress rehearsal for Super Bowl XLV with last Friday’s Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium. 

W. Scott Bailey of the San Antonio Business Journal tells us that the Spurs top the local NBA ratings across the country. 

David Burger in the Salt Lake Tribune writes that country star Kenny Chesney is producing his second football-centric documentary for ESPN.

In the Los Angeles Times, David Kronke says The Onion is skewering both ESPN and CNN in two new shows.

Sports Media Watch says CBS got a huge rating for Baltimore-Kansas City on Sunday. 

SMW notes that the Packers-Eagles game was the most viewed Wild Card playoff contest ever.

Chris Byrne at the Eye on Sports Media has the national and local honorees for the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame.

And that’s going to finish us for the night.

ESPN’s 30 for 30 Series Ends On A High Note

The last documentary in the “30 for 30″ series, Pony Excess, received very good ratings for ESPN, garnering a 1.8 final rating and a respectable audience of 2.5 million viewers. There will be a couple of more 30 for 30 films in 2011, but they won’t be scheduled weekly as they were the last couple of years. We have the final ratings of the series plus some highlights. We’ll require a jump break.

Critically Acclaimed ‘30 for 30’ Wraps up with Pony Exce$$ – ESPN’s Most-Watched Documentary

           

ESPN Films  wrapped up the critically acclaimed “30 for 30” films with Thaddeus D. Matula’s Pony Exce$$, Saturday, Dec. 11, immediately following the Heisman Trophy presentation, earning a 1.8 rating, according to Nielsen. That represents an average of 1,843,000 million homes (2.517,000 viewers, P2+) to become ESPN’s most-watched documentary of all time. 

Pony Exce$$ edged out Billy Corben’s The U, which earned a 1.8 rating (1,801,000 homes, 2.368,000 viewers) in December 2009, and Jon Hock’s The Best That Never Was, which earned a 1.8  rating (1,760,000 homes, 2,229,000 viewers) last month. Overall, the “30 for 30” slate of 30 films averaged a 1.0 rating (958,000 homes, 1,193,000 viewers).  The series, created in celebration of ESPN’s 30^th anniversary, not only highlighted some of the most memorable moments in sports history but examined the impact that they had on pop culture and society as a whole.

“Storytelling is at the heart of what ESPN does – whether on TV, online, radio or in print – in our features, game summaries, event productions or, of course, documentaries,” says John Skipper, executive vice president, content, ESPN. “The positive feedback from media and fans shows there is an audience for long-form, high-quality storytelling, and it belongs on ESPN.”

Connor Schell, executive producer, ESPN Films, adds, “We worked with an extraordinary group of directors for the ’30 for 30’ series. Due to the enormous creativity of the storytellers, the collection of films was as interesting in style as in subject matter. We intend to continue making quality, point-of-view films going forward.”

Highlights for the series include –

• Airing in March 2010 on NCAA men’s basketball’s “Selection Sunday,” Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, directed by Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores, posted a 1.5 rating, the fourth highest ever for an ESPN documentary and the highest-rated show ever in the time slot following the Bracketology program.

• The Two Escobars has played at the prestigious 2010 Tribeca, Cannes and Los Angeles Film Festivals, garnering critical acclaim. Its televised premiere June 21 was ESPN Deportes’ top-rated documentary ever with a 1.2 Hispanic household rating.

• “30 for 30″ won the 2010 International Documentary Association’s “Distinguished Continuing Series” award.

Although major markets nationwide played a big role in the success of the series, it was the Southeast that was the biggest supporter, posting the highest average market rating per film. Birmingham, Charlotte and Louisville were the three top markets for the “30 for 30” series, averaging a 2.0, 1.6 and 1.5 respectively. Smaller markets that posted the highest rating for select films include Birmingham (3.6 for Jordan Rides the Bus), Austin (2.2 for Run Ricky Run) and Knoxville (2.0 for Tim Richmond: To the Limit). 

On several occasions the city or location being depicted in the film was not the top-rated market for that film. Notably, The U earned a 5.6 rating in Birmingham while Miami came in sixth with a 3.3. Additionally, Straight Outta L.A. rated the highest in Miami with a 2.0 while Los Angeles came in seventh (0.8). 

And after the jump, some more fun facts from some of the more popular documentaries.
Here are the aforementioned highlights.

“30 for 30? Film Facts

With the series coming to an end, here are some “film facts” on a few of the documentaries that garnered critical acclaim over the past 18 months.

Kings Ransom (Directed by Peter Berg)

• Kings Ransom features never-before-seen footage of Wayne Gretzky’s wedding to Janet Jones.
• Peter Berg, a dedicated Los Angeles Kings fan even before Gretzky joined the team, has been a close friend of Wayne’s since the 1990s, when they played in a softball tournament together.
• Berg’s next project will be directing Universal’s feature adaptation of the popular board game Battleship.

The Band That Wouldn’t Die (Directed by Barry Levinson)

• 43 interviews were conducted including one with Jim Irsay, son of the man who took the team away in the middle of the night. Levinson thought that enough time had passed – 25 years – that he might want to talk about it.
• During the 12 years Baltimore was without a professional football team, the Baltimore Colts Marching Band still performed at events including The Preakness, 4^th of July parade, Cleveland Browns halftime and the 1991 Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.
• Baltimore’s Marching Ravens is an all-volunteer organization comprising more than 300 musicians, flagline, color guard and equipment crew. It is the largest musical organization associated with the NFL. The members come from all over Maryland and several surrounding states to practice every week from March to the end of the football season.

The Legend of Jimmy The Greek (Directed by Fritz Mitchell)

• Jimmy threw legendary Super Bowl parties that included many Hollywood celebrities and sometimes went on for a week at a time. For one Super Bowl, he rented a penthouse suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Because Warren Beatty was renting the other, Jimmy hired a guy to give haircuts in his suite so guests wouldn’t leave to go to Beatty’s. 
• Gerry Ford is famous for pardoning Richard Nixon, but during his brief presidency he also pardoned Jimmy. In a petition to the President for The Greek’s pardon, the FBI Director Clarence M. Kelley stated that Jimmy was an informant for the FBI. 

Without Bias (Directed by Kirk Frasier)

• Fraser initially recorded interviews with people who knew Len Bias in an effort to find out who Bias really was, with the intent to write a script for a motion picture. The interviews were compelling enough that he decided to produce the documentary first.
• In 1988, Congress passed a stricter Anti-Drug Act that is known as The Len Bias Law. It was backed by both parties and it reinforced the previous Drug Law with stiffer penalties and created the DARE program.

The U (Directed by Billy Corben)

• Because of low ticket sales in the late ‘70s, the local Burger King would give away tickets to the Miami Hurricane games just to fill the seats.
• In the 1992 Orange bowl, Nebraska, which was actually the home team, had requested Miami not run out of the tunnel with their signature smoke. At the last minute Miami’s mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, went out and borrowed a fire extinguisher from the local firehouse so the team could run through the tunnel with smoke.
• Among the 38 program insiders interviewed for the documentary were: players Bennie Blades, Melvin Bratton, Alonzo Highsmith, Michael Irvin, Bernie Kosar, Santana Moss, Brett Perriman, Jeremy Shockey and former head coaches Dennis Erickson, Jimmy Johnson and Howard Schnellenberger.

Muhammad and Larry (Directed by Albert Maysles)

• Albert Maysles is the only person with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews of both Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes in the two months leading up to their epic fight.
• Kool & The Gang re-wrote their hit song “Ladies Night” with lyrics specifically for Larry Holmes. Holmes is seen singing along to it in the film.
• Muhammad Ali’s training facility had a camp-like atmosphere. People of all ages would go to watch him practice, tell jokes and even do magic tricks.

Silly Little Game (Directed by Adam Kurkland and Lucas Jansen)

• In 1981, the members of the Rotisserie League tried to pool their resources and buy an actual baseball team: a double-A minor league franchise in Massachusetts called the Holyoke Millers, whose owners were looking to sell. Their $85,000 bid was matched by a local group and the owners gave it to them instead. The new owners later sold the franchise for four million dollars, a profit of more than 4500%.
• The legendary meeting in Manhattan at La Rotisserie Francaise restaurant, during which Dan Okrent planted the New York seeds for the Rotisserie League, was actually his second attempt to get friends involved. The first effort was at a barbecue restaurant in Austin, Texas.
• In the early 1980s there was little space in sports publications to cover insider information on injuries and other vital details. To make smarter trades, the Rotisserie Leaguers resorted to calling the offices of Major League teams and posing as reporters for fictional sports publications, in order to talk their way through to the trainer or assistant coach who could give them precious pearls of backstage dish.

Run Ricky Run (Directed by Sean Pamphilon and Royce Toni)

• Most people think his decision to retire was spontaneous, but Ricky told his sister, Nisey, around the same time that he felt “football isn’t my gift, I’m supposed to heal people.”
• Sean Pamphilon quit his job as a producer in sports television to hit the road with two friends and begin filming the documentary. In the following 28 days, they interviewed approximately 30 intimates in Miami, New Orleans, Texas and San Diego.
• The original plan for this film was to be totally independent, take 5-6 months and be completed by the Super Bowl in early ’05. Over the next few years the plan changed several times, until Ricky and Sean both agreed the best place for the film to air would be on the very network (ESPN) that covered so much of his troubles.

Straight Outta L.A. (Directed by Ice Cube)

• Raiders gear was the top seller in the league for a number of years because of its association with rap as well as the exposure it received in music videos.
• N.W.A. did not call themselves a rap group; they referred to themselves as a gang who rapped about their experiences. This then coined the term “gangsta rap.”
• According to Al Davis, the inspiration to add silver to the Raiders’ uniforms came from seeing the success that shoe retailer Stuart Weitzman had selling silver women’s shoes in Oakland.

Birth of Big Air (Directed by Jeff Tremaine, Produced by Johnny Knoxville and Spike Jonze)

• Hoffman went from virtually unknown to a sponsored rider with just one event – a bicycle freestyle championship at Madison Square Garden in 1986.
• Because he got tired of going to the hospital so often, Hoffman used to carry around his own suture kit to stitch up his own injuries.
• Hoffman has had a total of two comas, 21 broken bones, 23 surgeries, 100+ concussions and 300+ stitches.

Jordan Rides the Bus (Directed by Ron Shelton)

• On the day it was announced that Michael Jordan would be playing for the team, more Birmingham Barons tickets were sold in half a day then in the entire year before.
• Current Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was the manager of the Birmingham Barons when Jordan joined the team in 1994.

One Night In Vegas (Directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood)

Among those interviewed for the documentary were:

• Hip hop artist Nas
• Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton
• Actor Mickey Rourke
• Poet/Author Dr. Maya Angelou
• Former C.E.O. Death Row Records Marion “Suge” Knight
• Former heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon

Guru of Go (Directed by Bill Couturie)

• Paul Westhead is the only coach to win a WNBA and NBA title.
• Hank Gathers and his brother, Derrick, would break into the local gym at night to play basketball until 3 a.m.
• Being a former teacher, Paul Westhead used to quote Shakespeare to players to motivate and teach them life lessons.
• In a February 1990 LMU/LSU game, Hank racked up a total of 48 points—the most any player has ever gotten against Shaquille O’Neal.

That’s going to do it.

ESPN’s 30 for 30 Series Ends On A High Note

The last documentary in the “30 for 30″ series, Pony Excess, received very good ratings for ESPN, garnering a 1.8 final rating and a respectable audience of 2.5 million viewers. There will be a couple of more 30 for 30 films in 2011, but they won’t be scheduled weekly as they were the last couple of years. We have the final ratings of the series plus some highlights. We’ll require a jump break.

Critically Acclaimed ‘30 for 30’ Wraps up with Pony Exce$$ – ESPN’s Most-Watched Documentary

           

ESPN Films  wrapped up the critically acclaimed “30 for 30” films with Thaddeus D. Matula’s Pony Exce$$, Saturday, Dec. 11, immediately following the Heisman Trophy presentation, earning a 1.8 rating, according to Nielsen. That represents an average of 1,843,000 million homes (2.517,000 viewers, P2+) to become ESPN’s most-watched documentary of all time. 

Pony Exce$$ edged out Billy Corben’s The U, which earned a 1.8 rating (1,801,000 homes, 2.368,000 viewers) in December 2009, and Jon Hock’s The Best That Never Was, which earned a 1.8  rating (1,760,000 homes, 2,229,000 viewers) last month. Overall, the “30 for 30” slate of 30 films averaged a 1.0 rating (958,000 homes, 1,193,000 viewers).  The series, created in celebration of ESPN’s 30^th anniversary, not only highlighted some of the most memorable moments in sports history but examined the impact that they had on pop culture and society as a whole.

“Storytelling is at the heart of what ESPN does – whether on TV, online, radio or in print – in our features, game summaries, event productions or, of course, documentaries,” says John Skipper, executive vice president, content, ESPN. “The positive feedback from media and fans shows there is an audience for long-form, high-quality storytelling, and it belongs on ESPN.”

Connor Schell, executive producer, ESPN Films, adds, “We worked with an extraordinary group of directors for the ’30 for 30’ series. Due to the enormous creativity of the storytellers, the collection of films was as interesting in style as in subject matter. We intend to continue making quality, point-of-view films going forward.”

Highlights for the series include –

• Airing in March 2010 on NCAA men’s basketball’s “Selection Sunday,” Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, directed by Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores, posted a 1.5 rating, the fourth highest ever for an ESPN documentary and the highest-rated show ever in the time slot following the Bracketology program.

• The Two Escobars has played at the prestigious 2010 Tribeca, Cannes and Los Angeles Film Festivals, garnering critical acclaim. Its televised premiere June 21 was ESPN Deportes’ top-rated documentary ever with a 1.2 Hispanic household rating.

• “30 for 30″ won the 2010 International Documentary Association’s “Distinguished Continuing Series” award.

Although major markets nationwide played a big role in the success of the series, it was the Southeast that was the biggest supporter, posting the highest average market rating per film. Birmingham, Charlotte and Louisville were the three top markets for the “30 for 30” series, averaging a 2.0, 1.6 and 1.5 respectively. Smaller markets that posted the highest rating for select films include Birmingham (3.6 for Jordan Rides the Bus), Austin (2.2 for Run Ricky Run) and Knoxville (2.0 for Tim Richmond: To the Limit). 

On several occasions the city or location being depicted in the film was not the top-rated market for that film. Notably, The U earned a 5.6 rating in Birmingham while Miami came in sixth with a 3.3. Additionally, Straight Outta L.A. rated the highest in Miami with a 2.0 while Los Angeles came in seventh (0.8). 

And after the jump, some more fun facts from some of the more popular documentaries.
Here are the aforementioned highlights.

“30 for 30? Film Facts

With the series coming to an end, here are some “film facts” on a few of the documentaries that garnered critical acclaim over the past 18 months.

Kings Ransom (Directed by Peter Berg)

• Kings Ransom features never-before-seen footage of Wayne Gretzky’s wedding to Janet Jones.
• Peter Berg, a dedicated Los Angeles Kings fan even before Gretzky joined the team, has been a close friend of Wayne’s since the 1990s, when they played in a softball tournament together.
• Berg’s next project will be directing Universal’s feature adaptation of the popular board game Battleship.

The Band That Wouldn’t Die (Directed by Barry Levinson)

• 43 interviews were conducted including one with Jim Irsay, son of the man who took the team away in the middle of the night. Levinson thought that enough time had passed – 25 years – that he might want to talk about it.
• During the 12 years Baltimore was without a professional football team, the Baltimore Colts Marching Band still performed at events including The Preakness, 4^th of July parade, Cleveland Browns halftime and the 1991 Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.
• Baltimore’s Marching Ravens is an all-volunteer organization comprising more than 300 musicians, flagline, color guard and equipment crew. It is the largest musical organization associated with the NFL. The members come from all over Maryland and several surrounding states to practice every week from March to the end of the football season.

The Legend of Jimmy The Greek (Directed by Fritz Mitchell)

• Jimmy threw legendary Super Bowl parties that included many Hollywood celebrities and sometimes went on for a week at a time. For one Super Bowl, he rented a penthouse suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Because Warren Beatty was renting the other, Jimmy hired a guy to give haircuts in his suite so guests wouldn’t leave to go to Beatty’s. 
• Gerry Ford is famous for pardoning Richard Nixon, but during his brief presidency he also pardoned Jimmy. In a petition to the President for The Greek’s pardon, the FBI Director Clarence M. Kelley stated that Jimmy was an informant for the FBI. 

Without Bias (Directed by Kirk Frasier)

• Fraser initially recorded interviews with people who knew Len Bias in an effort to find out who Bias really was, with the intent to write a script for a motion picture. The interviews were compelling enough that he decided to produce the documentary first.
• In 1988, Congress passed a stricter Anti-Drug Act that is known as The Len Bias Law. It was backed by both parties and it reinforced the previous Drug Law with stiffer penalties and created the DARE program.

The U (Directed by Billy Corben)

• Because of low ticket sales in the late ‘70s, the local Burger King would give away tickets to the Miami Hurricane games just to fill the seats.
• In the 1992 Orange bowl, Nebraska, which was actually the home team, had requested Miami not run out of the tunnel with their signature smoke. At the last minute Miami’s mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, went out and borrowed a fire extinguisher from the local firehouse so the team could run through the tunnel with smoke.
• Among the 38 program insiders interviewed for the documentary were: players Bennie Blades, Melvin Bratton, Alonzo Highsmith, Michael Irvin, Bernie Kosar, Santana Moss, Brett Perriman, Jeremy Shockey and former head coaches Dennis Erickson, Jimmy Johnson and Howard Schnellenberger.

Muhammad and Larry (Directed by Albert Maysles)

• Albert Maysles is the only person with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews of both Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes in the two months leading up to their epic fight.
• Kool & The Gang re-wrote their hit song “Ladies Night” with lyrics specifically for Larry Holmes. Holmes is seen singing along to it in the film.
• Muhammad Ali’s training facility had a camp-like atmosphere. People of all ages would go to watch him practice, tell jokes and even do magic tricks.

Silly Little Game (Directed by Adam Kurkland and Lucas Jansen)

• In 1981, the members of the Rotisserie League tried to pool their resources and buy an actual baseball team: a double-A minor league franchise in Massachusetts called the Holyoke Millers, whose owners were looking to sell. Their $85,000 bid was matched by a local group and the owners gave it to them instead. The new owners later sold the franchise for four million dollars, a profit of more than 4500%.
• The legendary meeting in Manhattan at La Rotisserie Francaise restaurant, during which Dan Okrent planted the New York seeds for the Rotisserie League, was actually his second attempt to get friends involved. The first effort was at a barbecue restaurant in Austin, Texas.
• In the early 1980s there was little space in sports publications to cover insider information on injuries and other vital details. To make smarter trades, the Rotisserie Leaguers resorted to calling the offices of Major League teams and posing as reporters for fictional sports publications, in order to talk their way through to the trainer or assistant coach who could give them precious pearls of backstage dish.

Run Ricky Run (Directed by Sean Pamphilon and Royce Toni)

• Most people think his decision to retire was spontaneous, but Ricky told his sister, Nisey, around the same time that he felt “football isn’t my gift, I’m supposed to heal people.”
• Sean Pamphilon quit his job as a producer in sports television to hit the road with two friends and begin filming the documentary. In the following 28 days, they interviewed approximately 30 intimates in Miami, New Orleans, Texas and San Diego.
• The original plan for this film was to be totally independent, take 5-6 months and be completed by the Super Bowl in early ’05. Over the next few years the plan changed several times, until Ricky and Sean both agreed the best place for the film to air would be on the very network (ESPN) that covered so much of his troubles.

Straight Outta L.A. (Directed by Ice Cube)

• Raiders gear was the top seller in the league for a number of years because of its association with rap as well as the exposure it received in music videos.
• N.W.A. did not call themselves a rap group; they referred to themselves as a gang who rapped about their experiences. This then coined the term “gangsta rap.”
• According to Al Davis, the inspiration to add silver to the Raiders’ uniforms came from seeing the success that shoe retailer Stuart Weitzman had selling silver women’s shoes in Oakland.

Birth of Big Air (Directed by Jeff Tremaine, Produced by Johnny Knoxville and Spike Jonze)

• Hoffman went from virtually unknown to a sponsored rider with just one event – a bicycle freestyle championship at Madison Square Garden in 1986.
• Because he got tired of going to the hospital so often, Hoffman used to carry around his own suture kit to stitch up his own injuries.
• Hoffman has had a total of two comas, 21 broken bones, 23 surgeries, 100+ concussions and 300+ stitches.

Jordan Rides the Bus (Directed by Ron Shelton)

• On the day it was announced that Michael Jordan would be playing for the team, more Birmingham Barons tickets were sold in half a day then in the entire year before.
• Current Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was the manager of the Birmingham Barons when Jordan joined the team in 1994.

One Night In Vegas (Directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood)

Among those interviewed for the documentary were:

• Hip hop artist Nas
• Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton
• Actor Mickey Rourke
• Poet/Author Dr. Maya Angelou
• Former C.E.O. Death Row Records Marion “Suge” Knight
• Former heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon

Guru of Go (Directed by Bill Couturie)

• Paul Westhead is the only coach to win a WNBA and NBA title.
• Hank Gathers and his brother, Derrick, would break into the local gym at night to play basketball until 3 a.m.
• Being a former teacher, Paul Westhead used to quote Shakespeare to players to motivate and teach them life lessons.
• In a February 1990 LMU/LSU game, Hank racked up a total of 48 points—the most any player has ever gotten against Shaquille O’Neal.

That’s going to do it.

ESPN’s 30 for 30 Series Ends On A High Note

The last documentary in the “30 for 30″ series, Pony Excess, received very good ratings for ESPN, garnering a 1.8 final rating and a respectable audience of 2.5 million viewers. There will be a couple of more 30 for 30 films in 2011, but they won’t be scheduled weekly as they were the last couple of years. We have the final ratings of the series plus some highlights. We’ll require a jump break.

Critically Acclaimed ‘30 for 30’ Wraps up with Pony Exce$$ – ESPN’s Most-Watched Documentary

           

ESPN Films  wrapped up the critically acclaimed “30 for 30” films with Thaddeus D. Matula’s Pony Exce$$, Saturday, Dec. 11, immediately following the Heisman Trophy presentation, earning a 1.8 rating, according to Nielsen. That represents an average of 1,843,000 million homes (2.517,000 viewers, P2+) to become ESPN’s most-watched documentary of all time. 

Pony Exce$$ edged out Billy Corben’s The U, which earned a 1.8 rating (1,801,000 homes, 2.368,000 viewers) in December 2009, and Jon Hock’s The Best That Never Was, which earned a 1.8  rating (1,760,000 homes, 2,229,000 viewers) last month. Overall, the “30 for 30” slate of 30 films averaged a 1.0 rating (958,000 homes, 1,193,000 viewers).  The series, created in celebration of ESPN’s 30^th anniversary, not only highlighted some of the most memorable moments in sports history but examined the impact that they had on pop culture and society as a whole.

“Storytelling is at the heart of what ESPN does – whether on TV, online, radio or in print – in our features, game summaries, event productions or, of course, documentaries,” says John Skipper, executive vice president, content, ESPN. “The positive feedback from media and fans shows there is an audience for long-form, high-quality storytelling, and it belongs on ESPN.”

Connor Schell, executive producer, ESPN Films, adds, “We worked with an extraordinary group of directors for the ’30 for 30’ series. Due to the enormous creativity of the storytellers, the collection of films was as interesting in style as in subject matter. We intend to continue making quality, point-of-view films going forward.”

Highlights for the series include –

• Airing in March 2010 on NCAA men’s basketball’s “Selection Sunday,” Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, directed by Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores, posted a 1.5 rating, the fourth highest ever for an ESPN documentary and the highest-rated show ever in the time slot following the Bracketology program.

• The Two Escobars has played at the prestigious 2010 Tribeca, Cannes and Los Angeles Film Festivals, garnering critical acclaim. Its televised premiere June 21 was ESPN Deportes’ top-rated documentary ever with a 1.2 Hispanic household rating.

• “30 for 30″ won the 2010 International Documentary Association’s “Distinguished Continuing Series” award.

Although major markets nationwide played a big role in the success of the series, it was the Southeast that was the biggest supporter, posting the highest average market rating per film. Birmingham, Charlotte and Louisville were the three top markets for the “30 for 30” series, averaging a 2.0, 1.6 and 1.5 respectively. Smaller markets that posted the highest rating for select films include Birmingham (3.6 for Jordan Rides the Bus), Austin (2.2 for Run Ricky Run) and Knoxville (2.0 for Tim Richmond: To the Limit). 

On several occasions the city or location being depicted in the film was not the top-rated market for that film. Notably, The U earned a 5.6 rating in Birmingham while Miami came in sixth with a 3.3. Additionally, Straight Outta L.A. rated the highest in Miami with a 2.0 while Los Angeles came in seventh (0.8). 

And after the jump, some more fun facts from some of the more popular documentaries.
Here are the aforementioned highlights.

“30 for 30? Film Facts

With the series coming to an end, here are some “film facts” on a few of the documentaries that garnered critical acclaim over the past 18 months.

Kings Ransom (Directed by Peter Berg)

• Kings Ransom features never-before-seen footage of Wayne Gretzky’s wedding to Janet Jones.
• Peter Berg, a dedicated Los Angeles Kings fan even before Gretzky joined the team, has been a close friend of Wayne’s since the 1990s, when they played in a softball tournament together.
• Berg’s next project will be directing Universal’s feature adaptation of the popular board game Battleship.

The Band That Wouldn’t Die (Directed by Barry Levinson)

• 43 interviews were conducted including one with Jim Irsay, son of the man who took the team away in the middle of the night. Levinson thought that enough time had passed – 25 years – that he might want to talk about it.
• During the 12 years Baltimore was without a professional football team, the Baltimore Colts Marching Band still performed at events including The Preakness, 4^th of July parade, Cleveland Browns halftime and the 1991 Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.
• Baltimore’s Marching Ravens is an all-volunteer organization comprising more than 300 musicians, flagline, color guard and equipment crew. It is the largest musical organization associated with the NFL. The members come from all over Maryland and several surrounding states to practice every week from March to the end of the football season.

The Legend of Jimmy The Greek (Directed by Fritz Mitchell)

• Jimmy threw legendary Super Bowl parties that included many Hollywood celebrities and sometimes went on for a week at a time. For one Super Bowl, he rented a penthouse suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Because Warren Beatty was renting the other, Jimmy hired a guy to give haircuts in his suite so guests wouldn’t leave to go to Beatty’s. 
• Gerry Ford is famous for pardoning Richard Nixon, but during his brief presidency he also pardoned Jimmy. In a petition to the President for The Greek’s pardon, the FBI Director Clarence M. Kelley stated that Jimmy was an informant for the FBI. 

Without Bias (Directed by Kirk Frasier)

• Fraser initially recorded interviews with people who knew Len Bias in an effort to find out who Bias really was, with the intent to write a script for a motion picture. The interviews were compelling enough that he decided to produce the documentary first.
• In 1988, Congress passed a stricter Anti-Drug Act that is known as The Len Bias Law. It was backed by both parties and it reinforced the previous Drug Law with stiffer penalties and created the DARE program.

The U (Directed by Billy Corben)

• Because of low ticket sales in the late ‘70s, the local Burger King would give away tickets to the Miami Hurricane games just to fill the seats.
• In the 1992 Orange bowl, Nebraska, which was actually the home team, had requested Miami not run out of the tunnel with their signature smoke. At the last minute Miami’s mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, went out and borrowed a fire extinguisher from the local firehouse so the team could run through the tunnel with smoke.
• Among the 38 program insiders interviewed for the documentary were: players Bennie Blades, Melvin Bratton, Alonzo Highsmith, Michael Irvin, Bernie Kosar, Santana Moss, Brett Perriman, Jeremy Shockey and former head coaches Dennis Erickson, Jimmy Johnson and Howard Schnellenberger.

Muhammad and Larry (Directed by Albert Maysles)

• Albert Maysles is the only person with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews of both Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes in the two months leading up to their epic fight.
• Kool & The Gang re-wrote their hit song “Ladies Night” with lyrics specifically for Larry Holmes. Holmes is seen singing along to it in the film.
• Muhammad Ali’s training facility had a camp-like atmosphere. People of all ages would go to watch him practice, tell jokes and even do magic tricks.

Silly Little Game (Directed by Adam Kurkland and Lucas Jansen)

• In 1981, the members of the Rotisserie League tried to pool their resources and buy an actual baseball team: a double-A minor league franchise in Massachusetts called the Holyoke Millers, whose owners were looking to sell. Their $85,000 bid was matched by a local group and the owners gave it to them instead. The new owners later sold the franchise for four million dollars, a profit of more than 4500%.
• The legendary meeting in Manhattan at La Rotisserie Francaise restaurant, during which Dan Okrent planted the New York seeds for the Rotisserie League, was actually his second attempt to get friends involved. The first effort was at a barbecue restaurant in Austin, Texas.
• In the early 1980s there was little space in sports publications to cover insider information on injuries and other vital details. To make smarter trades, the Rotisserie Leaguers resorted to calling the offices of Major League teams and posing as reporters for fictional sports publications, in order to talk their way through to the trainer or assistant coach who could give them precious pearls of backstage dish.

Run Ricky Run (Directed by Sean Pamphilon and Royce Toni)

• Most people think his decision to retire was spontaneous, but Ricky told his sister, Nisey, around the same time that he felt “football isn’t my gift, I’m supposed to heal people.”
• Sean Pamphilon quit his job as a producer in sports television to hit the road with two friends and begin filming the documentary. In the following 28 days, they interviewed approximately 30 intimates in Miami, New Orleans, Texas and San Diego.
• The original plan for this film was to be totally independent, take 5-6 months and be completed by the Super Bowl in early ’05. Over the next few years the plan changed several times, until Ricky and Sean both agreed the best place for the film to air would be on the very network (ESPN) that covered so much of his troubles.

Straight Outta L.A. (Directed by Ice Cube)

• Raiders gear was the top seller in the league for a number of years because of its association with rap as well as the exposure it received in music videos.
• N.W.A. did not call themselves a rap group; they referred to themselves as a gang who rapped about their experiences. This then coined the term “gangsta rap.”
• According to Al Davis, the inspiration to add silver to the Raiders’ uniforms came from seeing the success that shoe retailer Stuart Weitzman had selling silver women’s shoes in Oakland.

Birth of Big Air (Directed by Jeff Tremaine, Produced by Johnny Knoxville and Spike Jonze)

• Hoffman went from virtually unknown to a sponsored rider with just one event – a bicycle freestyle championship at Madison Square Garden in 1986.
• Because he got tired of going to the hospital so often, Hoffman used to carry around his own suture kit to stitch up his own injuries.
• Hoffman has had a total of two comas, 21 broken bones, 23 surgeries, 100+ concussions and 300+ stitches.

Jordan Rides the Bus (Directed by Ron Shelton)

• On the day it was announced that Michael Jordan would be playing for the team, more Birmingham Barons tickets were sold in half a day then in the entire year before.
• Current Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was the manager of the Birmingham Barons when Jordan joined the team in 1994.

One Night In Vegas (Directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood)

Among those interviewed for the documentary were:

• Hip hop artist Nas
• Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton
• Actor Mickey Rourke
• Poet/Author Dr. Maya Angelou
• Former C.E.O. Death Row Records Marion “Suge” Knight
• Former heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon

Guru of Go (Directed by Bill Couturie)

• Paul Westhead is the only coach to win a WNBA and NBA title.
• Hank Gathers and his brother, Derrick, would break into the local gym at night to play basketball until 3 a.m.
• Being a former teacher, Paul Westhead used to quote Shakespeare to players to motivate and teach them life lessons.
• In a February 1990 LMU/LSU game, Hank racked up a total of 48 points—the most any player has ever gotten against Shaquille O’Neal.

That’s going to do it.

A Look Back At ESPN’s 30 for 30 Series

With the 30 for 30 series coming to an end, one of the most ambitious projects to bring documentaries to span the last 30 years in sports has been a joy to watch. I’ve seen most of the films and I’ll do a ranking of the best of the series down the road. First, this comes from ESPN Films and it’s a trailer showing the highlights of each of the documentaries in the series.

That will do it for the night.

ESPN 30 for 30 DVD Gift Set, Volume 1 To Be Released in December

The critically acclaimed ESPN 30 for 30 documentary series is coming out on DVD just in time for the holiday shopping season. On December 7, the first half of the series will be released on six DVD’s. In this set includes King’s Ransom, The Band That Wouldn’t Die, June 17th, 1994 among others. Included will be deleted scenes, bonus features and interviews that did not make the final cut.

We have the release for you.

ESPN Presents ESPN Films ‘30 for 30’ DVD Gift Set – Volume 1 with First 15 Films from the Critically Acclaimed Film Series on December 7

ESPN Home Entertainment, in conjunction with Team Marketing, will release ESPN Films “30 for 30” Gift Set – Volume 1, which includes the first 15 films from the critically acclaimed series, on December 7, 2010 in time for holiday gift buying and the culmination of the series’ 18-month run on ESPN.  The six-disc “30 for 30” gift set, the first in a series of a three-part collection, presents extraordinary sports stories from the last 30 years from the creative vision of some of today’s finest directors.

From Barry Levinson and Peter Berg to Steve James, Brett Morgen and Ice Cube, each filmmaker brings their unique perspective and a universal love of sports to their film.  The films were official selections from the Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca and South by Southwest Film Festivals, making this collection of remarkable films a must-have for any film fan.  Additionally, the series is among the highest rated documentaries on ESPN.

Among the films in ESPN Films “30 for 30” Gift Set – Volume 1 are:  Kings Ransom directed by Peter Berg, The Band That Wouldn’t Die directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson, Muhammad & Larry by Academy Award-nominee Albert Maysles and Bradley Kaplan, The U by Billy Corben, Winning Time:  Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks by Peabody Award-winner director Dan Klores, No Crossover:  The Trial of Allen Iverson directed by Academy Award-nominee Steve James, Straight Outta L.A. directed by Ice Cube and June 17^th, 1994 by Academy Award-nominee Brett Morgen.   The complete list of films and information included here. 

In addition to the first 15 films in the series, the six-disc gift set includes more than four hours of bonus features, including deleted scenes, extended interviews, trailers and director’s statements.  Total running time is 1161 Minutes.

The “30 for 30” Gift Set has a suggested retail price of $74.95 (DVD).

Street Date:                                            December 7, 2010

Direct prebook:                                        10/12/10

Distributor prebook:                                 10/26/10

Street Date:                                             12/07/10

Pricing:                                                   $74.95 SRP (DVD)

Run Time:                                               1161 Minutes               

Aspect Ratio:                                           Widescreen

Audio:                                                      Stereo

Languages:                                             English

Close Captions:                                       Yes

Film Festival Selections

Official Selection – 2009 Toronto International Film Festival: Kings Ransom, The Band That Wouldn’t Die

Official Selection – 2010 Sundance Film Festival:  Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs The New York Knicks

Official Selection – 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival:  No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson

Official Selection – 2010 Tribeca Film Festival:  Straight Outta L.A.

The gift set release will be supported with a national consumer sweepstakes giving fans a chance to win a trip for two to the 2011 Tribeca / ESPN Sports Film Festival.

                          

ESPN Films “30 for 30” Gift Set – Volume 1 DVD cover art

And there you have it. Having all of the screeners thus far and seen most of the series, this would be a very worthwhile gift.

Preview of ESPN 30 for 30: Into the Wind

On Tuesday, ESPN will air a documentary directed by two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and Ezra Holland on one of the Greatest Canadians Terry Fox. You might be familiar with his story. Fox was diagnosed with cancer and decided that he would try to raise $1 for every Canadian for cancer research and start the Marathon of Hope, an ambitious run across Canada. Fox would do it running on a prosthetic leg and he had to stop two-thirds of the way through his run.

Fox’s legacy and courage lives on through the annual Terry Fox Run both in Canada and worldwide. Here’s the trailer of the documentary that airs Tuesday night at 8 on ESPN.

Here’s a scene from the documentary where Terry enters Toronto and finds the run is capturing Canada’s imagination.

I hope to have a review of the documentary before it airs.

You can find out more about Terry Fox at the Terry Fox Foundation.

Review of 30 for 30 – "Unmatched"

This is a review of the latest ESPN “30 for 30″ documentary, “Unmatched” on the rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The two dominated women’s tennis from the mid-1970′s through the late 1980′s. Evert and Navratilova played each other 80 times, Martina held the edge, 43-37, but both have won the same amount of Grand Slam titles with 18. They even won two doubles titles together, the 1975 French Open and 1976 Wimbledon. While their rivalry has been well chronicled, what has been, is their friendship.

As with previous 30 for 30 documentaries, there’s no narrator. Directors Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters have Chris and Martina talk about their friendship and rivalry. It’s probably the best way coming from their sources directly. And often, the two are in the same shot talking to each other. Both are relaxed and share a laugh. It’s easy to see why they’re friends and how they became friends.

The documentary traces their beginnings, Chris came from an upper middle class family in Florida. Her father pushed her to play tennis at an early age. And while Chris was easy going at first, you could see the competitive edge come out later. She admitted that she would get angry and break rackets during practices, a habit that her father would stop. Thus, Chris stopped showing emotion on the court and not allow her opponents to get an edge.

Martina grew up in communist Czechoslovakia. Her parents divorced when she was three. She eventually took the name of her stepfather who became her first tennis coach. At age 18, Martina decided to defect from her native country and asked for political asylum in the United States, a very bold step for a teenager.

From there, Chris and Martina were embroiled in one of the best rivalries in sports. At first, the two were friends. Evert had the upper hand in the rivalry. Martina came to the US and gained 20 pounds seeing that food was in abundance. When they first played in a tournament in Akron, Navratilova admitted that she was out of shape and Chris ran her all over the court. Evert said she knew if Martina got in shape, she would be a real threat. This would come into fruition.

Some interesting things that came out in the documentary. Chris saying she was the tough one. While the media portrayed Evert as America’s Sweetheart, she had a tough exterior and interior. Martina would show her emotions on the court, often crying after an emotional match.

In addition, Chris said she ended her doubles relationship with Martina feeling Navratilova was learning her game and using it to beat her. Chris now admits that was a mistake. And Evert said she wished she could be more like Martina.

The documentary only touched on the period when Martina had Nancy Lieberman train her to become the number one ranked player in the world. It was during this time where the friendship was interrupted. Lieberman told Navratilova that in order to be number one, she had to hate Chris and they could no longer be friends. I would have liked to have seen more time spent on this, but it was blown through very quickly.

Throughout the documentary, we see some personal photos of the two and it climaxes where Martina returns to her native Czechoslovakia to take part in a Federation Cup match in 1986, at this point, she has become an American citizen. She’s welcomed back to her country with open arms and takes Chris to her hometown. It’s a very warm moment.

Overall, a very good documentary. Hannah Storm produced the documentary and this is very good effort by the 30 for 30 crew. My grade, B+.

ESPN Announces 30 for 30 Fall Documentary Lineup

The critically acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary series starts its final stage of films and it will air in late August through early November, then finish with a flourish with a two hour flick. Among the highlights: Bull Durham Director Ron Shelton will kick off the fall series on Michael Jordan’s stint in Minor League Baseball, Barbara Kopple has a film on George Steinbrenner and ESPN anchor Hannah Storm has produced a documentary on the Chris Evert-Martina Navratilova rivalry. Here’s the press release from ESPN.

ESPN Films Announces ‘30 for 30’ Fall Schedule

Alex Gibney, Steve Nash, Ron Shelton and John Singleton among the next group of filmmakers; four new films announced

ESPN Films has announced the fall schedule for its critically acclaimed film series 30 for 30. The series’ remaining films will begin airing Tuesday, Aug. 24, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD, and will be aired Tuesday nights throughout the fall. New films added to the lineup include Little Big Men (Al Szymanski and Peter Franchella), Unmatched (Directors: Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters; Producer: Hannah Storm), Four Days in October (Major League Baseball Productions) and Pony Excess (Thaddeus D. Matula). These films join the previously announced Jordan Rides the Bus, One Night in Vegas, The House of Steinbrenner, Marion Jones: Press Pause, Steve Bartman: Catching Hell, Tim Richmond: To the Limit, Once Brothers, Into The Wind and The Best That Never Was. 

The schedule:

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 8 p.m. – Jordan Rides the Bus (Ron Shelton)

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m. –  Little Big Men (Al Szymanski and Peter Franchella)

Tuesday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m. – One Night in Vegas (Reggie Bythewood)

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m. – Unmatched  (Directors: Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters; Producer: Hannah Storm)

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. – The House of Steinbrenner (Barbara Kopple)

Tuesday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m. – Into The Wind (Steve Nash)

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m. – Four Days in October (Major League Baseball Productions)

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 8 pm. – Once Brothers (NBA Entertainment)

Tuesday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m. – Tim Richmond: To the Limit (Rory Karpf )

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m. – Steve Bartman: Catching Hell (Alex Gibney)

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 8 p.m. –  Marion Jones: Press Pause (John Singleton)

Tuesday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m. – Pony Excess (Thaddeus D. Matula)

*Saturday, Dec. 11, 9 p.m. – The Best That Never Was (Jonathan Hock) * two hours

Summaries of each film come up after the break.
As promised, here are the synopses of each film.

Film summaries

Jordan Rides the Bus (Ron Shelton)

In the fall of 1993, in his prime and at the summit of the sports world, Michael Jordan walked away from pro basketball. After leading the Dream Team to an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and taking the Chicago Bulls to their third consecutive NBA championship the following year, Jordan was jolted by the murder of his father. Was it the brutal loss of such an anchor in his life that caused the world’s most famous athlete to rekindle a childhood ambition by playing baseball? Or some feeling that he had nothing left to prove or conquer in basketball? Or something deeper and perhaps not yet understood? Academy Award-nominated director Ron Shelton, a former minor leaguer who brought his experiences to life in the classic movie Bull Durham, will revisit Jordan’s short career in the minor leagues and explore the motivations that drove the world’s most competitive athlete to play a new sport in the relative obscurity of Birmingham, Ala., for a young manager named Terry Francona.

Little Big Men (Al Szymanski and Peter Franchella)

On August 28, 1982, Cody Webster and a small group of schoolyard friends from Kirkland, Wash., sat anxiously in a dugout waiting to take the field for the championship game of the Little League World Series. Their focus was just about what you’d expect from any 12-year-old: hit the ball, throw strikes, cross your fingers and then maybe – maybe – you’ll win. Adults in the stands and watching from home saw a much broader field of play. The memories of American hostages and a crippling oil crisis were still fresh; the economic malaise of the late 1970s still lingered; and the new President was recovering from an assassination attempt even while confronting new threats from the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, back on that tiny baseball field in Williamsport, Pa., where America’s game was celebrated each summer, no American team had won a true international Little League World Series Championship in more than a decade. When the Kirkland players rushed from their dugout that day, they stepped onto a much bigger field than the one they saw. What they did, how they did it, and what happened to each of the players in the years that followed is a multi-faceted story. Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Al Szymanski and Peter Franchella will examine what became of a group of childhood teammates when the high point in their athletic lives occurred before their lives had really begun.

One Night in Vegas (Reggie Bythewood)

On the evening of September 7, 1996, Mike Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion, attempted to take Bruce Seldon’s WBA title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. At this point in his career, Tyson’s fights had become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, where the ever present hype of the professional boxing scene would come face to face with the worlds of big business, Hollywood, and hip hop. Sitting ringside was controversial rapper Tupac Shakur. Shakur and Tyson were friends; a feeling of kinship linked them as each rose to stardom from poverty only to be thrown in prison. Following Tyson’s victory, Shakur and “Iron Mike” were to celebrate at an after party, but the rap star never arrived. Shakur was brutally gunned down later that night, and the scene in Las Vegas quickly turned from would be celebratory revelry to ill fated and inopportune tragedy. Director Reggie Bythewood, with the full cooperation of Mike Tyson, will tell not only the story of that infamous night but of the remarkable friendship between Tyson and Tupac.

Unmatched (Directors: Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters; Producer: Hannah Storm)

The first time Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova stepped onto a tennis court together, the world scarcely noticed. Only a few hundred spectators saw the pert 18-year-old beat the scrappy 16-year-old Czech in 1973. “I remember that she was fat,” Evert recalled. “She was very emotional on the court, whining if she didn’t feel she was playing well. But I remember thinking, if she loses weight, we’re all in trouble.” Said Navratilova, “My goal was for her to remember my name.” Eighty matches later – amid the extraordinary growth of women’s tennis – Evert not only remembered, but became a tried and true friend and confidante, remarkable considering the two appeared to be polar opposites in upbringing, life styles and personal relationships. Through a series of personal conversations between Evert and Navratilova, filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters, along with producer Hannah Storm, will tell the story of one of the greatest one-on-one sports rivalries and capture these two extraordinary athletes’ views on tennis and an ever-changing world.

The House of Steinbrenner (Barbara Kopple)

Love them or hate them, the Yankees remain the most successful team in American sports history. Behind George M. Steinbrenner, a man who at his passing in July 2010 has proven to be as iconic to the team as its pinstripes, the Yankees restored their storied sports stature with seven World Championships. Through all the ups and downs of his reign, “The Boss” managed to link the legends and legacy of Yankees past to Yankees present, and in so doing, assured the passage of older generations of Yankee fans to a younger generation that promises to carry forward well into the 21^st century. An essential part of that accomplishment included the closing of the old Yankee Stadium and the construction of a new one, and the passing of ownership from George himself to his heirs, led by his younger son, Hal.  Two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple documents this historic moment of transition for the team, the family and its fans, all of which was magnificently capped off with the Yankees’ 27th World Championship.  

Into The Wind (Steve Nash)
In 1980, Terry Fox continued his fight against bone cancer with the pursuit of a singular, motivating vision: to run across Canada. Three years after having his right leg amputated six inches above the knee after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, Fox set out to cover more than a marathon’s distance each day until he reached the shores of Victoria, British Columbia. Anonymous at the start of his journey, Fox steadily captured the heart of a nation with his Marathon of Hope.  However the 21-year old BC native’s goal was not fame, but to spread awareness and raise funds for cancer research. After 143 days and two-thirds of the way across Canada, with the eyes of a country watching, Fox’s journey came to an abrupt end when newly discovered tumors took over his body. Two-time NBA MVP, proud Canadian, and first-time filmmaker Steve Nash will share Fox’s incredible story of perseverance and hope.

Four Days in October (Major League Baseball Productions)

When the night of October 6, 2004 came to a merciful end, the Curse of the Bambino was alive and well. The vaunted Yankee lineup, led by A-Rod, Jeter, and Sheffield, had just extended their ALCS lead to three games to none, pounding out 19 runs against their hated rivals. The next night, in Game 4, the Yankees took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, then turned the game over to Mariano Rivera, the best relief pitcher in postseason history, to secure yet another trip to the World Series. But after a walk and a hard-fought stolen base, the cold October winds of change began to blow. Over four consecutive days and nights, this unlikely group of Red Sox miraculously won four straight games to overcome the inevitability of their destiny. Using extensive archive coverage from that week, Major League Baseball Productions will produce a film in “real-time” that takes an in-depth look at the 96 hours that brought salvation to Red Sox Nation and made baseball history in the process.

Once Brothers (NBA Entertainment)

Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they both went to America where they became the first two foreign players to attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic’s Croatia and Divac’s Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And these two men, once blood brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the basketball courts of the NBA, only hatred passed between the two. Then, on the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. Once Brothers will tell the gripping tale of these two men, how circumstances beyond their control tore apart their friendship, and whether Divac has ever come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to reconcile.

Tim Richmond: To the Limit (Rory Karpf)
Natural. Rock star. Outsider. In the 1980s, race car driver Tim Richmond lived his life the way he raced cars – wide open. Born into a wealthy family, Richmond was the antithesis of the Southern, blue-collar, dirt-track racers who dominated NASCAR. He also was a flamboyant showman who basked in the attention of the media and fans – especially the attention of female admirers. Nevertheless, it was Richmond’s on-track performances that ended up drawing comparisons to racing legends. And in 1986, when he won seven NASCAR races and finished third in the Winston Cup series points race, some believed he was on the verge of stardom. But soon his freewheeling lifestyle caught up to him. He unexpectedly withdrew from the NASCAR racing circuit, reportedly suffering from double pneumonia. In reality, the diagnosis was much more dire: He had AIDS. Richmond returned to the track in 1987, but he was gone from the sport by the next year as his health deteriorated. He spent his final days as a recluse, dying on August 13, 1989, at the age of 34. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rory Karpf will examine the life and tragic death of one of NASCAR’s shooting stars.

Steve Bartman: Catching Hell (Alex Gibney)

With five outs remaining in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, a foul ball descended from the cold Chicago sky, seemingly destined for the glove of Cubs left fielder Moises Alou. But a flurry of hands reached up from the left field stands, and one hand, belonging to Cubs fan Steve Bartman, fatefully tipped the ball away from a frustrated Alou. As the cameras subsequently isolated on Bartman trying to stay composed in the stands, most long-suffering Cubs fans, including a chorus of hostile ones in Wrigley Field, quickly became convinced that he had swatted away Chicago’s chance of advancing to the World Series for the first time 58 years. Even though he was one of many who reached for a ball that appeared to them clearly out of play, and even though Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez booted an apparent inning-ending double play ball, and even though the Cubs still had a Game 7 left to try to win it, Steve Bartman became the most reviled man in Chicago. The mild-mannered Bartman released a sincere public apology, but his fate was already sealed by the Cubs fans’ need for a scapegoat to explain a near-century of losing. Although Cubs Nation has since moved on to other seasons and other losses, Bartman remains ostracized from a community he lives in and a team he once loved. Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney relates the scapegoat compulsion to his own frustration as a Red Sox fan when Bill Buckner was similarly singled out for letting a fateful ground ball go through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Gibney engages Buckner and his story as a means of exploring what has kept Bartman so silent despite highly lucrative offers to tell his side of the story, and what has led many fans and media people in Chicago to now act as if the whole notorious incident never even took place. 

Marion Jones: Press Pause (John Singleton)

Few athletes in Olympic history have reached such heights and depths as Marion Jones. After starring at the University of North Carolina and winning gold at the 1997 and 1999 World Track and Field Championships, her rise to the top culminated at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. There, she captivated the world with her beauty, style and athletic dominance, sprinting and jumping to three gold medals and two bronze. Eventually, though, her accomplishments and her reputation would be tarnished. For years, Jones denied the increasing speculation that she used performance-enhancing drugs. But in October 2007, she finally admitted what so many had long suspected – that she had indeed used steroids. Jones was sentenced to six months in prison for lying to federal investigators and soon saw her Olympic achievements disqualified. Now a free woman, Jones is running in a new direction in life and taking time to reflect. Oscar-nominated director John Singleton will focus on the evolution of Marion Jones.

Pony Excess (Thaddeus D. Matula)

From 1981-1984, a small private school in Dallas owned the best record in college football. The Mustangs of Southern Methodist University (SMU) were riding high on the backs of the vaunted “Pony Express” backfield. But as the middle of the decade approached, the program was coming apart at the seams. Wins became the only thing that mattered as the University increasingly ceded power of the football program to the city’s oil barons and real estate tycoons and flagrant and frequent NCAA violations became the norm. On February 25, 1987, the school and the sport were rocked, as the NCAA meted out “the death penalty” on a college football program for the first and only time in its history. SMU would be without football for two years, and the fan base would be without an identity for 20 more until the Mustangs’ win in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl. This is the story of Dallas in the 1980′s and the greed, power, and corruption that spilled from the oil fields onto the football field and all the way to the Governor’s Mansion. Director Thaddeus D. Matula, a product of the SMU film school, chronicles the rise, fall, and rebirth of this once mighty team.

The Best That Never Was (Jonathan Hock)

In 1981, college athletic recruiting changed forever as a dozen big-time football programs sat waiting for the decision by a physically powerful and lightning-quick high school running back named Marcus Dupree. Having already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, Dupree attracted recruiters from schools in every major conference to his hometown of Philadelphia, Miss. More than a decade removed from being a flashpoint in the civil rights struggle, Philadelphia was once again thrust back into the national spotlight. Dupree took the attention in stride, and committed to Oklahoma. What followed, though, was a forgettable college career littered with conflict, injury and oversized expectations. Eight-time Emmy Award winner Jonathan Hock will examine why this star burned out so young and how he ultimately used football to redeem himself.

The series

“30 for 30” is an unprecedented documentary series featuring 30 films from some of today’s finest storytellers. Each filmmaker brings their passion and personal point of view to their film detailing the issues, trends, athletes, teams, rivalries, games and events that transformed the sports landscape from 1979 to 2009.  Crossing the barriers of sports, the films reflect on the impact these events had across the pop culture spectrum. 

Select films from the series are available for purchase on iTunes the day following air. Additional films are available for purchase at www.amazon.com/30for30.

That’s it.

Review of 30 for 30 – "The Two Escobars"

This is a review of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary, “The Two Escobars“. Produced and directed by brothers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist, it’s a film that explores the difference and also the shocking connections between two Colombians, the infamous Pablo Escobar, the head of the powerful Medellin drug cartel, and the beloved Andres Escobar, a rising soccer star and captain of the Colombian national soccer team.

The documentary looks at the events leading up to the death of the two men and how the marriage of drug money and sports led to the rise of Colombia as a favorite for the 1994 World Cup. And it also shows how the assassination of Andres Escobar was part of ultimate chaos in the country.

The film begins in 1994 as Colombia is preparing to play the United States in group play at the World Cup. Colombia, a heavy favorite against the U.S., comes into the game having lost to Romania in its opening match. Andres Escobar’s teammates admit coming into the game tight and nervous, thinking about their families as death threats have come in. Then as the US was attacking, Andres Escobar accidentally kicks the ball into his own net and the Colombians eventually lose, 1-0 and are eliminated from the World Cup.

That incident is the culmination of several events that eventually leads to Escobar’s death. But before we get to that inexplicable murder, the Zimbalists take us back to the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar. How he came to be linked to the Colombian soccer team and how his power allowed him to be friends with many players with the exception of Andres.

We’re shown how Pablo, born into poverty, goes from stealing cars into trafficking drugs, mainly cocaine. It makes him a very rich man and it gives him enough money to start giving back to poor communities building soccer fields and giving kids hope for a brighter future. His power enables him to buy a soccer team, stock it with the best players and coaches and make into a champion.

Andres Esocbar also comes from humble beginnings, but he plays soccer, showing his ability that makes coaches notice. He plays for the team that Pablo owns, but ignores the fact that he’s a drug lord. Andres wants to play and use soccer to improve not only his own condition, but also Colombia’s. He’s aware of Pablo’s ruthless ways and he knows that as part of the team, he has to pay visits to his palatial estates, but he does his best not to associate with Pablo.

As Pablo gains more power, he’s able to buy off politicians. Those who oppose him are ruthlessly assassinated. In addition, Pablo is very interested in soccer. He and other drug lords use teams to launder money and are able to inflate the value of players to make more money. This marriage allows Colombia to become one of the favorites for the World Cup in 1994.

But as Pablo gets more ruthless and controls the cocaine market thanks to a growing demand in the United States, both the governments in the US and Colombia declare war on Escobar. His enemies decide they have to do something. But Escobar goes one step better by having enough influence on politicians where they pass a law onto Colombia’s constitution that prevents criminals from being extradited to face charges in other countries. He’s also to turn himself in and dictate the prison where he’ll be held.

Once in prison, he’s visited by the national soccer team including Andres who makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with Pablo, that’s he going to the prison because he has to.

Eventually, the government tries to extradict Pablo, he escapes, but his enemies go after him with bloody results. It leads to tremendous civil unrest.

The soccer team tries to show that it’s above the chaos that has beset the country. Colombia’s president has embraced Andres and his teammates as the image the country wants to present to the world. Colombia breezes through World Cup qualifying and establishes itself as a favorite to win the trophy. But after losing its opening game to Romania, the team receives death threats from gamblers.

One team member’s brother is murdered back home. The coach is instructed to bench one of its best players for the game against the U.S. And instead of being focused on the task at hand, the players are distracted by the unrest surrounding the team. And then there’s the own goal by Andres Escobar that leads to Colombia’s defeat at the hands of the U.S. and the elimination from the World Cup.

This is an amazing documentary. It goes for two hours, but you do not notice the length at all. There is no narrator as is the style of “30 for 30″, but there are numerous interviews with people close to both Escobars, Andres’ sister and fiancee, Pablo’s right hand man and many others who lived through the tumultuous time. The interviews are mostly in Spanish and subtitled, but the documentary is so compelling, that you find them to be easy to follow.

The Zimbalists find rare footage of Pablo and Andres Escobar to fill the documtary. This footage gives us a perspective into the two men and also provides us the background on what life in Colombia was like.

I keep saying it in each review, but this is truly the best documentary of the “30 for 30″ series and easily could be one of the best films I have seen in the last 10 years. It’s that good.

The Zimbalists provide the facts and details with true care. An excellent documentary that deserves an A+. This is close to being a perfect documentary.

If you missed the premiere, ESPN Classic will run “The Two Escobars” this Saturday at 10 p.m. Eastern. ESPN2 will have multiple re-airs including July 2 at 1 a.m. Eastern and again on July 4 at 1 p.m.

Here are a couple of clips from the documentary. This looks at the team Pablo owned.

And this explains how Escobar and other drug lords were heavily involved in Colombian soccer.

Finally, the trailer of “The Two Escobars” that was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

If you have a chance, watch the documentary. You won’t be disappointed.

Review of 30 for 30 – "June 17th, 1994"

This is a review of the ESPN “30 for 30″ documentary titled “June 17th, 1994” directed by Brett Morgen.

As in the previous “30 for 30″ documentaries, there is not a narrator. “June 17th, 1994″ goes one step further by not even providing talking head interviews to give perspective. Instead, existing news and sports footage and previously unaired behind-the-scenes footage are provided to give us the narrative which pieces together a day that was not only historic in sports, but also changed American culture in many ways.

Morgen provides some background as to what happened. Previous to June 17, the New York Rangers had won their first NHL Stanley Cup Championship since 1940. Legendary golfer Arnold Palmer was playing in his final U.S. Open at Oakmont. And several days prior to June 17, O.J. Simpson’s estranged wife, Nicole and her friend, Ronald Goldman were found murdered at her home.

On June 17, New York held a parade for the Rangers. The New York Knicks were playing in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden that night. Palmer was playing in what would be his final round at the U.S. Open before going to the PGA Senior Tour. The World Cup was starting in Chicago and Ken Griffey of the Seattle Mariners would tie Babe Ruth for most home runs before June 30th.

But none of those events would captivate an American TV audience that day and night as the unscripted drama that unfolded. Morgen tells the story as the day began in Los Angeles. He uses sports footage from ESPN (World Cup and U.S. Open), NBC Sports (NBA Finals) and the Seattle Mariners to show what was transpiring across the country. Morgen also splices news footage from New York for the Rangers parade and from all over the country in regards to the Simpson story.

We watch as the L.A. stations try to cover Simpson who’s supposed to go to the Los Angeles Police Department for questioning in regards to the murders. However, we learn that he never made it there and for a while, law enforcement had no idea where he was.

As the story progresses, we see the story bleed into sports coverage. ESPN has to mention it during the U.S. Open with Chris Berman from Oakmont. Off the air, we hear Brent Musburger at the U.S. Open telling a producer that he’s hearing that NBC will have to decide whether to focus on the NBA Finals or go with the OJ Simpson story. It’s those pieces of off-air footage that give us an interesting perspective of the day on TV and how real life was spilling into sports.

Then as Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets is set to get underway, we watch a flustered Bob Costas for NBC Sports talk with a producer about introducing the game while at the same time, wondering how to mention the Simpson story.

Simpson was eventually spotted in what is now the infamous white Ford Bronco driven by his friend, A.C. Cowlings. And we hear Simpson talk with an LAPD detective trying to keep him on the phone and prevent him from shooting himself.

Morgen put it best. June 17th, 1994 changed the way we watched news. News went from serious journalism to covering celebrity-fueled tabloid stories. In addition, an estimated 90 million people watched the slow-speed Bronco chase as Cowlings drove Simpson.

Morgen’s mixing of footage was the perfect way to tell this particular subject. While other directors might have interviewed subjects to get their opinion, the images tell the story.

This “30 for 30″ has already premiered on ESPN but other airdates are coming up and are as follows:

Friday Jun 18: 12 a.m. – ESPN Classic

Saturday Jun 19: 12:30 p.m. – ESPN 2

Wednesday Jun 30: 11 p.m. – ESPN 2

Thursday Jul 15: 11 p.m. – ESPN Classic

Saturday Jul 31: 2 p.m. ESPN Classic

One of the best documentaries in this series to date, “June 17th, 1994″ gets an A+. Well done and I highly recommend you watch the show when it re-airs.

Various Press Releases For Your Reading

Here are a couple of releases. They do not pertain to any one particular subject. They’re being posted for the good of the blog and for the good of you, my loyal readers. So, here is a press release from Fox Sports regarding last week’s incident at the Atlanta NASCAR race that led to probation for Carl Edwards.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

DW on Keselowski/Edwards Incident: “You Don’t Race on ‘What Ifs’ – It’s Between Two Drivers and No One Got Hurt”

Larry McReynolds on Edwards Probation:

“There is No Way NASCAR Could Fine or Suspend Him”

Following an offseason where NASCAR announced its “Back to Basics” approach, Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 incident involving Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski was a reflection of stock car racing the way it used to be. Edwards admitted he intentionally wrecked Keselowski sending the 29 car airborne as payback for knocking Edwards earlier that day. The dust-up prompted NASCAR officials to place Edwards on probation for the next three Sprint Cup races. NASCAR on FOX analysts Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds offered their thoughts on the incident:

DW ON NASCAR ISSUING PROBATION TO CARL EDWARDS: “I expected Carl’s punishment to be exactly what he got. The obvious question now is ‘what does NASCAR tell Brad Keselowski?’ You don’t race on “what ifs.” The bottom line is two cars were involved, two drivers were involved and nobody got hurt. It set a precedent. NASCAR says ‘this is a little bit more than what we intended for.’ The other drivers have told him ‘You’re becoming known as Bad Brad, and sometimes if you are known as Bad Brad something bad might happen to you and it did.’ So, maybe now lesson learned.”

MCREYNOLDS: “There is no way NASCAR could fine or suspend Carl Edwards. In mid-January NASCAR can’t make an announcement that says, ‘Boys we are taking the gloves off, we are going to let you race’ and then suspend the guy. I applaud NASCAR for their decision. A year ago they would have sat Carl out for a race or two, but we have changed our thinking and the way this sport is going to be done. Retaliation has been going on for years. It’s just that over the last decade NASCAR has tightened the reigns.”

DW ON EDWARDS’ INTENTIONS: “One of the bigger issues is the fact that the car went airborne. Edwards’ intention was to give the car a little tap, send it through the grass and ruin Keselowski’s day. I don’t know if Carl was mad or not when he went back out on the race track but he probably looked at the scoreboard and said, ‘The guy that wrecked me is running 5th, has a chance to win this race and I’ve been in the garage for two and a half hours.’ All of a sudden I think Carl had flashbacks of Brad wrecking him last year in Talladega and had pent up aggression from the wreck earlier in the day.”

Next, Versus talks about what it will air this weekend.

AROUND THE TRACK, ON THE COURT AND THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS, VERSUS TO AIR NON-STOP SPORTS ACTION ON MARCH 13 AND 14

NEW YORK, N.Y. (March 10, 2010)-VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, will air an action-packed weekend of sports, beginning on Saturday, March 13, at 2 p.m. ET, with 60 minutes of pre-race qualifying coverage for the Sao Paulo Indy 300 race -  the 2010 season-opening IndyCar Series event. The network shifts into high-gear on Sunday, March 14, with three hours of live race coverage beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.  

In addition to the IndyCar qualifying coverage on Saturday, March 13, VERSUS will also televise the Men's and Women's Mountain West Conference (MWC) Championship basketball games live from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Women's Final tips off at 4 p.m. ET and Men's coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET. Teams playing in the Championship round will be decided by the games played on Friday. 

On Sunday, March 14, beginning at 4 p.m. ET, VERSUS will air two hours of coverage of the Paris-Nice cycling race. VERSUS will begin with a recap of stages one through six and then join the peloton for the final stage of the race as they travel seventy-four miles and face three mountain climbs to determine the overall winner of the 2010 edition of the race.

VERSUS' March 13 and 14 schedule follows:

Saturday, March 13

Sao Paulo Indy 300 Qualifying – 2 p.m. ET

Women’s MWC Championship game – 4 p.m. ET

Men’s MWC Championship game – 6 p.m. ET

Sunday, March 14

Sao Paulo Indy 300 – 11:30 a.m. ET

Paris-Nice – 4 p.m. ET

CBC has announced that it will air a two night event involving a TV movie based on the life of Canadian icon Don Cherry.

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY

A TWO-PART TELEVISION EVENT PREMIERES ON

MARCH 28 & 29 at 8 P.M. on CBC-TV

Premiering Sunday, March 28 and Monday, March 29 at 8 p.m. on CBC Television, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY is a two-part, four-hour television event depicting the tumultuous and triumphant life journey of Canada’s most outspoken hockey icon, Don Cherry (played by Jared Keeso, I Love You Beth Cooper). 

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY tells of the career minor league defenseman’s journey from obscurity to becoming one of the most recognized faces in the country. It is the behind-the-scenes story of his professional and personal life with his young family and beloved late wife Rose, who became his lifelong confidante, supporter and stabilizing influence. From criss-crossing North America during his 16 years in the minor leagues, to facing both financial and family health crises, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY unfolds as a distinctively Canadian human drama and love story.

Supporting cast includes Sarah Manninen (aka Albert Walker) as Rose Cherry, Ty Wood (The Haunting in Connecticut) as Tim Cherry and Paige Bannister (Something Beneath) as Cindy Cherry.

Love him or hate him, Don Cherry’s popularity in Canada cannot be denied.  For thirty years, hockey fans and media from across the country have tuned into CBC’S Hockey Night in Canada’s Coach’s Corner to hear what “Grapes” is going to say. A towering figure in hockey, his sphere of influence extends past the traditional sports arena and in 2004, he was voted seventh in the CBC’s Greatest Canadian nation-wide contest.

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY is the brainchild of Cherry’s son Tim Cherry, who is the writer and executive producer.  Directed by Jeff Woolnough, produced by Shawn Watson and executive produced by Laszlo Barna, Wayne Thompson and Jamie Brown. It is an E1 Entertainment, 5 for Fighting and Frantic Films production in association with CBC Television.

And ESPN will produce a theatrical film, its first and it will be based on the life of the late Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi starring Robert De Niro.

Robert De Niro to Play Vince Lombardi; Eric Roth to Finalize Script

Tribeca Productions Joins ESPN Films, Andell Entertainment and the NFL to Produce Film

Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro is attached to play legendary coach Vince Lombardi in the theatrical motion picture LOMBARDI being developed by ESPN Films, Andell Entertainment and the NFL. Additionally, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Good Shepherd) has come on board the project which will chronicle Lombardi during the years he transformed the Green Bay Packers from the worst team in the National Football League into five-time NFL champions

The producing group of ESPN Films, Andell Entertainment, the NFL and Chris Olsen will be joined by De Niro and Jane Rosenthal's Tribeca Productions. ESPN/Andell have Lombardi's life story rights through his estate and Vincent Lombardi, Jr. as well as the rights to the renowned sports book Instant Replay written by former Packer great Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap.  

"Having an icon portray an icon on film is amazing, and with a writer as talented as Eric working on the script, the results could be magical for NFL fans," said Ron Semiao, senior vice president, ESPN Films - Motion Pictures.  

Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of Tribeca Productions and the Tribeca Film Festival, said, "We've had an extraordinary relationship with ESPN for five years through the Tribeca Film Festival, and now we're able to extend that association into production." 

"There are few actors who could accurately portray the fire, passion and grit of Lombardi and we're thrilled to have Robert De Niro on our team," said Charles Coplin, the NFL's vice president of programming. "With the addition of De Niro, Eric and Tribeca Productions, we have a deep bench to produce a film worthy of the legendary coach and American icon."

Current plans call for the film's release on the weekend between the AFC and NFC Conference Championships and the Super Bowl in 2012. CAA collaborates with ESPN Films on theatrical motion picture projects and represents De Niro, Roth and Rosenthal. Discussions are taking place with directors interested in the project.

Lombardi Story
The story's narrative arc spans from 1959 when Lombardi was given his first opportunity to be an NFL head coach, taking over the small-town Packers, then the worst team in the NFL, and runs through his transformation of a group of young, talented but undisciplined losers into five-time NFL champions.  Also, the story highlights the long-standing rivalry that existed between Lombardi and legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry both of whom were assistants on the New York Giants team that lost the 1958 NFL Championship game. Friendly but always competitive, Lombardi and Landry's coaching skills were undeniable, their personalities as unalike as possible. The story climaxes with the memorable Ice Bowl when their teams battled in temperatures that reached 13 degrees below zero. Lombardi achieved his desire of winning an unprecedented three consecutive NFL championships, a feat still not duplicated to this day. Lombardi's Packers also won the first two Super Bowls ever played. Since 1971, the trophy awarded to the Super Bowl champion has been named the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The inspirational, compelling story of Vince Lombardi is driven by a single overarching idea: the moral imperative of paying the price to be great.

ESPN Films
Part of the ESPN Content Development group, ESPN Films presents quality scripted and documentary film projects for television and theatrical release, including "30/30," a celebration of the last three decades of sports timed with ESPN's 30th anniversary. For more on ESPN Films: http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/media-kits/espn-films/  

Andell Entertainment
Andell Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based production company and a division of Andell Holdings, a private investment firm. "Lombardi," a co-production with ESPN and the National Football League, is currently in development. Other production credits include Universal Pictures' "State of Play" and "Safe Men," and Fox Searchlight's "Millions."

Tribeca Productions 
Headquartered in New York, Tribeca Productions was founded in 1988 by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. Since its inception, Tribeca Productions has produced more than 25 films with a combined worldwide gross of more than 2 billion dollars. To date, their films have garnered several Academy Award nominations and countless critics awards.

Upcoming feature projects for Tribeca include Little Fockers for Universal Pictures (December 2010) and The Undomestic Goddess for Universal Pictures.  Tribeca's previous film productions include Public Enemies (2009), What Just Happened? (2008), The Good Shepherd, directed by Robert De Niro (2006), Rent (2005); House of D (2005); Meet the Fockers (2004); Stage Beauty (2004); About a Boy (2002); Analyze That (2002); Showtime (2002); Meet the Parents (2000); The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000); Analyze This (1999); Flawless (1999); the Academy Award(r)-nominated Wag the Dog (1997); Marvin's Room (1996); De Niro's directorial debut, A Bronx Tale (1993); The Night We Never Met (1993); Thunderheart (1992); Mistress (1992); and Night and the City (1992).

De Niro and Rosenthal are also co-producers of the theatrical musical We Will Rock You, based on the music of Queen. 

That will do it for this post.

Two ESPN Press Releases

I have a couple of releases for you from the ESPN World Headquarters in Bristol, CT. Both are quite interesting.

First, ESPN has signed a rights deal with the US Golf Association for ESPN Radio to provide play-by-play coverage of the US Open as well as provide audio coverage for fans attending the tournament.

ESPN AUDIO, USGA AGREE ON BROADCAST RIGHTS FOR 2010, 2011 U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Far Hills, N.J., & Bristol, Conn. (March 11) – ESPN Audio and the United States Golf Association have announced an agreement granting ESPN Audio exclusive rights to present play-by-play coverage of the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Open Championships on its various media platforms.

The deal provides ESPN Audio live hole-by-hole coverage rights for the United States, its territories and possessions, and Canada, as well as the right to distribute content via any and all means of audio distribution, including terrestrial radio, satellite radio, HD radio, broadband and wireless audio platforms.

The 2010 U.S. Open Championship will be played June 17-20 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links and marks ESPN Audio’s initial foray into golf play-by-play. The 2011 U.S. Open Championship will be played June 16-19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

“We are so pleased to partner with ESPN Radio in connection with our efforts to bring the U.S. Open to as many fans of the game as possible and in as many ways as possible,” said Peter Bevacqua, chief business officer of the USGA. “We are also looking forward to working with ESPN to provide on-site radio coverage that will benefit and improve the overall experience of our championship spectators.”

“We look forward to presenting the U.S. Open to our fans, affiliates and advertisers, and to adding one of golf’s majors to our other top-shelf event programming, including the NBA and The Finals, MLB and the World Series, and the BCS and its championship,” said Mo Davenport, senior vice president of ESPN Audio. “ESPN Audio will utilize its expertise across all of our platforms, from the standard terrestrial broadcast to podcast offerings, allowing fans to enjoy the U.S. Open wherever and whenever they want.”

ESPN Radio will broadcast six hours each of Thursday’s and Friday’s rounds, and a minimum of four-and-a-half hours each of Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds, including complete 18-hole coverage of each weekend day’s final group. If a playoff is needed, ESPN Radio will also broadcast the entire 18 holes on Monday.

Additionally, ESPN Radio will produce a preview special and post-championship studio programs, and present live updates on its SportsCenter reports, which air three times per hour. ESPNRadio.com will feature the U.S. Open Championship leader board.

Championship updates, player interviews and the leader board will be featured on ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPNDeportes.com.

U.S. Open Championship play-by-play and studio content will also be simulcast on ESPNRadio.com and other digital audio platforms, with some content available in podcast form.

Spectators attending the U.S. Open will be able to hear ESPN Audio’s coverage via devices distributed by the USGA.

And the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary series goes on sale on DVD soon.

Critically Acclaimed ‘30 for 30’ Series Premieres

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks on Sunday, March 14

Film Available March 15 on DVD and Movie Download

ESPN’s “30 for 30” series premieres Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks Sunday, March 14 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Directed by Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores, the documentary explores how Reggie Miller single-handedly crushed the hearts of Knick fans multiple times and proudly built his legend as the Big Apple’s Public Enemy #1 to become the king of the New York streets.  On Monday, March 15, the film will debut on DVD (SRP $14.99) on Amazon.com, and as a digital download on iTunes.  Sixteen of the films in ESPN’s “30 for 30” series are available on DVD for purchase or pre-order at www.amazon.com/30for30. 

Televised in the fall of 2009, these films were produced and directed by some of Hollywood’s titans, including:

• Kings Ransom (Peter Berg)

•        The Band That Wouldn’t Die (Barry Levinson)

• Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? (Mike Tollin)
• Muhammad and Larry (Albert Maysles)
• Without Bias (Kirk Fraser)
• The Legend of Jimmy The Greek (Fritz Mitchell)

To date, ESPN Films’ “30 for 30” has focused on some of the most compelling stories of the past 30 years in sports: the demise of the USFL; the epic title fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes; and the saga of the Baltimore Colts Marching Band that continued to march even after the Colts had moved to Indianapolis.

“30 for 30”

Other previously announced “30 for 30” projects are: Reggie Rock Bythewood (One Night in Vegas), Academy Award winner Bill Couturié (Guru of Go), Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Steve Bartman: Catching Hell), Jonathan Hock (The Best That Never Was), Spike Jonze, Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine (Birth of Big Air), two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple (The House That George Built), Academy Award nominee Frank Marshall (Right to Play), Steve Michaels, Joel Surnow and Jonathan Koch (Charismatic), two-time NBA MVP and first-time filmmaker Steve Nash (Into the Wind), Academy Award nominee Ron Shelton (Jordan Rides the Bus) and two-time Academy Award nominee John Singleton (Marion Jones: Press Pause).

CreateSpace

Films in ESPN’s“30 for 30” series are available through CreateSpace DVD on Demand, part of the Amazon.com group of companies and a cutting-edge platform providing a highly cost-efficient and fast-to-market way for networks to release their content solely in response to customer demand. 

For information about the “30 for 30” project and ESPN Films, visit: ESPN Films.

That’s it. Links coming up. I’m going to eat lunch first.

Preview of 30 for 30 – "The Legend of Jimmy The Greek"

ESPN’s 30 for 30 series has been hitting home runs with their subject matters and this week’s is no different.

Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder was definitely one of the more interesting characters on sports television. A handicapper, he was given huge legitimacy when CBS put him on The NFL Today and he joined the number one NFL pregame show with host Brent Musburger, Phylis George and Irv Cross. It gave respectability to gamblers and handicappers.

But the show had a volatile chemistry and in this clip, Brent, Phylis, Hank Goldberg all discuss the very famous Musburger/Greek fight that landed on the front page of the New York Post.

This is the trailer for the documentary.

This should be quite interesting to watch and I’ll have a review of this either later tonight or Tuesday afternoon.

Preview of 30 for 30 – "Without Bias"

I just saw the preview clips for the next ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “Without Bias” about the death of the late Len Bias. For fans of Maryland or the Boston Celtics and anyone who was about the age of 20-25 at the time like I was can remember this incident as if it were yesterday. Drafted in 1986 by the Celtics, Bias died after using cocaine during a celebration in his frat house room. I recall being totally shocked to see this strong, young athlete dying all of a sudden. These things were not supposed to happen. The documentary looks into the events leading into Bias’ death as well as the impact.

I have the preview DVD and I look forward to bringing you a review early next week.

We have two preview clips. First, this looks at the death of Len.

Then, this powerful clip reviews the fateful night of Len’s death.

Director Kirk Fraser has intertwined historical news footage with present interviews and this looks like one of the stronger documentaries of the 30 for 30 series. “Without Bias” premieres Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Review of 30 for 30 – "Muhammad and Larry"

This is a review of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “Muhammad and Larry” on the 1980 fight between heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali and his friend and one-time sparring partner, Larry Holmes.

We pick up the documentary in August 1980, two months before a 38 year old Ali is to fight then-heavyweight champion, Larry Holmes. At this time, Ali is training, hoping to once again call up the magic that helped him defeat Leon Spinks in 1978, at the Louisiana Superdome, winning the undisputed heavyweight championship for an unprecedented third time. Following that fight, he retired or so everyone thought.

But when he signed for the fight against Holmes, Ali was hoping to capture the magic once more. His long-time trainer Angelo Dundee felt trepidation. However, he said Ali had the right to go out on his own terms. And so Ali continued to train for the fight against Holmes.

We also hear from Ali’s former ringside trainer, Dr. Ferdie Pacheco who becomes the star of this documentary. The “Fight Doctor” as he was known tells us about the deterioration of Ali and the warning signs of his condition.

Over in Easton, PA, Larry Holmes trained like a man possessed, but he knew he was in a no-win situation. If he won, he beat up an old man. If he lost, everyone would say he was a paper champion, just holding the belt until Ali came back. After winning the WBC title in 1978 in a slugfest against Ken Norton, Holmes successfully defended his belt 20 times.

In fact, Holmes was quite successful in Easton, owning several homes, but because he followed Ali, he never received the respect as a champion.

One thing we notice about the footage taken by Albert and David Maysles is the weight Ali had gained during his retirement. He was having trouble taking it off and during his sparring sessions, he was taking a lot of punches. This concerned his training staff, but Ali scoffed saying he wanted to get a feel for the punches and he took plenty of shots to his kidneys. Pacheco said kidneys don’t get trained, they get worse.

Holmes trained with Ali for four years. He liked Ali, but Holmes noted that he always wanted to keep you down. He liked you as long as he remained on top and he was the man. Holmes said when he left Ali’s camp, Muhammad told him that perhaps they’ll see each other on the road. Holmes said he told Ali, “You better hope not, because you got one coming.”

One thing that was noted by Pacheco was that Ali wanted to make people laugh. Dundee said people came to the Ali camp to be entertained and he didn’t let them down with his one-liners and poems. And he was always doing card and magic tricks.

While Ali was playing at his camp, Holmes was serious. He kept to himself. Not was many people were going to his training sessions. If he played cards, no one knew about it because the media was all at Ali’s.

Pacheco says the deterioration of Ali was noticeable through the years. He was moving slower, punching slower and talking slower. His speech was slurred. Pacheco left the Ali camp in 1977 refusing to take part in any more training. Pacheco wanted Ali to retire after the Thrilla in Manila against Joe Frazier in 1975.

A roundtable of noted writers including Ali biographer Thomas Hauser, Burt Sugar and Jerry Isenberg talked about a checkup Ali had at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota two months before the fight. Doctors noticed that Ali had trouble performing certain tasks and his short term memory recall was bad. And with this, the Nevada Boxing Commission still licensed Ali to fight and the Mayo Clinic report was never made public.

The Maysles footage from 1980 shows Ali slurring his speech and walking quite slower. You could see the progression of his current condition starting then.

The reporters said they it was hard to feel that Ali would lose because he had performed the magic so often.

Another interesting development was the fact that Ali took thyroid pills before the fight. A doctor prescribed them for the ex-champ feeling he was overweight. It did cause Ali to lose 30 pounds, but at the same time, they stripped him of his strength. Pacheco says that is like taking the wheels off an Indianapolis speedway racer and racing without tires. The pills made his kidneys work harder. Instead of taking one pill a day, he took 3. He told his staff that the pills were vitamins. Angelo Dundee said he had no idea they were thyroid pills.

One other culprit the Maysles point to is Don King. The reporters including Hauser said this was a rare fight in which the flamboyant boxing promoter financed the entire purse so it was important to him that the fight go off as planned no matter who got hurt.

Then we focus on the fight and it’s clear to everyone that Ali has nothing. Holmes wanted to knock him out early or at least have him quit, but Ali wouldn’t go down. By the 9th, it was clear that it was one-sided.

Ali was supposed to get $8 million for the fight from Don King but got shorted $1 million. After being paid an additional $50,000, Ali dropped a threatened lawsuit, but Pacheco called it a raw deal. He added that this fight for all intents and purposes buried Ali and prevented us from seeing a vibrant man live to old age. Instead, we see the results of the beatings he took after the Thrilla in Manila.

Ali actually fought one more time in December 1981 and less than three years later, he had Parkinson’s Disease.

By contrast, Larry Holmes is healthy and operates a boxing gym. But he still yearns for the respect Ali has to this day.

A powerful documentary and one story that needed to be told. In the annals of boxing, it’s a fight that has been forgotten and to see the footage captured by the Maysles in the months leading up the fight is truly precious.

An excellent film and one very worthy of seeing again. The best of the 30 for 30 series to date. DVR, tape and find every way to see this more than once.

Overall grade – A+.

Here’s a preview of “Muhammad and Larry”.

Review of The Lost Son of Havana

This is a review of a documentary that ESPN will air Monday, August, 10 on Luis Tiant’s emotional return to his native Cuba after 46 years.

In 1961, Tiant was in the United States trying to make Major League Baseball as a pitcher in the Cleveland Indians system. But when the United States and Cuba ended relations following the Communist revolution and the Bay of Pigs, Fidel Castro called Cuban baseball players back home. However, a handful including Tiant decided to remain in the U.S. It left Tiant a man without a country.

From 1961 until 2007 when Tiant was invited to accompany a team of US players touring Cuba to take on a group of Cuban alumni players, he had not set foot in the Caribbean nation. In that period, Tiant pitched for the Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates and Angels. He had become a U.S. citizen, got married and had three children.

But throughout that time, his mind was never far from Cuba hoping to see his family. When we meet Tiant, he’s driving an SUV and has a bluetooth headset in his ear. He’s truly Americanized. But we note that Luis has some trepidation on returning to Cuba. He’s nervous about the trip so he visits an aunt who lives in Miami to find out more. She tells him that he won’t like he’ll see. She tells him no matter how prepared he is, he won’t be ready to witness the poverty.

Throughout the documentary, we see actual shots of Luis’ father, Luis, Sr. actually pitching in the Negro Leagues in New York. We come to learn that Luis, Sr., nicknamed “Lefty”, had made it to the United States in hopes of making it to the major leagues as a pitcher. However, because of his dark skin, he was relegated to the Negro Leagues as baseball still had the color barrier in place. But the elder Tiant pitched in the United States through 1947.

When Luis, Jr. was growing up, it was found he had good pitching talent as well. Scouts saw Luis’ and signed him to a minor league contract.

As Luis lands in Havana, he’s still looks nervous about the trip. He does the sign of the cross and is off.

After some short scenes of seeing the U.S. team in action, the documentary then focuses on Tiant’s visit to his old neighborhood, talking with aunts, cousins and teammates. And interspliced are scenes of Tiant’s baseball career, most notably his time with the Red Sox especially in the 1975 World Series.

Tiant gets lectured by the brother of former Minnesota Twins outfield Tony Oliva who like Luis, stayed in the U.S. and became a professional ball player, but did not return to his home.

Luis sees that the house where he grew up is still intact, but the neighborhood is run down. We see him talk to a person who lives in the house, but he doesn’t go in.

But he does find one of his aunts who is expecting him. There’s an emotional reunion as Luis cries on the sight of seeing his aunts.

Throughout the documentary, Luis goes to various places where he grew up like the park where he regularly played baseball. One interesting scene is at Havana’s Central Park which is the only safe bastion for free speech where fans are seen arguing baseball. The filmmakers ask one group which is the best Cuban pitcher ever to make it to the major leagues. We hear “Livan Hernandez” and “El Duque”. Luis hears this and laughs. But when a young fan says, “Luis Tiant”, the filmmaker points to him and suddenly, Tiant is surrounded by fans who want to talk to him. Luis is indeed remembered in Cuba.

As we go further into his trip, more and more people learn that Tiant is in Cuba an former teammates come to see him and the reunions are again emotional.

The poverty is noticeable throughout the documentary and it’s noted that there are no grocery stores, convenience stores or hardware stores in Havana. Luis has brought down some of the necessities like needle and thread, diarrhea medicine, gum and shirts. In addition, we see him give money to his aunts and nieces as they all appeal to him for help. Of course, he can’t turn them down. He sees the poverty.

It’s noted that Luis did have the opportunity to see his parents. They came up to the United States in 1975 for an emotional reunion in Boston. Luis, Sr. finally got the opportunity to pitch off a major league mound when he threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park and the pitch was a strike to Carlton Fisk. Luckily for Tiant, his parents also got to see him pitch in the World Series.

We note throughout the documentary how much of an influence Luis, Sr. was on Luis, Jr. and how revered the elder Tiant was in Cuba. The site of his picture was enough to bring many grown men to tears.

As Luis prepares to come back to the States, we see that a giant hole in his heart had been filled.

The Lost Son of Havana is directed by Jonathan Hock and produced by the Farrelly Brothers (yes, the ones who gave us Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary) and Kris Meyer. It’s narrated by actor Chris Cooper.

It’s an ESPN Films presentation and an effort that is definitely worth your time. The overall grade is an A minus. Lots of credit goes for finding actual film footage of Luis, Sr. and old footage of Luis, Jr. pitching in the early 1960′s. Very well done.

There are interviews with Red Sox teammates Carl Yastrzemski and Carlton Fisk and ESPN MLB insider Peter Gammons as well as with old school Cuban baseball players.

The Lost Son of Havana debuts on ESPN Deportes, Sunday night at 6 and then on ESPN, Monday night at 10 with replays on ESPN Classic next weekend.

Finally, Various Thursday Press Releases

These don’t fit into any particular category. They just go into one particular pile. This one. Let’s go.

ESPN Films’ documentary, The Lost Son of Havana, a film on former Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant’s return to Cuba airs on ESPN Deportes on Sunday and ESPN on Monday. I have an advanced copy and I hope to have a review by Sunday.

ESPN Films: The Lost Son of Havana – Luis Tiant Documentary — This Weekend

ESPN Films’ The Lost Son of Havana will air Sunday, Aug. 9, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN Deportes and Monday, Aug. 10, at 10 p.m. on ESPN offering a rare inside look at former Major League Baseball all-star pitcher Luis Tiant, who returned to Havana after 46 years of exile. His 19-year baseball career included stints with the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, and at 67 he finally confronted the long-simmering feelings of love and loss he had for his family, his former teammates and the country he left behind. His performance in the 1975 World Series captured the hearts of Boston fans with two wins, including a shutout in Game 1 against the Cincinnati Reds, baseball’s greatest lineup, bringing the Red Sox as close to a championship as they had in nearly 60 years.

ESPN’s SportsNation which I have yet to watch will have what is known in the business as an “encore presentation” at midnight ET on ESPN2. The show usually airs at 4 p.m. ET on the network formerly nicknamed “The Deuce”.

SportsNation Now Reairs at Midnight on ESPN2

In addition to its weekday 4-5 p.m. slot on ESPN2, SportsNation, the new live studio show with co-hosts Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd, will reair weekdays at midnight (9 p.m. PT) on ESPN2. A new segment – “Walk the Plank” – was introduced this week with Beadle or Cowherd guessing the correct percentage from a SportsNation poll result. For every percentage they’re off, that’s how many steps they’ll have to take down the plank in this time-sensitive game that uses graphics with renderings of the hosts. More than 40 steps and they’re swimming with the sharks.

SportsNation is fan interactive and relies on sports fans to be the show’s third co-host as well as influence the daily production and direction of the show. Fans can deliver their input via Twitter (@SportsNation), ESPN.com’s SportsNation web page, e-mail (sportsnation@espn.com), and phone calls (1-888-FAN-ESPN) before, during and after the show.

Is NBC Sports happy to have Kerri Walsh back in beach volleyball? As former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin would say, “You betcha!” Kerri is taking part in this weekend’s AVP Tour stop at Hermosa Beach.

KERRI WALSH RETURNS AS NBC SPORTS PRESENTS COVERAGE OF THE AVP FROM HERMOSA BEACH

Universal Sports To Broadcast Semifinals Live

NEW YORK- August 6, 2009: Two-time Olympic gold medalist and 103-time beach volleyball match winner Kerri Walsh is making her comeback at the AVP Hermosa Beach Open. Walsh, who has not played since the end of last season due to her pregnancy, returns this weekend with fellow new mom and 2008 FIVB World Tour silver medalist Rachel Wacholder as her partner. The top men's team this weekend is Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers who took the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

NBC Sports will present high-definition coverage of the women's final on Saturday and the men's final on Sunday each beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET. Universal Sports and UniversalSports.com will provide live coverage of women's semifinal round on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET and the men's semifinal round on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Also competing on the women's side are Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs who have won six of eight events in which they played this year and Southern California natives and former USC All-Americans Jen Kessy and April Ross who recently won the FIVB World Championships in Norway. Dalhausser and Rogers competition will come from Sean Scott and John Hyden. They come in as the top seed after winning AVP stops in Atlanta and Ocean City, Md.

AVP COVERAGE ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS:
Universal Sports will broadcast 12 hours of live semifinal coverage for events in Hermosa Beach and the Cup Championship in Chicago and will re-air all 12 hours of the finals after the live broadcasts on NBC Sports. UniversalSports.com will also live stream each semifinal event with on-demand video of the semifinals and finals available online.

HAMBLETONIAN LIVE ON NBC SPORTS SATURDAY, 3:30 P.M. ET

NEW YORK August 4, 2009 - NBC Sports presents live coverage of the 84th edition of harness racing's "Greatest Race," the Hambletonian from the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., Saturday 3:30-4: 30 p.m. ET. The Hambletonian is one of America's oldest sporting events dating back to 1926, showcasing legendary Standardbred horses.  

The Hambletonian attracts the world's finest trotters including favorite Muscle Hill, winner of 12 straight starts, and Explosive Matter, winner of seven of his 10 career starts. The Hambletonian is the richest horseracing event of its kind with a $1.5 million purse. The Oaks, which will also be aired live, will highlight the best three year-old fillies.

Gary Seibel, Kenny Rice and Donna Brothers call the action. 

AMERICAN Le MANS ACURA SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE, SUNDAY, 2:30 P.M. ET

NBC Sports presents taped coverage of the American Le Mans Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio, this Sunday from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. ET. The American Le Mans Series features eye-catching exotic sports cars, and provides multiple ways to interact with Series personalities. The Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course marks the eighth stop of the American Le Mans Series. 

Bill Weber hosts NBC Sports' coverage alongside Wally Dallenbach, Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast and Calvin Fish.

This Sunday, National Geographic Channel has a fascinating special on what is actually on the ocean floor in a program called, “Drain the Oceans”. As usual with NatGeo, we have pictures and videos to accompany the release. That’s always appreciated.

DRAIN THE OCEAN

Sunday, August 9 at 9PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/drain-the-ocean-3639/Overview

This is a world you have never seen before a world normally hidden under miles of water, the landscape of the ocean bed. Combining the latest scientific data with state of the art CGI computer hardware and specially written software, we drain the water from the oceans to reveal the mountains, canyons, plains and volcanoes that are more dramatic than anything on dry land.

Left to Right:

1) LANAI, HAWAII: White coral boulder amidst black volcanic ones are taken as evidence for a giant tsunami, originating on the Big Island, that hit the island of Lanai in the past. (photo credit © Steve Nicholls)

2) BAHAMAS: The inner side of Eleuthera Island. The shallow water overlying the Great Bahama Bank. (photo credit © Steve Nicholls)

3) BIG ISLAND, HAWAII: Ropy textures of Pahoehoe lava formed from recent eruptions on Hawaii’s Big Island, the world’s largest shield volcano. (photo credit © Steve Nicholls)

On our program Web site for Drain the Ocean, you can also check out what we do and do not yet know about what lies under the ocean, as well as the interactive map. While you’re there, please check out National Geographic’s Ocean Now Project as well, which aims to study the last healthy, undisturbed places in the ocean.

Video “A New Hawaiian Island” – Draining the Pacific reveals a mountain larger than Everest and a new Hawaiian island on the rise.

Video “Oasis of Life” – On land, tar pits can be a death trap, but beneath the Gulf of Cadiz, they support unusual life forms in huge numbers.

Great stuff as always from NatGeo. And we’re done.

Even More Monday Links

We have a bunch of links this evening and let’s get to them before I start watching Weeds on Showtime.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe gives his impressions on NESN’s Jim Rice who finally got into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Neil Best of Newsday notes that Mets GM Omar Minaya called out a New York Daily News beat writer during a press conference to announce Tony Bernazard’s firing. Following that on Twitter, people were commenting on what a train wreck the press conference was. You can see video of Minaya calling out reporter Adam Rubin and Rubin’s reaction to SNY right here.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says backup Orlando Magic center won’t be wearing Reeboks next season after criticizing the company for not paying him enough.

Darren writes that Jack Nicklaus is not optimistic for golf course design next year.

Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette looks at MLB Network’s upcoming schedule of live games.

P.J. Harmer of the Oneota (NY) Daily Star says Baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster Tony Kubek totally winged it during his induction speech yesterday.

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes about the Bengals getting ready to be on HBO’s Hard Knocks this summer. Thanks to Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News for the link.

Richie Witt of the Dallas Observer says popular sports personality Dale Hansen is dropping his radio show.

Baxter Holmes of the Los Angeles Times says fans can Tweet questions to the Pac 10′s football coaches during the conference media days.

Zennie Abraham of the San Francisco Chronicle cannot believe that Erin Andrews topped a media listing on Mediate.

Ryan Leong of the San Francisco Examiner raves about Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s SportsNet Central programs.

Evan Weiner warns that Jacksonville could be losing the Jaguars to Los Angeles down the line.

Mike Fleming of Variety reports that ESPN Films, NFL Films and a Hollywood production company are teaming up on a feature on the late Packer coach Vince Lombardi.

Rich Thomaselli of Advertisting Age says with newspapers reducing their motorsports coverage, NASCAR is handpicking 28 motorsports blogs and credentialing them to help cover races starting this month.

The Sports Media Watch has caught ESPN. A week after refusing to initially report the civil suit against Ben Roethlisberger saying it doesn’t report on civil suits, ESPN is now reporting the civil lawsuit against Indianapolis Colts WR Marvin Harrison.

SportsbyBrooks reports that Fox Sports Radio demotes J.T. the Brick and replaces him with Tony Bruno.

Jay Busbee of Yahoo! Sports wondered why Golf Channel did not air the entire rain-delayed final found of the Canadian Open today.

Mike Bailey of World Golf says the estranged son of former New York City Rudolph Giuliani will be on the next edition of Big Break.

Deadspin says USA Today’s Christine Brennan continues to make statements against Erin Andrews.

MLB Network’s Victor Rojas who has his own MLB.com blog called “The Spoils”, talks about his experience at the Baseball Hall of Fame over the weekend.

Joe Favorito talks about Affliction getting out of the event production business to do what it does best.

Christopher Byrne of Eye on Sports Media talks about legendary Georgia football voice Larry Munson writing about his days in the broadcast booth.

Rafat Ali of paidContent.org talks about Fox Sports buying a stake into OpenSports and furthering its commitment into fantasy sports.

A photographer is suing ESPN for using one of her images without her consent.

Amanda Bruno (linked twice in one day!) of the Batter-up with Bruno blog discovers the actual height of Red Sox All-Star and reigning American League MVP Dustin Pedroia.

This has nothing to do with sports media or my Browns, but I promised Steelergurl I would link to her training camp preview if she would put me back in her blogroll after she redesigned her site. She did and thus I give you the link.

I found more links than I thought. That’s it. See you back here tomorrow.

Your Wednesday Press Release Action

I have what I believe will be the first part of two or three press release posts. It’s all good stuff.

Starting with the CBC, the network has made take Game 7 of Anaheim-Detroit on Thursday, giving one of its Conference Final games to TSN. Had CBC not stepped up, TSN would have had a conflict between Anaheim-Detroit and Carolina-Boston, just as Versus has here in the States. Here’s the release:

2009 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS PROGRAMMING ADVISORY: CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA ADDS GAME SEVEN

CBC to broadcast Anaheim Ducks at Detroit Red Wings, Game Seven;

TSN to broadcast Carolina at Boston, Game Seven on May 14

CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA announced updates to their broadcast schedule for Round Two of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. CBC will air Game Seven of the Anaheim/Detroit series, live from Joe Louis Arena on Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m. ET, while TSN will broadcast a yet to be determined Conference Finals game originally scheduled to air on CBC TV. This ensures Canadians will see all games from Round Two of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs nationally and in their entirety.

Bob Cole will handle play-by-play duties for Game Seven of the Anaheim at Detroit series on Thursday, alongside analyst Greg Millen and rinkside reporter Elliotte Friedman. Ron MacLean hosts the entire evening, and will be joined by Kelly Hrudey and P.J. Stock, while Jeff Marek and Scott Morrison will be front and centre at the Stanley Cup I-Desk. Hockey fans can visit CBCSports.ca 24 hours a day, seven days a week for wall-to-wall coverage of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including live and on-demand video streaming of all games broadcast on CBC.

NBC Sports previews the Preakness Stakes.

“SUPER FILLY” RACHEL ALEXANDRA BATTLES KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER MINE THAT BIRD IN PREAKNESS STAKES, SATURDAY 4:30 PM ET ON NBC

“It’s like the San Francisco 49ers when they went from Joe Montana to Steve Young – it wasn’t a bad changeup.” – NBC’s Stevens on Mine That Bird’s jockey switch

“The most fascinating Preakness in decades.” – NBC’s Bob Neumeier

NEW YORK – May 13, 2009 – Super filly Rachel Alexandra, winner of the Kentucky Oaks by more than 20 lengths and with Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel on board for the Preakness, looks to become the first filly in 94 years to win the Preakness Stakes. She will take on Derby winner Mine That Bird, Derby runner-up Pioneerof The Nile and up to 11 other horses as NBC Sports presents exclusive coverage of the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., beginning Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, live in high definition.

Mine That Bird, the Kentucky Derby winner as an improbable 50-1 longshot, seeks to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 but he will have to do it without his Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel. Instead, Borel will be on Rachel Alexandra who he rode to a 20-length win in the Kentucky Oaks.  Hall-of-Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride Mine That Bird.

The story of Rachel Alexandra being entered into the Preakness and the firestorm of media coverage that ensued, including the connections of Pioneerof the Nile and Mine That Bird talking about colluding to keep the filly out of the race, makes this, according to NBC's Bob Neumeier, "the most fascinating Preakness in decades."

Rachel Alexandra, who was sold shortly after her dominating performance in the Kentucky Oaks with her new owners entering her in the race, will be only the fourth filly since 1980 and the 53rd filly ever to enter the Preakness. No filly has won the Preakness Stakes since Rhine Maiden in 1915 and Rachel Alexandra is also the only winner in the 135-year history of the Kentucky Oaks to enter the Preakness Stakes.

FILLIES IN PREAKNESS STAKES SINCE 1980

· Genuine Risk   1980 (Won Kentucky Derby, 2nd in Preakness)
· Winning Colors  1988 (Won Kentucky Derby, 3rd in Preakness)
· Excellent Meeting  1999 (5th in Kentucky Derby, pulled up in Preakness)

NBC Sports horse racing analyst Gary Stevens rode the filly Winning Colors to a Kentucky Derby victory in 1988 and took third at the Preakness. He said "Rachel Alexandra makes goose bumps stand up on the back of my neck, like a good race horse used to when I was on her back."

FILLIES TO WIN PREAKNESS STAKES

· Rhine Maiden   1915
· Whimsical   1906
· Flocarline   1903

RACE COVERAGE: NBC Sports coverage of the 134th Preakness Stakes is co-hosted by Tom Hammond and Bob Costas alongside two-time Preakness winner Gary Stevens. NBC Sports' broadcast team also includes race-caller Tom Durkin; contributing analysts/handicappers Mike Battaglia and Bob Neumeier; reporter Kenny Rice and on-track reporter Donna Brothers, who retired in 1998 after an impressive 11-year career as a jockey. The Preakness Stakes on NBC is produced by Sam Flood and directed by David Michaels.

NBC SPORTS BROADCAST TEAM BREAKS DOWN THE PREAKNESS:

GARY STEVENS ON THE PREAKNESS FIELD: "This is a great setup for the Preakness with Rachel Alexandra going in there. She provides an honest pace and will be able to stick around and she doesn't have to be on the lead, she's very versatile. That should help Pioneerof the Nile because I think what he needs is a horse with class and speed that can carry him within the shadows of the wire. When Pioneerof the Nile gets in front he seems to go aloof a little bit and think the game is over. Rachel Alexandra will carry him and get a much better effort out of him. I also think there is going to be much more early pace than there was even in the Kentucky Derby. So what does that do to Mine That Bird? It helps his chances of repeating the Derby performance. If he can repeat the Derby performance, this race setup may be even better for him."

GARY STEVENS ON RACHEL ALEXANDRA'S CHANCES OF WINNING: "She's the best I've seen in a very long time. I'm just worried about the new connections and if she can come back this quick in two weeks rest and repeat the same performance. She's going to have to run equally as well in the Preakness as she did in the Kentucky Oaks to beat this field."

GARY STEVENS ON WHERE RACHEL ALEXANDRA RANKS AMONG FILLIES: "I rode three fillies that are in the Hall of Fame: Winning Colors, Serena's Song, and Silverbulletday. I don't want to take away anything from any of the great fillies that I rode but Rachel Alexandra makes goose bumps stand up on the back of my neck, like a good racehorse used to when I was on her back."

GARY STEVENS ON MINE THAT BIRD WITHOUT BOREL: "I don't think that it'll make any difference. It may have made a difference going into the Kentucky Derby because I don't think anybody else would have been brave enough to ride him like Calvin did, he had taken the horse back so far. But Mike Smith is a Hall of Famer. We saw the ride that he put on Giacomo when he won the Kentucky Derby; he wove his way in and out of traffic. He's in a class of his own. He has studied films.  For me it's like the San Francisco 49ers when they went from Joe Montana to Steve Young – it wasn't a bad changeup."

TOM HAMMOND ON SO MANY DERBY HORSES IN PREAKNESS FIELD: "Seven horses from the Derby, including the top four finishers, are coming back for the Preakness so Mine That Bird hasn't scared anybody away. The other trainers want to find out if he is for real."

TOM HAMMOND ON RACHEL ALEXANDRA ENTERING PREAKNESS: "Certainly Rachel Alexandra is capable and you can see this from the reactions of owners and trainers. A couple of owners even thought about maybe trying to keep her out of the race by entering another horse, that tells you how much they think of her and how much respect they have for her."

TOM HAMMOND ON RACHEL ALEXANDRA'S SIZE: "She's as big and strong as many of the horses in the race, in fact bigger and strongly than the Derby winner, Mine That Bird, who is just a little bit of a horse himself."

TOM HAMMOND ON BOREL'S AMAZING RIDE ON MINE THAT BIRD: "Chip Woolley, the trainer, said that he thought that Mine That Bird had been ridden incorrectly his last two starts. He thought he had moved prematurely, moved too soon. He thought that it was a horse that wanted to lay back and make one big run. Calvin Borel went on You Tube to watch some of the prior races from Mine That Bird before he rode him in the Kentucky Derby and he agreed with that assessment. He looked like a horse that wanted to conserve early and then make one big move. It takes a lot of confidence. It takes a certain kind of jockey to be able to drop as far back as he did and wait as long as he did. The patience he showed was just unbelievable. Then to have the courage and confidence to gun him through that little spot on the rail and give the horse credit to go through a spot like that, a lot of horses won't do that. It may have been a fluke, and we'll find out on Saturday, but that's not taking anything away from the ride that Calvin Borel gave him and the performance that Mine That Bird Put up."

MIKE BATTAGLIA ON THE PREAKNESS: "The Preakness definitely is a different race with the presence of Rachel Alexandra. She will definitely be the favorite and with good reason. It wasn't just the fact that she won the Oaks by 20 lengths; it was also the way she did it. She appeared to be just galloping and Calvin Borel didn't ask her to run at any point in the stretch. Running against the boys with just two weeks rest is a formidable task but from what I saw in the Kentucky Oaks it will take a lot to beat this filly."

THE PREAKNESS ACCORDING TO BOB NEUMEIER: "It may not be exactly akin to the Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King but the late emergence of champion filly Rachel Alexandra into the Preakness field does set up a fascinating new dynamic into the race.

"Typically, fillies have difficulty competing with colts at the highest levels of racing, which helps explain why a filly has not won this race in 94 years, but Rachel Alexandra is clearly in her own racing stratosphere, as her eye-popping 20-length win in the Kentucky Oaks would attest.

"To underscore the point, her jockey Calvin Borel has given up the mount on Kentucky Derby upset winner Mine That Bird to ride "Rachel," a startling, almost unprecedented move. Add to it the fact that the co-owner of the Derby winner and the owner of runner-up Pioneerof the Nile were conspiring to find ways to keep the filly out of the race makes the story even juicier. Add it all up and you have the ingredients to the most fascinating Preakness in decades."

GARY STEVENS ON "DARK HORSES" TO WATCH: "You've always got to be concerned about the fresh faces that are coming in. Big Drama is coming in and getting a lot of respect right now. I think all of the additions are going to have a tough time beating my top three, Rachel Alexandra, Pioneerof the Nile and Mine That Bird."

NBC SPORTS FEATURE ON MINE THAT BIRD: Mine That Bird with jockey Calvin Borel shocked the millions of viewers watching the Kentucky Derby as he passed 18 horses on his was to winning the Derby as a 50-1 longshot. In a feature during the Preakness broadcast NBC Sports will look back at how the undersized gelding first purchased for $9,500 defeated a field of highly touted million-dollar thoroughbreds. The feature will tell the story of the horse's unlikely connections -- three horsemen from New Mexico -- to the jockey who guided the colt to victory, only to leave to ride Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness. NBC Sports will look at how the biggest thoroughbred racing upset in years came to be, and how the team behind Mine That Bird has continued to overcome obstacles on the way to the second leg of the Triple Crown.

PREAKNESS STAKES LUCKY U GAME: NBC Sports and The Maryland Jockey Club of Baltimore City present The Preakness Stakes Lucky U Game, a contest where a lucky fan can win a cash prize and a trip to the 2010 Preakness Stakes. After the field for the 2009 Preakness Stakes is set on Wednesday, May 13, horse racing fans will be able to vote for the horse that they think will win. The winner will receive $10,000 in cash and a 2010 Preakness Stakes VIP Experience provided by The Maryland Jockey Club, including tickets to the Preakness and other Preakness Stakes events, round-trip transportation, and accommodations. Viewers of NBC's Preakness Stakes broadcast and other fans will be invited to enter by sending a text message for their choice from their cell phone. Standard text messaging charges apply. Fans can also enter by going online to NBCSports.com/lucky.

WATCH MINE THAT BIRD ON NBCSPORTS.COM: Go to NBCSports.com and follow Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird on an isolation camera.

SEE THE PREAKNESS ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE: Users on the go can watch the Preakness Stakes live on their mobile phones through NBC2Go and NBC Sports Mobile.

PREAKNESS A RATINGS SUCCESS ON NBC: Since 2001 when the Preakness Stakes moved from ABC to NBC, average viewership has increased by more than 2 ½ million viewers an increase of 50% over the previous eight years on ABC.

KENTUCKY DERBY HAS MOST VIEWERS IN 20 YEARS: NBC Sports' coverage of Saturday's Kentucky Derby was the most viewed Kentucky Derby in 20 years. The race averaged 16.3 million viewers, two million more than last year's 14.2 million (up 15 percent) and the most since 1989 when Sunday Silence won the Derby (18.5 million).

NBC Sports coverage of the Kentucky Derby now reaches seven million more viewers than the last Kentucky Derby broadcast by ABC in 2000 (16.3 million vs.9.1 million, up 51 percent).

Here’s TNT quotage from last night’s NBA doubleheader.

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA Playoffs – Tuesday, May 12, 2009

TNT’s “40 Games in 40 Nights” NBA Playoffs coverage continues on Wednesday, May 13th with exclusive coverage of the Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets (Game #5) at 9 p.m. ET.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Is it talent? Is it how hard you play? How hard you want it? Because I really think that the Orlando Magic are the better team.”– Webber on the Magic needing to play better.

“I think that too, but not from the neck up.” – Barkley.

**** **** **** **** *****

Game #1: Orlando Magic (88) @ Boston Celtics (92) – Boston leads the series 3-2

Announcers: Marv Albert, Reggie Miller with David Aldridge reporting

Miller on Celtics forward Glen Davis hitting the game winning shot in Game #4: “If you took a poll of the 30 NBA coaches and you tell me that if they’re playing the Boston Celtics and they can take the ball out of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Eddie House’s hands and you don’t care who else is going to take the game-winner, they would take it. Glen Davis made a great shot and a great effort. It was a big play on his part.”

Magic guard Rafer Alston on it being a ‘bounce back’ series: “This series has been a bounce back series, we actually hope that’s the case tonight. I think each team always has answered the call in the next game and I think it’s our turn now. It’s going to tough in their home building, but we are a team that’s ready and we believe in each other.”

Miller on the Magic going with a bigger front line: “(Magic head coach) Stan Van Gundy has gone to the ‘twin tower’ look of (Dwight) Howard and (Tony) Battie and a 6’10” small forward in (Hedo) Turkoglu (against the Celtics). They create a very big line for the Magic.”

Miller on the importance of guard Ray Allen to the Celtics: “(The Celtics) need (Ray Allen’s) offensive production if they are going to be successful against the Magic.”

**** **** **** **** *****

Halftime Report

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber

Barkley on why the Magic are going to win their series against the Celtics: “The reason why I think Orlando is going to win the series is because they have better players overall. Dwight Howard is the best player in this series, (to go along with Hedo) Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and they’ve got better scorers.”

Smith on Celtics guard Rajon Rondo playing bigger than a typical point guard: “(Rajon Rondo) plays bigger than he is. (He’s) not only controlling the tempo, he’s getting (the Celtics) extra shots. This is going to be a long series because he is rebounding just like Dwight Howard rebounds.”

Barkley on Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban apologizing to Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin and his mother on his blog: “Mark Cuban is my guy but he was wrong. I wish he would’ve done this yesterday. I wish he would’ve walked up to the mom and (Kenyon Martin) at the game yesterday. But he apologized (on his blog) and that’s all you can do.”

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Miller on what Celtics guard Rajon Rondo needs to do in the off-season if he wants to become an elite point guard: “If (Rajon) Rondo wants to take the next step to become a great point guard, this summer I would take a month off after the season to let your body heal. Then I would get into the gym and shoot 500-700 fifteen to twenty-two foot jump shots to get that down consistently, and I would shoot over 1000 tear drop (shots) ala (Spurs point guard) Tony Parker.”

Miller on the resilience of the Magic: “The Magic have an answer. Every single time the Celtics are getting ready to make a run someone on the Magic makes a move or hits a three pointer.”

Celtics forward Kendrick Perkins on young players being forced to grow up quickly in the playoffs: “(Playing in the playoffs) makes you grow up real fast. If you haven’t grown up, you will, especially going through this process. If you’re a competitor in the game of basketball, you want to win. It’s basically bringing out my personality and my character out and being the person that I am in the game of basketball. You have to love it. You embrace opportunities like this.”

TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Celtics guard Paul Pierce following the game

Pierce on the Celtics wanting to win the series more that the Magic: “I said before the game that this is a game of wills. That’s all it really was. When we came out here and we were down ten points with four minutes left…it’s about will and who wants it more. There’s no denying that this team has that (will) from start to finish.”

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Gamebreak:

Johnson, Smith, Barkley and Webber

Barkley on Orlando’s struggles on offense in Game #5: “It’s so frustrating to watch Orlando play. They never go to Dwight Howard…the only time Dwight Howard touched the ball was when they threw it to him in-bounds (at the end of the game).”

Webber on the Magic needing to play better: “Is it talent? Is it how hard you play? How hard you want it? Because I really think that the Orlando Magic are the better team.”

Barkley: “I think that too, but not from the neck up.”

Webber on Dwight Howard not getting enough shots: “(Dwight Howard) only got ten shots and he is the best player on the (Magic). Their whole strategy was a tactical error.”

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Game #2: Houston Rockets (78) @ Los Angeles Lakers (118) – Los Angeles leads the series 3-2

Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Doug Collins with Craig Sager reporting

Collins on the Rockets lacking depth on their front line: “A problem for the Rockets is that they don’t have any depth on their front line. They don’t have (injured centers) Yao Ming or Dikembe Mutombo and they are very thin and small on that front line.”

Collins on Rockets forward Ron Artest needing to play inside more: “I’d like to see (Ron) Artest get into the paint more often. He’s settling for the three (point shot) a little too often.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on the significance of losing in the playoffs: “I’m not a big proponent of losing by 30 points or losing by one point. What’s the difference? A loss is a loss. It’s not going to carry over into the next game. It’s not going to linger. In the playoffs, a loss is a loss.”

Collins on the Rockets needing to adjust their game since Yao Ming is out with an injury: “With no Yao Ming, (the Rockets) can’t come down and throw the ball into the post. They are going to have to trust each other, make the extra pass and they are going to have to be disciplined enough to keep your spacing so you can have room to work and (Aaron) Brooks can find people.”

Collins on the toughness of the Boston Celtics: “You cannot put a price on mental and physical toughness. Boston has (both).”

Bryant on Rockets guard Aaron Brooks: “We had to pay more attention to him. He’s a great shooter and we can’t give him too many open looks.”

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Halftime Report

Announcers: Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber

Smith on how Lakers forward Pau Gasol doesn’t let guard Kobe Bryant get double-teamed: “I told Kobe before that when Shaq (O’Neal) was there, the only reason he was going to really miss Shaq was he’s the best one-on-one basketball player in the world that gets to play one-on-one. He doesn’t get double-teamed. That’s what Pau Gasol is doing right now, not letting (Bryant) get double-teamed.”

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Collins on how Lakers forward Pau Gasol has to perform consistently: “You have to perform once you get to this stage (in the playoffs) and the stakes are higher with the pressure. The guy that has to perform consistently is Pau Gasol. He has to be (the Lakers) second option every night. That’s the guy that has to be there for Kobe (Bryant).”

Collins on Lakers guard Trevor Ariza: “Last year (Trevor Ariza) came off the bench and he was getting acclimated (after his trade from Orlando). (The Lakers) love his speed, his athleticism and his size. They hope at some point in time, he’s going to be a lock-down defensive player.”

Collins on injured Rockets center Yao Ming: “All you hear from the Rockets is that he’s the best teammate they’ve ever had. He’s the hardest worker and my heart breaks for him not being able to play.”

Collins on how the Lakers success on offense leads to aggressive defensive play: “I think that when they play good offense, they get excited and they play better defense. Whereas, I think the Rockets play good defense and when they play good defense, it helps their offense. Anytime the Lakers get things going offensively, they become more aggressive (defensively), they get into passing lanes and they get deflections.”

Collins on NBA legendary coach Chuck Daly who passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to (Daly’s family) and all the people who are walking around this arena thinking about chuck and he’s meant to the NBA and all the championships. He was a mentor, he was a teacher, he reached out and he was always there to help someone at anytime. He will be missed and his void will never be filled. Whether I played for him or coached against him, (I will remember) how well we he was dressed, the coifed hair, and that dignity and class that he carried his life on a daily basis, and he was someone I cared deeply about.”

Collins on being rumored to be a candidate for the Philadelphia 76ers head coaching job: “I have not spoken to (the 76ers) and I want them to understand that. I feel very badly if there was a miscommunication. I talked to Phil Jasner, the great beat writer for the (Philadelphia) Daily News, and I have not talked to the Sixers. So if there is any misinformation, I feel very badly for (76ers GM) Eddie Stefanski for the situation this might have put him or the Sixers in…it’s good that we can get that clarified and if there was any misinformation with the way it was reported or the way I said it, to make it look like I had spoken to them, I have not spoken to them.”

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Inside the NBA

Announcers: Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber

Webber on how a center can contribute when he’s not scoring: “As a scorer and as a big fella, if you’re not scoring or you’re not in the game, one of the best things to do is play hard and rebound and get back and try to get some easy points that way.”

Webber on the Lakers/Rockets series being over: “I think (the Lakers/Rockets series) is over. You have to take advantage of teams when they don’t have that player or that momentum. I believe in momentum and I believe in the right time, I think the right time for that team (the Rockets) to try to win was tonight. I don’t think they have a chance, I think it’s over.”

Smith on why it is not going to be easy for the Lakers to beat the Rockets: “(Houston) plays with too much effort to just say they are going to lose that easily, and also, the Lakers turn it on and off. We know that (the Lakers) are the most talented team, they have the most skills, they have one of the deepest, if not the deepest, benches. They have more skilled players, but what they don’t always do is they don’t always play with effort because they are so skilled. The Rockets, the only way they can play well is with effort. In Houston, what I saw last game, with the effort, it’s not going to be a cake walk.”

Webber on the elite coaching experience of Lakers head coach Phil Jackson: “I’m not disrespecting the Rockets, I love watching them play because of how hard they play. The Lakers are lackadaisical, but they went to the championship last year, let’s remember that. Phil Jackson has how many rings, nine? And one thing he does is he coaches demeanor. There are no Josh Smith dunks at the end, there’s nobody getting happy after Game #2, and even yesterday, we were all saying they were disappointed and Phil Jackson was like, ‘disappointed?’ What he was saying was, ‘I don’t owe us in here anything, I don’t owe the fans anything, we lost a bad game, you all don’t know what you’re talking about.’ He was saying, ‘we have championships, we’re going right back,’ so yeah, I think they are going to close them out at Houston.”

Smith on Magic center Dwight Howard telling the press he needs the ball more: “In the immortal words of Michael Ray Richardson, it sounds like, ‘the ship be sinking.’ That’s what it sounds like to me. That sounds like a team that’s unraveling because now it comes to a point where I have to demand the ball in the paper. Your point guard sits right next to you, your coach is right over there, you don’t have to demand the ball in the paper. Hakeem Olajuwan demanded the ball a lot from me, every single play, but he never demanded the ball from me in the paper. So he came to my locker and he said, ‘listen, David Robinson cannot guard me, get me the ball the first five plays, forget what we just said, let’s run this play for me.’ I said, ‘Ok, I can’t do the first five times or I’ll get taken out of the game, but I’ll do it three.’ We came up with a compromise, but we didn’t have to do it in the paper and we won two rings.”

Barkley on the Celtics working harder to win than the Magic: “Dwight Howard can’t say that (he needs the ball), we can say that. The ship be sinking. I loved Orlando to win this series, but it just goes to show you, Doc Rivers has done a fantastic job, they are grinding their behind off. It just goes to show you grinding will beat talent. Clearly, Orlando has more talent top to bottom than the Celtics. If you just play hard, it’s an easy game.”

Smith on his conversation with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban regarding Cuban’s subsequent apology for the comment he made to Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin’s mother, which Cuban posted on his blog: “I talked with Mark (Cuban) today at length. He was a little upset with comments I had made on Twitter. I said a personal attack deserves a personal response, period, end of story. If you say something to someone directly, you need to be there, if you say it in the paper, ok, you can apologize in the paper, you said it in a blog, you can apologize in a blog. I felt he knew where (Kenyon Martin’s) mom was that time, he could have figured out where she was again, that’s what I had a problem with. He said he made several attempts throughout the day and the day before to contact her. I accepted that, but I said, ‘Mark, I wish you had done it a different way and you would have done it directly to his mom where (it was) visible because it became visible to the world. But he said he called the agent, he called Kenyon, he waited for Kenyon to come out to shoot around before the game, he never came out and said he wouldn’t talk to him.”

Webber on Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s apology on his blog to Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin’s mother: “It’s not enough for me because he needs to go to the family. Sitting on it when I first came in today I thought it was cool, but the longer it went I started thinking it was kind of cowardly, putting in phrases like, ‘you can come sit next me.’ I’m one of the best talkers when it comes to us hanging out and I could throw you a backhanded compliment. When I started thinking about it, we’re just a bunch of mama’s boys. I think it takes a handshake, a look in the eye and after that it’s just over. You have to look a man in the eye.”

And here’s what ESPN has to say about Spike Lee’s overindulgent movie on Kobe Bryant.

Commercial-Free Kobe Doin’ Work Premieres Saturday

ESPN Films’ presentation of director Spike Lee’s Kobe Doin’ Work will be televised Saturday, May 16, at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN HD without commercial interruption. The 90-minute documentary chronicles a single game in the life of the NBA’s 2008 MVP, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angels Lakers. Through the vantage points of 30 cameras, the film chronicles the April 13, 2008, game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs at STAPLES Center. Set to the first musical score and original song “Levitate” by Grammy Award-winning artist Bruce Hornsby, Kobe Doin’ Work will give viewers an inside look at how Bryant prepares, plays and winds down on game day.

That’s it for now.

Tuesday Night Stuff

Here are some links for you this evening.

Tom Van Riper of Forbes looks at how the financial crunch will affect sports sponsorships.

In an editorial, the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal says women sports journalists owe a debt of gratitude to the late Mary Garber.

Barry Jacobs writes for WRAL.com that Mary Garber was definitely a trailblazer.

Maury Brown of the Biz of Hockey has an in-depth look at the online content push the NHL is making in an effort to generate more revenue.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News looks at the college football games available in SoCal this week. Tom also looks at the 100 year anniversary of one of biggest bonehead plays in baseball history, Merkle’s Boner. Tom catches up with former California Angels announcer Dick Enberg about the late outfielder, Lyman Bostock who was killed way too young 30 years ago today.

And in Tom’s post on Lyman Bostock is a link to a story from the Daily News’ Jill Painter on Bostock’s legacy at his college alma mater.

Related to Tom’s post on Merkle’s Boner is Keith Olbermann’s essay on the play in this week’s Sports Illustrated.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says the Dan Patrick show gets a new affiliate in New York State’s Capital Region. Pete lists the NFL games that the Capital Region will watch on Sunday.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says it’s slim pickings for NFL games this Sunday in the Metroplex.

Rick Kissell of Variety says the Dallas Cowboys are definitely primetime darlings.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says the first four Monday Night Football games of the season on ESPN are the four most watched programs on cable this year.

R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel writes that ESPN Films will produce its first-ever Spanish-language movie.

Newsday’s Neil Best looks at Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner’s thoughts on the current baseball playoff system.

Alex Weprin of Broadcasting & Cable says the Farewell to Yankee Stadium did well in the cable primetime ratings for ESPN.

John Consoli of Mediaweek writes that despite not having the last game at Yankee Stadium, YES had solid ratings for the pregame show.

Mike Shields from Mediaweek writes that despite offerings on cable and the internet, 93% of Olympic TV viewing went through NBC.

I’ve been searching for a way to work this story into the blog. The University of Idaho cheerleaders will change their uniforms after school officials and some fans thought they were too skimpy. Well, CNBC’s Darren Rovell has helped me out by suggesting how the school could have worked the outfits to their advantage.

Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media blog shows us exactly where ESPN’s College Gameday will be in relation to Sanford Stadium on the University of Georgia campus.

Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution also writes about the site where College Gameday will air live from this Saturday.

That’s going to do it for now. I’m going to watch the Red Sox celebration as they have just made the playoffs. I should have some news about TBS’ online coverage of the baseball postseason on Wednesday.

Some Monday Links

Back to the work grind today. Not totally happy to be here, but gotta earn a living.

Let’s give you some links.

First, David Scott of the Boston Sports Media Watch has more on the Gordon Edes Boston Globe buyout saga, plus an offensive blog post at Yahoo! Sports that stayed up for at least 24 hours.

From USA Today, Michael Hiestand goes behind-the-scenes with ESPN and the NFL Network during their coverage of the NFL Draft. He also breaks news that former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick joins Fox Sports as a game analyst for this season.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun asks readers what they think about Billick joining Fox Sports. And Ray says ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt had Baltimore on his mind Saturday night.

Tod Leonard of the San Diego Union-Tribune says NBC Sports plans to have primetime coverage of the US Golf Open. Paul J. Gough of the Hollywood Reporter writes that coverage will begin at 4 p.m. ET on NBC, June 14.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell wonders if a new book on the NFL helped to “Blind Side” the Draft this year. And Darren tells us what he thinks about having retired QB Brett Favre on the cover of the Madden ’09 video game.

Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the Packers blog has video and written excerpts of Brett Favre’s interview on ESPN.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick is pulling his hair out over the lack of hustle he sees in baseball games.

Newsday’s Neil Best tells us in his blog that he saw seven movies Sunday at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. Neil commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the infamous Lee Elia tirade.

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune says Elia is making the sports talk show rounds today.

David Hinckley of the New York Daily News writes about Dodgers announcer Vin Scully being honored at his alma mater, Fordham University this week.

The Boston Sports Media Watch’s daily Approval Ratings focus on WEEI’s John Dennis.

The Sports Media Watch says the search for the new New York Knicks coach could have an adverse effect on ESPN and TNT.

Dusty Saunders of the Rocky Mountain News says both the Avalanche and Nuggets are disappointing on national TV.

Maury Brown from the Biz of Baseball has comments from the TBS Sports crew during Sunday’s Yankees-Indians game.

The Louisville Courier-Journal’s C. Ray Hall talks with ESPN’s Kenny Mayne about his new book.

That’s it for now.