ESPN ThisWeek – February 1, 2010
SUPER BOWL XLIV
BLACK HISTORY MONTH, COLLEGE BASKETBALL & MORE
- Black History Month Programming Starts Today
- Men’s College Basketball: 13 Ranked Teams Play Saturday, Highlighted by No. 2 Villanova at No. 8 Georgetown
- ESPNEWS Live from NASCAR Media Day in Daytona
- NBA: Orlando at Boston on ABC Sunday
- Wiley Joins Beadle for SportsNation; Tuesday’s Show Features Slobbering Snouts
- World Series of Poker Europe Continues on ESPN2
SUPER BOWL XLI
ESPN at Super Bowl XLIV
contact: bill.hofheimer@espn.com
ESPN’s on-site coverage of Super Bowl XLIV in South Florida continues all week with content across 18 ESPN platforms, highlighted by more than 80 hours on television and 55 hours on ESPN Radio. Each day, SportsCenter, NFL Live, Mike & Mike in the Morning and more are originating from Lummus Park in the heart of Miami Beach, with many special guests. A special four-hour edition of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown hosted by Chris Berman will also originate from South Florida on Sunday, Feb. 7, at 10 a.m. ET.
Additional highlights:
- SportsCenter Special: The Champions (Friday, Feb. 5, at 3:30 p.m., ESPN) – Mike Tirico will host this special with all of ESPN’s NFL analysts in Miami who have won Super Bowl rings – Tedy Bruschi, Mike Ditka, Trent Dilfer, Jon Gruden, Keyshawn Johnson, Matt Millen, Mark Schlereth and Steve Young. The panel – with a combined 19 rings in 24 Super Bowl appearances – will discuss their personal experiences of playing for the NFL title and preview the Colts-Saints matchup.
- Sport Science (Friday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m., ESPN) – The three-time Emmy Award-winning special hosted by John Brenkus will offer four football-themed segments in a 30-minute show, including researching the common thread in quarterbacks, and the physics of the greatest catches of the past several years, with last year’s Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes of the Steelers. Sport Science brings popular professional athletes together with cutting-edge technology in state-of-the-art scientific facilities to test the limits of human athletic abilities, while challenging popular assumptions about athletes and sports.
- ESPNEWS will televise live numerous Super Bowl events with extensive reporting from Miami all week -- including coach and player press conferences, Media Day (Tuesday, Feb. 2), Commissioner Roger Goodell's State of the NFL address (Friday, Feb. 5), and the Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement (Saturday, Feb. 6).
BLACK HISTORY MONTH, COLLEGE BASKETBALL & MORE
Black History Month Programming Starts Today
contacts: kim.jarvis@espn.com or mark.d.mandel@espn.com
ESPN’s annual Black History Month programming – centered around those who have made and continue to make progressive strides on and off the playing field – will include daily, 30-second vignettes on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, encore presentations from the ESPN Films library and top games from the past on ESPN Classic, as well as original content on ESPN.com. The lineup will begin today with the 1981 UCLA vs. USC football game, in which Hall of Famer Marcus Allen ran for 219 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-21 Trojans victory, at 5 p.m. on ESPN Classic. Additional highlights this week include back-to-back fights, with “the greatest of all time” Muhammad Ali on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 5 p.m.; Black Magic, Part I, Thursday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. and Third And A Mile: History of the Black Quarterback on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 9 p.m. Click here for the ESPN Classic schedule
Men’s College Basketball: 13 Ranked Teams Play Saturday, Highlighted by No. 2 Villanova at No. 8 Georgetown
contact: michael.c.humes@espn.com
Twelve of the 16 men’s college basketball games across the ESPN networks Saturday, Feb. 6, will feature at least one team in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll. The day will be highlighted by a BIG EAST showdown between two programs in the top eight: No. 2 Villanova at No. 8 Georgetown at noon on ESPN. Additional big games that day:
- No. 1 Kansas against Nebraska at 6 p.m. on ESPNU
- No. 5 Michigan State at Illinois at 9 p.m. on ESPN
- No. 6 West Virginia at St. John’s at noon on ESPNU
- No. 9 Duke at Boston College at 2 p.m. on ESPN
- No. 10 Texas at Oklahoma at 4 p.m. on ESPN
No. 5 Michigan State at Illinois will also serve as the stop for ESPN’s College GameDay Driven by State Farm and Saturday Primetime Game of the Week matchup, both on ESPN. College GameDay – hosted by Rece Davis with analysts Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis and Digger Phelps – will air at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Also, the schedule for Thursday, Feb. 4, will include No. 19 Georgia Tech at No. 9 Duke at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and No. 7 Purdue against Indiana at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network(s) |
| Thu, Feb 4 | 7 p.m. | No. 7 Purdue at IndianaDave O’Brien & Steve Lavin | ESPN / ESPN360.com |
| 7 p.m. | No. 19 Georgia Tech at No. 9 Duke Mike Patrick, Jay Bilas & Heather Cox | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| 7 p.m. | Florida at AlabamaRob Stone & Jay Williams | ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. | Cincinnati at Notre DameDave Pasch & Doris Burke | ESPN / ESPN360.com | |
| 9 p.m. | No. 14 Tennessee at LSU Rece Davis & Hubert Davis | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| 11 p.m. | Portland at No. 13 GonzagaTerry Gannon & Stephen Bardo | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| 11 p.m. | Cal State Fullerton at Long Beach StateTodd Harris & Miles Simon | ESPNU | |
| Fri, Feb 5 | 7 p.m. | Bethune-Cookman at Coppin StateJohn Castleberry & Dwight Freeman | ESPNU |
| 9 p.m. | Marist at ManhattanDoug Sherman & Rob Kennedy | ESPNU | |
| Sat, Feb 6 | Noon | No. 2 Villanova at No. 8 GeorgetownDave Pasch & Doris Burke | ESPN / ESPN360.com |
| Noon | Xavier at DaytonBob Wischusen & Tim Welsh | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| Noon | No. 6 West Virginia at St. John’sBob Picozzi & Tim McCormick | ESPNU | |
| 2 p.m. | No. 9 Duke at Boston CollegeMike Patrick & Len Elmore | ESPN / ESPN360.com | |
| 2 p.m. | No. 11 Kansas State at Iowa StateJon Sciambi & Mike Kelley | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| 2 p.m. | No. 17 Temple at RichmondQuint Kessenich & Nate Ross | ESPNU | |
| 4 p.m. | No. 10 Texas at OklahomaRon Franklin & Fran Fraschilla | ESPN / ESPN360.com | |
| 4 p.m. | No. 13 Gonzaga at MemphisTerry Gannon & Stephen Bardo | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| 6 p.m. | South Carolina at No. 14 TennesseeBrad Nessler & Jimmy Dykes | ESPN / ESPN360.com | |
| 6 p.m. | Southern Illinois at No. 22 Northern IowaLou Canellis & Mark Adams | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| 6 p.m. | Nebraska at No. 1 KansasClay Matvick & Stephen Howard | ESPNU | |
| 8 p.m. | Wright State at No. 15 ButlerBeth Mowins & Dave Kaplan | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| 8 p.m. | Miami at Florida StateJustin Kutcher & Dickey Simpkins | ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. | No. 5 Michigan State at IllinoisDan Shulman, Dick Vitale & Erin Andrews | ESPN / ESPN360.com | |
| 10 p.m. | Tulsa at UTEPDave Flemming & Bob Valvano | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | |
| 10 p.m. | Nevada at Utah StateTodd Harris & Bob Donewald | ESPNU |
ESPNEWS Live from NASCAR Media Day in Daytona
contact: andy.hall@espn.com or george.mcneilly@espn.com
ESPNEWS will cover NASCAR Media Day at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 4, with a special three-hour program at noon featuring exclusive interviews with NASCAR’s top drivers, along with analysis of the upcoming season.
NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Kyle Busch and NASCAR rookie Danica Patrick are among the drivers scheduled to appear on the program from Daytona. NASCAR Now co-hosts Mike Massaro and Nicole Briscoe will host the program and conduct the interviews, with Briscoe on the scene in Daytona and Massaro in ESPN’s studios. In addition, ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven will weigh in via satellite.
NBA: Orlando at Boston on ABC Sunday
contact: mark.d.mandel@espn.com; nate.smeltz@espn.com
In a pivotal Eastern Conference matchup, the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard take on the Boston Celtics and Paul Pierce on Sunday on ABC.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Networks |
| Wed, Feb 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Kia NBA Shootaround | ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN 360.com, ESPN Mobile |
| 8 p.m. | Miami at BostonDave Pasch, Hubie Brown, Lisa Salters | ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN 360.com, ESPN Mobile | |
| 10:30 p.m. | Phoenix at DenverKevin Calabro, Mark Jackson | ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN 360.com, ESPN Mobile | |
| Fri, Feb 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Kia NBA Shootaround | ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN 360.com, ESPN Mobile |
| 8 p.m. | Chicago at AtlantaCalabro, Brown, Jon Barry, Heather Cox | ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN 360.com, ESPN Mobile | |
| 10:30 p.m. | Denver at L.A. LakersDan Shulman, Jackson, Salters | ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN 360.com, ESPN Mobile | |
| Sun, Feb 7 | 2 p.m. | GMC Sierra NBA CountdownStuart Scott, Mike Wilbon, Barry | ABC, ABC HD |
| 2:30 p.m. | Orlando at BostonMike Breen, Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Doris Burke | ABC, ABC HD |
Wiley Joins Beadle for SportsNation; Tuesday’s Show Features Slobbering Snouts
contact: jenny.zimmerman@espn.com
SportsNation Presented by Toyota co-host Michelle Beadle will be joined this week (M-F, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2) by frequent guest host and ESPN NFL analyst Marcellus Wiley. On Tuesday’s show, the duo will be bowled over by 10 of the “athletes” from Puppy Bowl VI when they stop by Studio B. The pooches and their handlers will bring along the Puppy Bowl set to give SportsNation a nose-to-camera close-up of all the furry fun of the sixth annual Super Bowl Sunday event. Also, a special two-hour SportsNation for Super Bowl Sunday airs Feb. 7, at 10 a.m. (re-airs at noon).
World Series of Poker Europe Continues on ESPN2
contact: george.mcneilly@espn.com
The World Series of Poker Europe Main Event action begins Sunday, Feb. 7, at 10 p.m. on ESPN2. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad call the action – joined by sideline reporter and professional poker player Kara Scott. Poker’s elite battle it out for the coveted WSOPE Main Event bracelet and the nearly $1.3 million first-place prize.
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