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MidWeek — April 14, 2010

Posted by Editor • April 14, 2010 • Printer-friendly

NFL DRAFT 

NBA, MLB, SPORTSNATION’S LEBRONATHON & MORE…  
Final NFL Draft Conference Call with Todd McShay Thursday 
RSVP: kimberly.jessup@espn.com;

ESPN will host a final NFL Draft conference call Thursday, April 15, at 2 p.m. ET with ESPN Scouts Inc., director of college football scouting Todd McShay. McShay, an analyst for ESPN’s NFL Draft telecast, will discuss top NFL prospects and team needs.  For more information surrounding ESPN’s 2010 NFL Draft telecast.  To participate in the call: 719-325-2413 (Conference ID: 3202407). 

A full replay of Tuesday’s NFL Draft conference call with Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski and senior coordinating producer Jay Rothman is also available here.

Five NFL Draft Prospects Visit ESPN Next Week
contact: kimberly.jessup@espn.com

Five NFL Draft prospects will visit ESPN early next week to appear on several television and radio programs. Florida State safety Myron Rolle, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamunkong Suh (possibly a top five overall pick) and Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford (projected as the No. 1 overall pick) are scheduled on Monday, April 19, while Florida wide receiver Riley Cooper and Mississippi running back Dexter McCluster will visit Tuesday, April 20. ESPN will televise the NFL Draft from Radio City Music Hall April 22-24.

High-Profile NBA Guests to Appear Across ESPN Platforms
contacts: nate.smeltz@espn.com or mark.d.mandel@espn.com

On Thursday, April 15, and Friday, April 16, ESPN news and information shows will include NBA guests --high-profile players and coaches -- in anticipation of the 2010 NBA Playoffs.  Scheduled guests: LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Chauncey Billups and coaches Doc Rivers, Larry Brown, Mike Brown and Scott Brooks.  Participating shows: ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, The Scott Van Pelt Show, The Doug Gottlieb Show, and The Brian Kenny Show; ESPN First Take (ESPN2), Rome is Burning (ESPN) and Pardon the Interruption (ESPN).  Each of the shows will include at least one NBA guest, with some interviewing up to three guests per show.  ESPN.com will also offer audio clips from the ESPN Radio interviews.  ESPN’s NBA playoff schedule will be announced tomorrow, Thursday, April 15, and will begin Saturday, April 17.


 NBA Entertainment’s The Association: Los Angeles Lakers on ESPN April 16
contacts: nate.smeltz@espn.com or mark.d.mandel@espn.com

ESPN will televise The Association: Los Angeles Lakers, an NBA Entertainment production -- on the eve of the NBA Playoffs -- Friday, April 16, at 8 p.m.  The one-hour show, narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Andy Garcia, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the defending NBA champions, from the start of training camp through the regular season, as they attempt to repeat.


 Monday Night Baseball: Cubs at Mets Full National Telecast
contacts: nate.smeltz@espn.com or diane.lamb@espn.comESPN’s Monday Night Baseball telecast April 19 between the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets will be a full national telecast, co-existing with local coverage in Chicago and New York.  Dan Shulman will call the game with analysts Aaron Boone and Chris Singleton.  The game will also be available via ESPN HD, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV.


 SportsNation in Training for ‘LeBronathon’
contact: jenny.zimmerman@espn.com

To celebrate the final game of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ regular season, SportsNation presented by Toyota debuts “The LeBronathon,” a special show today Wednesday, April 14, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. The show will re-air Thursday, April 15, at 5 a.m. and later that evening at 12:30 a.m. (9:30 p.m. PT).  As the Cavs finish their regular season Wednesday, SportsNation will look at LeBron’s most indelible plays, his most compelling moments, and what the future holds for the Cleveland superstar. Co-hosts Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd will debate the “Akron Hammer” nickname Beadle gave James this season, and SportsNation fans and ESPN personalities will weigh in on whether ESPN should start using the nickname on all highlights. 

Additionally, SportsNation will feature an enormous countdown clock that will click down to the moment James is officially a free agent, and world-renowned psychic “Miss Cleo” will appear on set to declare where James will play in 2010 and beyond. Fans can deliver their input via Twitter: @SportsNation; Facebook (ESPN-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. 


 ESPNU Presents High School Basketball Signing Day Show – Brandon Knight and Michael Gilchrist to Announce
contact: crystal.howard@espn.com

ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will televise the ESPNU Signing Day Special today, April 14, at 4 p.m. live from Charlotte, N.C.  The two-hour show will include announcements of some of high school basketball’s class of 2010 and 2011 superstars such as ESPNU 100 No. 3 Brandon Knight and ESPNU Super 60 No. 1 Michael Gilchrist with additional guests: ESPNU 100 No. 1 Harrison Barnes, No. Jared Sullinger, No. 17 Ray McCallum, No. 33 Trey Zeigler and coaches John Calipari, Josh Pastner and Bruce Pearl. Hosts for today’s telecast are Lowell Galindo, Adrian Branch and Paul Biancardi.

Jordan Brand Classic on ESPN2
contact: crystal.howard@espn.com

ESPN2 will televise live the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic from Madison Square Garden Saturday, April 17, at 8 p.m.  Players ranked in the ESPNU 100 will headline the nation’s best 24 high school basketball seniors, including No. 1 Harrison Barnes (Ames / Ames, Iowa / North Carolina), No. 2 Jared Sullinger (Northland High School / Columbus, Ohio / Ohio State), No. 3 Brandon Knight (Pine Crest / Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / undecided) and No. 4 Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick / Elizabeth, N.J. / Duke).  Analysts Jimmy Dykes and Jay Williams will join play-by-play commentator Bob Wischusen and reporter Quint Kessenich to call the game.


 Former World Title Challenger Thompson in Main Event on ESPN Friday Night Fights
contact: doug.grassian@espn.comTony Thompson (33-2, 21 KOs), a veteran heavyweight contender who unsuccessfully challenged for the world title in 2008 losing to Wladimir Klitschko, will square off against Owen Beck (29-4, 20 KOs) in the main event of ESPN Friday Night Fights April 16, at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.  Since the Klitschko loss, Thompson has put together consecutive victories and will look to continue the streak against Beck, a fellow ex-heavyweight title challenger.

Brian Kenny will host, joined by Bernard Hopkins.  Hopkins will discuss his recent victory over Roy Jones Jr.  Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will call the action ringside.  

 Evernham, Craven, McGee on NASCAR Now Roundtable
contact: andy.hall@espn.com or george.mcneilly@espn.com

Analysts Ray Evernham and Ricky Craven and ESPN the Magazine writer Ryan McGee will join host Nicole Briscoe on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable program Monday, April 19, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.  The one-hour weekend edition, hosted by Mike Massaro, will air Sunday, April 18, at 9 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. Marty Smith and Shannon Spake will report from Texas, with analyst Rusty Wallace. 


 Women’s AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour Sunday
contact: kimberly.jessup@espn.com

The Women’s AVP Pro Beach Volley Ball Tour season opener from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will air Sunday, April 18, at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and ESPN3.com.  Scheduled competitors include Olympic gold medalist Misty-May Treanor with new partner, 2009 MVP of the AVP, Nicole Branagh.


 ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series Heads to Montauk, N.Y.
contact: doug.grassian@espn.com

Picturesque Montauk, N.Y., provided the backdrop for the season’s fourth event of the Built Ford Tough ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series.  Competitors, including celebrity chef Tom Collichio, scoured the waters around the tip of Long Island for striped bass and other species.  ESPN2 will review the competition -- and the sights and sounds of the East Hampton hamlet -- Sunday, April 18, at 8 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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