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MidWeek — July 28, 2010

Posted by Editor • July 28, 2010 • Printer-friendly

X GAMES

NASCAR, NFL, WSOP & MORE...

 ESPN 3D: X Games 16 Available in Australia
contact: colleen.s.lynch@espn.com

For the first time, ESPN 3D will televise outside the U.S.  The network, in conjunction with FOXTEL and AUSTAR in Australia, will provide eight hours of coverage from X Games 16.  Fans in Australia can look forward to seeing the best in action sports competition on Friday, July 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. AEST and Sunday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. AEST on channel 206 on FOXTEL and AUSTAR. (Fans in the U.S. will see this programming on Thursday, July 29 from 8-11 p.m. ET and on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 7 p.m. until midnight.)  During these telecasts ESPN 3D will debut new 3D cameras, including a camera from inside a rally car, providing a driver’s point of view.  ESPN 3D’s telecast of X Games 16 will be available to all FOXTEL iQ2 and AUSTAR MyStar HD subscribers with a 3D ready television.

 
ESPN Films’ “30 for 30” Goes Big with Birth of Big Air on Day One of X Games 16 Thursday
contacts: keri.a.potts@espn.com and alison.lazar@espn.com  |  photos

ESPN Films’ “30 for 30” series will continue Thursday, July 29, at 7 p.m. with The Birth of Big Air, directed by Jeff Tremaine and executive produced by Spike Jonze and actor Johnny Knoxville. The film showcases BMX biker Mat Hoffman, who significantly advanced the sport at a young age by not only breaking records, but creating new ones. The Birth of Big Air chronicles Hoffman’s career—including the amazing feats and frightening falls—and takes a look at his curiosity and determination that helped revolutionize the sport. 

Little-known facts:

  • Hoffman went from virtually unknown to a sponsored rider with just one event – a bicycle freestyle championship at Madison Square Garden in 1986.
  • Because Hoffman got tired of going to the hospital so often, he carried around his own suture kit to stitch up his injuries.
  • Hoffman has had a total of 2 comas, 21 broken bones, 23 surgeries, 100+ concussions and 300+ stitches. 

ESPN Films’ Birth of Big Air will be available July 30 on DVD on Amazon.com and Tuesday, Aug. 3 at retail stores (details). More information on the “30 for 30” series can be found in the ESPN Films media kit, including clips and stills.

 
ESPN Pit Reporters on NASCAR Now Roundtable
contacts: andy.hall@espn.com or george.mcneilly@espn.com

ESPN pit reporters Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Dr. Jerry Punch will join host Allen Bestwick on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion Monday, Aug. 2, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. Nicole Briscoe will host the one-hour weekend edition of NASCAR Now Sunday, Aug. 1, at 9 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway, which airs live on ESPN, as well as the weekend wrap-up edition Monday, Aug. 2, at midnight (late Sunday night).

ESPN’s Mortensen and Schefter “On the Road to Camp” Begins Thursday
contact: kimberly.jessup@espn.com

ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and NFL Insider Adam Schefter will begin separate road trips Thursday, July 29, as part of ESPN’s “On the Road to Camp” – a cross-country bus tour that will take the ESPN duo to all 32 NFL team training camps in 19 days, July 29 – Aug. 16. Mortensen will begin his journey from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, site of Super Bowl XLV, and concentrate on teams in the West, while Schefter will start at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and focus on the East.  Both of them will blog and make regular updates on Twitter (@mortreport and @Adam_Schefter). Entire press release 

Date City Team/Location Insider
Thu, July 29 Arlington, Texas Cowboys Stadium Mortensen
  Canton, Ohio Pro Football Hall of Fame Schefter
Fri, July 30 San Antonio, Texas Cowboys/Alamodome Mortensen
  Georgetown, Ky. Bengals/Georgetown College Schefter
Sat, July 31 Houston, Texas Texans/Methodist Training Center Mortensen
  Bourbonnais, Ill. Bears/Olivet Nazarene University Schefter
Sun, Aug 1 Allen Park, Mich. Lions/Detroit Lions Training Facility Schefter
Mon, Aug 2 Flagstaff, Ariz. Cardinals/Northern Arizona University Mortensen
  Berea, Ohio Browns/Cleveland Browns Training Facility Schefter
World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions Returns Tuesday
contact: george.mcneilly@espn.com   |   media kit

A prize of $500,000 and bragging rights are on the line in the “Tournament of Champions” Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 8 p.m. on ESPN. With fan voting as the driving force for selection into the tournament’s starting field of 27, this is truly poker’s All-Star Game.  Lon McEachern and Norman Chad co-host the 2010 World Series of Poker, presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. 

The final 10 represents one of the most impressive final tables ever assembled with 41 World Series of Poker bracelets and over $32 million in WSOP tournament winnings. Included are Annie Duke, winner of the inaugural TOC in 1994, and her brother, Howard Lederer. If they want to keep the title in the family, they’ll have to get past three former Main Event champions, Johnny Chan, Joe Hachem and Huck Seed. Other top pros looking to compete for this illustrious title include: Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, Barry Greenstein, T.J. Cloutier, and Jen Harman.

Haskell Invitational on ABC Sunday
contact: mark.d.mandel@espn.com   |   photos

The $1 million Haskell Invitational, with a stellar field including Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness victor Lookin At Lucky, will be televised Sunday, Aug. 1, at 5 p.m. on ABC.  Joe Tessitore will host with analysts Randy Moss, Jerry Bailey, Jay Privman, Jeannine Edwards and Hank Goldberg. 

ESPN Sports Saturday: Jerry Rice on Homecoming with Rick Reilly and Winners Bracket
contact: bill.hofheimer@espn.com  |  photos

ESPN Sports Saturday, July 31, starting at 4 p.m. on ABC, will include ESPN's original series Homecoming with Rick Reilly, highlighting the legendary career of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, followed by the hour-long sports highlight-driven series Winners Bracket hosted by Michelle Beadle and Marcellus Wiley. ESPN Sports Saturday is hosted by Hannah Storm. 

Homecoming was filmed at the Great American Theater in Santa Clara, Calif., as Reilly sat down with Rice, who will be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame next weekend on ESPN. The taping included some 1,000 49ers season ticket holders, Rice’s Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo and others. Winners Bracket at 5 p.m. will debate and recap the week in sports in a fast tempo and quick-witted bracket-style format with the 16 biggest newsmakers of the week pitted against each other in seeded brackets. Baseball Tonight analyst Eduardo Perez will make a guest appearance.

 
2010 World Junior Baseball Championship Exclusively on ESPN3.com This Weekend
contact: kristie.chong@espn.com

This weekend, ESPN3.com – ESPN’s 24/7 sports broadband network – will have exclusive coverage in the U.S. of the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship live from Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada.  The U-18 bi-annual baseball tournament features 11 countries including the U.S.  Notable players on Team USA include infielders Tony Wolters (Indians) and Marcus Littlewood (Mariners), outfielders Michael Lorenzen (Rays) and Brian Ragira (Rangers) and right handers A.J. Vanegas (Padres) and John Simms (Nationals).  Previous participants: Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, Justin Upton, Matt Holliday and Huston Street.  Warren Sawkiw will handle play-by-play with analyst Jim Baba. 
Schedule: 

Date Time (ET) Game
Sat, July 31 7 p.m. Semifinal
Sun, Aug 1 12 p.m. Bronze Medal
  4:30 p.m. Gold Medal
ESPN Friday Night Fights: Rodriguez in Main Event 
contact:  doug.grassian@espn.com   |   photos

This week on ESPN Friday Night Fights, Delvin Rodriguez (25-4-2, 12 KOs), the #3 IBF-ranked welterweight, will take on England’s Ashley Theophane (26-4-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight bout July 30, starting at 9 p.m.  Rodriquez’s last match was a victory in the main event of FNF this April.  Theophane scored the IBO International welterweight title in his last bout.  Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will call the action ringside from Miami, Okla.  Brian Kenny will be in the studio during breaks in action. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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