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MidWeek — January 4, 2012

Posted by Editor • January 4, 2012 • Printer-friendly

 
COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NBA, NFL, COLLEGE BASKETBALL & MORE…

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BCS Championship: No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama on Monday
contact: michael.c.humes@espn.com

ESPN’s extensive college football bowl schedule -- 33 exclusive games, including all five  BCS matchups -- will conclude this weekend with three games, highlighted by the Allstate BCS National Championship on Monday, Jan. 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET.  The game, No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama, will be available on ESPN, ESPN3, ESPN 3D, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio.  

Two additional games complete ESPN’s schedule SMU vs. Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 1 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN3 and ESPN Radio, and Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois in the GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 9 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.

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All BCS, All the Time: 23-Hours of National Championship-Themed Programming on ESPNU
contact: gracie.blackburn@gmail.com

ESPNU will be in “all-BCS-all-the-time mode” leading into the Allstate BCS National Championship on Monday, Jan. 9, with its largest on-site presence in New Orleans, La. ESPNU will cover the No. 1 and No. 2 rematch from every angle with 23 consecutive hours of BCS-themed programming beginning Sunday, Jan. 8, at 8 p.m. and concluding with the immediate re-air of the championship matchup at the conclusion of the game.  ESPNU programming descriptions and highlights  

Date  Time (ET)  Programming   
Sun, Jan 8 8 p.m. The Experts: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition (New Orleans)
  9 p.m. Road to the Allstate BCS National Championship: Alabama
  10 p.m. Road to the Allstate BCS National Championship: LSU
  11 p.m. ESPNU Film Room: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition
  midnight LSU at Alabama (November 5, 2011 re-air)
Mon, Jan 9 3 a.m. 2011 Allstate BCS National Championship
  6 a.m. Crunchtime: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition
  7 a.m. Road to the Allstate BCS National Championship: Alabama
  8 a.m. Road to the Allstate BCS National Championship: LSU
  9 a.m. ESPNU Film Room: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition
  10 a.m. The Herd
  1 p.m. ESPNU All-Access: Alabama Football
  1:30 p.m. ESPNU All-Access: LSU Football
  2 p.m. The Experts: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition (reair)
(New Orleans) 
  3 p.m. Palmer & Pollack: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition
(New Orleans)  
  4 p.m. BCS Countdown – Allstate BCS National Championship Pregame
(New Orleans)  
  6 p.m. SportsNation: ESPNU Allstate BCS National Championship Edition
  TBD Allstate BCS National Championship

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Division I NCAA Football Championships Saturday on ESPN2
contact: michael.c.humes@espn.com

ESPN will conclude its extensive coverage of the NCAA Division I Football Championship with the title game pitting No. 1 seed Sam Houston State (14-0) vs. second-seeded North Dakota State (13-1) on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 1 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN3.  Dave Neal will call the action with analyst David Diaz-Infante and reporter Allison Williams.  This year marked the first time the entire championship – a total of 19 games – was aired on an ESPN platform. 

Both schools will make its first appearance in the championship game. It will mark only the third meeting ever between the programs with North Dakota State winning the first game 41-38 in 2007 and Sam Houston State the second match 48-45 in 2009.

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Magic/Bulls, Suns/Trailblazers Highlight Friday NBA Doubleheader
contacts: ben.cafardo@espn.com; nate.smeltz@espn.com

ESPN will televise a Friday NBA doubleheader January 6, beginning with an Eastern Conference showdown when the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard host the Chicago Bulls and reigning MVP Derrick Rose at 8 p.m.  Mike Breen will provide commentary with analyst Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Lisa Salters.  In the nightcap, the Phoenix Suns and Steve Nash will host the Portland Trail Blazers and LaMarcus Aldridge at 10:30 p.m.  Dan Shulman and analyst Hubie Brown will have the call.  Coverage will begin with Kia NBA Countdown at 7:30 p.m. with analysts Magic Johnson, Jon Barry, Michael Wilbon and Chris Broussard.

In addition, ESPN2’s NBA Coast to Coast – an interactive whiparound-format show – will return on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 9 p.m.  The weekly show features live look-ins to games around the league, fan engagement via social media, fantasy updates, highlights, and more.

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Sunday NFL Countdown: Two Sunday NFL Countdown Editions on Wild Card Weekend
contact: mac.nwulu@espn.com

ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown Presented by IBM will preview the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend with three-hour editions on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 11 a.m. and on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m.  Host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson (on the main set), and Suzy Kolber, Bill Parcells and Merril Hoge (on the second set), will preview the four games, joined by NFL Insider Adam Schefter and senior analyst Chris Mortensen who will provide headlines and up-to-the-minute league news.  In addition, Bob Holtzman (Bengals at Texans), George Smith (Lions at Saints), Sal Paolantonio (Falcons at Giants) and Josina Anderson (Steelers at Broncos), will report from each of the four NFL Wild Card games. 

Saturday’s highlights:

  • Ndomukong Suh – Unmasked:  The talented Lions nose tackle talks about his relentless pursuit of perfection in defense and addresses questions about being labeled a dirty player.
  • Superdome Jazz Band:  Reporter Chris Connelly tells the story of brothers Bruce and Donald Hirstius, who are two members of the Storyville Jazz Band which performs Dixieland jazz songs from section 618 to the high roller suites in the New Orleans Superdome.
  • The Juggler: Bengals wide receiver AJ Green took up juggling as a young kid.  He credits that passion with developing the hand eye coordination that led him to becoming an NFL receiver, reports ESPN.com senior writer Greg Garber.
  • Soundtracks – Brian Cushing: Saturday’s Soundtracks will feature Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, wired for in-game audio in a week nine win in Cleveland.

Sunday’s highlights:

  • Eli Manning’s 4th Quarter Comebacks:  Eli Manning Leads the league in fourth quarter comebacks this season.  Reporter Rachel Nichols reveals Manning’s mindset in his late game heroics.
  • The Wrestler: Where did Atlanta Falcon Roddy White acquire the ability to get off a jam at the line of scrimmage?  The wide receiver tells Countdown’s Cris Carter he uses the moves he learned as a high school wrestler.
  • Stopping Tebow:  In the past three weeks, defenses have made stopping Denver quarterback Tim Tebow look simple.  Countdown’s Tom Jackson visits with the defensive units who have been successful at stopping Tebow.
  • Best Friends and Teammates Forever:  When Steelers Keenan Lewis and Mike Wallace grew up as best friends and neighbors in a tough New Orleans neighborhood, they never envisioned winding up on the same NFL team, reports Josina Anderson. 

ESPN studio programs for the Wild Card Weekend:

Date Time (ET) Program Network
Fri, Jan 6 7 p.m. NFL Kickoff
Trey Wingo, Mark Schlereth and Damien Woody		 ESPN2
Sat, Jan 7 3 a.m. NFL Matchup
Sal Paolantonio, Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge		 ESPN
(ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m.)
  11 a.m. Sunday NFL Countdown Presented by IBM
Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Merril Hoge, Suzy Kolber, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen, Bill Parcells and Adam Schefter		 ESPN
Sun, Jan 8 12 a.m. NFL PrimeTime Presented by E-Trade
Wingo, Tim Hasselbeck and Hoge		 ESPN
  4 a.m. NFL Matchup
Paolantonio, Jaworski and Hoge		 ESPN
(ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m.)
  10 a.m. Sunday NFL Countdown Presented by IBM
Berman, Carter, Ditka, Hoge, Kolber, Jackson, Johnson, Mortensen, Parcells and Schefter		 ESPN
  8 p.m. NFL PrimeTime Presented by E-Trade
Berman, Trent Dilfer and Jackson		 ESPN

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NFL Films Presents Greatest Games of 2011
contact: allison.r.stoneberg@espn.com

NFL Films highlights six regular-season games in its presentation of Greatest Games of 2011 on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 1 a.m. on ESPN, including: New Orleans at Green Bay (week one), Dallas at San Francisco (week two), Houston at New Orleans (week three), Baltimore at Pittsburgh (week nine), NY Giants at Dallas (week 14) and Detroit at Oakland (week 15). The program will re-air on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2. 

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Total QBR: Packers’ Aaron Rodgers Edges Saints’ Drew Brees for 2011 NFL Season
contact: bill.hofheimer@espn.com

In August, the ESPN Stats & Information Group unveiled The Total Quarterback Rating (Total QBR), a groundbreaking new statistical approach to evaluate the NFL quarterback position.  Using a 100-point scale, Total QBR measures all of the significant contributions by a quarterback during the course of a game and accounts for precisely how much he impacts his team’s performance and chances of winning.

The new metric devised by ESPN’s Production Analytics unit was used for the first time during the 2011 NFL season. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (85.2) edged out Drew Brees (84.0) of the New Orleans Saints for the QBR season title while Patriots signal-caller Tom Brady (74.2) finished a distant third. Conversely, the Denver Broncos’ Tim Tebow (27.2) finished 32nd among qualifiers ahead of only Curtis Painter (23.4) of the Colts and Blaine Gabbert (21.1) of the Jaguars. Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, last year’s top NFL Draft pick, led all rookies with a QBR of 56.6 (No. 16 overall).
Final QBR Rankings

What is most interesting is the relationship between QBR and winning, especially in contrast with the diminishing importance of a team having more yards than its opponent. Total QBR can be used to quantify just how important the quarterback position has become to winning in the NFL.  In the 2011 regular season, the team with the higher Total QBR in the game went 223-33 for a .871 win percentage.  Over the final four weeks of the regular season, the team with the higher Total QBR went 63-1. Examining the four years of Total QBR data that is available, the team with the higher Total QBR has won nearly 87 percent of regular season games since 2008.

Record of Team with Advantage in Game (NFL Regular Season):

  This Season   Since 2008  
  W-L-T   Win Pct. W-L-T   Win Pct.
Total Yardage 168-87 .659 708-311-1 .695
Turnover Differential      156-43 .784 649-178-1 .784
NFL Passer Rating 201-55 .785 811-242-1 .792
Total QBR 223-33 .871 888-135-1 .868

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Men’s College Hoops: Conference Action Highlighted by Undefeated No. 1 Syracuse
contact: michael.c.humes@espn.com

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 10, ESPN will televise men’s college basketball action in regular time slots. The upcoming schedule includes telecasts involving all five of the BIG EAST teams in the ESPN/USA Today poll against conference foes, highlighted by undefeated No. 1 Syracuse at Villanova on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN3.

The four additional BIG EAST matchups featuring a ranked team:

  • No. 8 Connecticut against West Virginia on Monday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN3
  • No. 9 Georgetown against Cincinnati on Monday, Jan. 9, at 9 p.m. on ESPNU
  • No. 10 Louisville at Providence on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN3
  • No. 20 Marquette against St. John’s on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. on ESPNU

The regular daily lineup (conference assignments can vary):

  • Monday: ESPN’s weekly Big Monday Presented by Bud Light doubleheader will feature the BIG EAST and Big 12 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively. In addition, for the first time, ESPNU will offer a regular schedule of Monday night games, primarily involving the Big 12 and BIG EAST;
  • Tuesday: Super Tuesday Presented by KFC will highlight an ESPN Big Ten and SEC doubleheader as well as a weekly ESPN2 prime-time matchup featuring the ACC, Big 12 or BIG EAST. Tuesday will also include a doubleheader on ESPNU at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. showcasing the ACC and SEC;
  • Wednesday: Wednesday Night Hoops Presented by Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups will feature Big 12, ACC and Big East games on ESPN or ESPN2. A Wednesday ESPNU doubleheader at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. will feature action from the BIG EAST, Big 12 and others;
  • Thursday: The Thursday Night Showcase Presented by T. Rowe Price will include the second season of a weekly SEC game joining the Big Ten telecast, as well as games from the ACC, BIG EAST and Pac-12 on ESPN or ESPN2 at 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. In addition, ESPN2 and ESPNU will offer consistent West Coast Conference games;
  • Saturday: Afternoon and evening games across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU from top conferences including ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Atlantic 10, Missouri Valley, Colonial and more. Saturday Primetime Presented by DIRECTV, a 9 p.m. game of the week on ESPN, and site of the weekly College GameDay Driven by State Farm series, will return for an eighth season.
  • Sunday: The new ESPNU ACC Sunday Night Basketball series will feature a weekly game from the conference at 6 p.m. 
Date Time (ET) Matchup Network
Mon, Jan 9 7 p.m. West Virginia at No. 8 Connecticut
Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas & Bill Raftery		 ESPN2 / ESPN3
    Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
Dave Flemming & Sean Farnham		 ESPNU
  9 p.m. Cincinnati at No. 9 Georgetown
Beth Mowins & Tim Welsh		 ESPNU
Tue, Jan 10 7 p.m. Georgia at No. 14 Florida
Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes & Shannon Spake		 ESPN / ESPN3
    No. 10 Louisville at Providence
Ryan Burr & Doris Burke		 ESPN2 / ESPN3
    Florida State at Virginia Tech
Carter Blackburn & Jay Williams		 ESPNU
    DePaul at Seton Hall
Andrew Bogusch & Rob Kennedy		 ESPN3 *
  9 p.m. No. 7 Ohio State at Illinois
Mike Tirico & Dan Dakich		 ESPN / ESPN3
    Vanderbilt at South Carolina
Dari Nowkhah & Dino Gaudio		 ESPNU
    Northern Iowa at No. 24 Creighton ESPN3 *
Wed, Jan 11 7 p.m. No. 1 Syracuse at Villanova
Bob Wischusen & Fran Fraschilla		 ESPN2 / ESPN3
    St. John’s at No. 20 Marquette
Adam Amin & LaPhonso Ellis		 ESPNU
  9 p.m. Texas A&M at Texas
Jon Sciambi & Bob Knight		 ESPN2 / ESPN3
    No. 15 Kansas at Texas Tech
Mitch Holthus & Miles Simon		 ESPNU

 * Exclusive

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Women’s College Basketball: Ranked Teams on ESPNU & ESPN3
contact: rachel.l.margolis@espn.com

Three ranked women’s college basketball teams take to the road in conference action, including SEC rivals No. 7 Tennessee at Arkansas on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU HD. The game is part of a doubleheader on ESPNU as No. 12 Louisville, who has won six straight games, plays at BIG EAST foe St. John’s, at 1:30 p.m.

No. 13 Miami is featured in two ACC conference games this week -- at home against NC State on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. on ESPNU and at Georgia Tech on Monday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Thu, Jan 5 7 p.m. NC State at No. 13 Miami
Sam Gore & Debbie Antonelli		 ESPNU
Sat, Jan 7 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Stetson ESPN3
Sun, Jan 8 1:30 p.m. No. 12 Louisville at St. John’s
Anne Marie Anderson & Kayte Christensen		 ESPNU
  3:30 p.m. No. 7 Tennessee at Arkansas
Sam Gore & Carolyn Peck		 ESPNU HD
Mon, Jan 9 7 p.m. No. 13 Miami at Georgia Tech
Mike Morgan & Maria Taylor		 ESPN3

 

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ESPN’s Friday Night Fights’ Season Premiere: Davis vs. Lopez; Dyah Davis Special Feature    
contact: stephen.mcdonald@espn.com

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will begin its 14th season on January 6, at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN3 when super middleweights “Dangerous” Dyah Davis (20-2-1, 9 KOs) and Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez (22-1, 17 KOs) meet in a 10-round main event from Key West, Fla.

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside outdoors describing the action, while studio host Bernardo Osuna will also include all the latest boxing news and highlights.  Friday’s show will present a special feature on Davis (son of 1976 U.S. Olympic Gold medalist Howard Davis Jr.).  Videos

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PBA World Championship Pursuit
contact: allison.r.stoneberg@espn.com

ESPN’s weekly coverage of the PBA World Championship continues Sunday, Jan. 8, at 1 p.m. with the Aulby Division, the last of four divisional finals.  Jason Belmonte will compete against Mike Fagan (two Tour titles), Brian Kretzer (one Tour title) and rookie Josh Blanchard.  Belmonte was the first player to win a PBA Tour title with a two-handed delivery and now, going after his second Tour title, endeavors to win the divisional challenge named for PBA World Champion Mike Aulby.

The bowler who emerges from this match will face the winners of the Carter, Hardwick, and Petraglia divisions in the Finals on Sunday, Jan. 15. Play-by-play announcer Rob Stone and analyst Randy Pedersen will serve as commentators for both telecasts, which were recorded last Fall in Las Vegas, Nev. 

Date Time (ET) Title Network
Sun, Jan 8 1 p.m. PBA World Championship – Aulby Division ESPN
Sun, Jan 15 1 p.m. PBA World Championship – Finals ESPN

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Caribbean Twenty20 Cricket Exclusively on ESPN3
contact: kristie.chong@espn.com

Beginning Monday, Jan. 9, ESPN will kick off live coverage of matches from Caribbean Twenty20 exclusively on ESPN3 in the U.S.  The winner of the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament earns a berth to the Champions League Twenty20, which will also be available live on ESPN3 in October 2012.  ESPN will also air the event through its networks and digital platforms throughout the Caribbean Islands as well as in the UK, Africa, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.  ESPN3 is currently slated to carry close to 1,500 total hours of exclusive live cricket programming over the next four years in the U.S.  The network – available online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE – is removing the traditional pay-per-view barrier and making this world class event available to a distribution of 70 million households nationwide. 

Date Time (ET) Match-Up
Mon, Jan 9 10:50 a.m. Windward Islands vs. Trinidad & Tobago
  2:50 p.m. Leeward Islands vs. Guyana
Tue, Jan 10 10:50 a.m. Sussex vs. Netherlands
  2:50 p.m. Jamaica vs. CCC
Wed, Jan 11 10:50 a.m. Canada vs. Windward Islands
  2:50 p.m. Leeward Islands vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Thu, Jan 12 10:50 a.m. Jamaica vs. Sussex
  2:50 p.m. Barbados vs. Netherlands
Fri, Jan 13 10:50 a.m. Leeward Islands vs. Canada
  2:50 p.m. Trinidad & Tobago vs. Guyana
Sat, Jan 14 10:50 a.m. CCC vs. Sussex
  2:50 p.m. Jamaica vs. Barbados

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espnW: Kate Fagan Joins W, New Video Blogs Document Sage Steele’s runDisney Princess Half Marathon Training 
contact: colleen.s.lynch@espn.com

espnW welcomes former Philadelphia Inquirer writer Kate Fagan to the team this week.  Fagan’s first column will post today.  Anchor Sage Steele continues her training for the runDisney Princess Half Marathon slated for February 26 at Walt Disney Word.  Several new personal video diaries have been added to the site and fans can also follow her progress on Twitter via #runSage. espnW’s Hoops Across America series continues on Thursday when Graham Hays takes an in-depth look at Purdue’s women’s basketball team.  Additionally on Friday, Fagan previews the New York Giants chances to make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl.

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ESPNHS Basketball Showcase Includes No. 1 Ranked Team on ESPN2; Latest POWERADE FAB 50 Rankings Announced
contact: colleen.s.lynch@espn.com

The GEICO ESPNHS Basketball Showcase will include a doubleheader from Wheeling, W.V., with No. 1 ranked Simeon (Chicago) facing No. 34 Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 followed by No. 11 Gonzaga Prep (Washington, D.C.) versus Whitney Young (Ill.) at 10 p.m. on ESPNU. Bob Wischusen will handle play-by-play for both games with Paul Biancardi providing analysis and Dave Telep reporting from the sidelines. 

The new year starts the same way 2011 ended with Simeon retaining the No. 1 spot in this week’s ESPNHS Basketball POWERADE FAB 50 rankings.  However, change is in the air with three new teams in the top five spots.  For more high school basketball information, visit espnhs.com. 

Rank School (City, State) Record Prior Ranking
1 Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 12-0 1
2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 25-0 2
3 Grace Prep (Arlington, Texas) 11-2 6
4 St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) 7-0 9
5 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 10-0 10
6 Findlay Prep (Las Vegas, Nev.) 15-1 3
7 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) 9-1 7
8 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 13-1 8
9 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 11-1 11
10 Chester (Chester, Pa.) 9-0 14

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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