NFLSportsCenter

Champion Seahawks get SportsCenter special treatment

Football fans who haven’t had the opportunity to attend NFL training camp but want to sample the experience, now’s your chance. And you get to do it with the reigning Super Bowl champions as well as a guided tour from some of ESPN’s top experts.

This afternoon, ESPN will televise SportsCenter Special: Seahawks Training Camp (1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Hosted by Kenny Mayne with Jon Gruden, Darren Woodson and John Clayton, the nearly two-hour special will originate from the Seahawks’ Virginia Mason Athletic Center facility in Renton, Wash. ESPN cameras will provide a real-time look at the team’s first training camp workout in full pads, a nine-period practice that will include 9-on-7 drills, red-zone scenarios and more.

A production meeting with John Clayton, Darren Woodson and Kenny Mayne. (Jim Carr/ESPN)
A production meeting with John Clayton, Darren Woodson and Kenny Mayne. (Jim Carr/ESPN)

The Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seahawks have one of the most star-laden rosters in the league with Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and others. The team is known for its up-tempo, competitive practices under high-energy head coach Pete Carroll. All this should make for a highly entertaining show.

“We want to give an up-close look at how intricate the Seahawks practices are, and we hope to break new ground by giving fans some fresh and unique access they haven’t seen before,” said Jay Rothman, ESPN’s Monday Night Football producer, who is producing the special.

“What really excites me is that as big a company as ESPN has become, we continue to innovate,” he said. “When we have new and creative ways to serve sports fans, we have the support at the highest levels to go out and do things like this. When we discussed the idea, [Executive Vice President, Programming and Production] John Wildhack totally got behind it and our programming group worked hard to find the best window in our busy television schedule. You cannot underestimate the value of this kind of support and commitment to trying new things.”

Editor’s Note: For more on the Seahawks special, Rothman spoke with USA Today Sports last week about ESPN’s plans for the show.

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