Ben Cafardo

Manager, Communications@Ben_ESPN

I oversee communications strategy and efforts for ESPN’s NBA and MLB properties. I’m also proudly involved in pr efforts for the company’s corporate outreach initiatives. I’m originally from the Boston area, making me a passionate Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots fan. Before joining the worldwide leader, I worked for Major League Baseball, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney and contributed to an 800-page New England Patriots encyclopedia. My father, Nick Cafardo, is the national baseball writer for the Boston Globe, so it could be said I’ve spent my entire life with the media. Most importantly, I’m a passionate consumer of all things ESPN!

Recent Posts

posted by on June 14, 2013 3:15 PM

THE LINEUP: 11 things you don’t see at home from ABC’s NBA Finals coverage

1. THE BOOTH

(Kristen Hudak/ESPN)

(Kristen Hudak/ESPN)

2. THE KIA NBA COUNTDOWN CREW

(Kristen Hudak/ESPN)

(Kristen Hudak/ESPN)

3. INISDE ESPN’S PRODUCTION TRUCK continue reading…

Filed in: 2013 NBA Finals, NBAOnESPN, The Lineup

posted by on June 14, 2013 12:00 PM

I Follow: TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott

Henry Abbott with Jeff Van Gundy at the NBA Finals. (Ben Cafardo/ESPN)

True Hoop’s Henry Abbott with analyst Jeff Van Gundy at the NBA Finals. (Kristen Hudak/ESPN)

Editor’s note: I Follow is all about ESPN employees on Twitter: what they tweet, whom they follow and how you can interact socially with anyone and everyone.

Twitter handle: @TrueHoop
Followers: 78,660
Following: 1,812
(*as of 06/14/13)

Henry Abbott’s Twitter handle is @TrueHoop, so you know he’s serious about NBA basketball.

Abbott is an ESPN.com NBA senior writer and the TrueHoop name represents Henry’s TrueHoop Network of blogs, including TrueHoop TV, within ESPN.com’s NBA section.

Henry Abbott

Henry Abbott

Front Row had the opportunity to catch up with Henry this week during his rare downtime at the NBA Finals to discuss a number of topics, including an exchange with Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant, how he incorporates Twitter into his job, and his favorite cat video he’s seen tweeted.

How do you decide who to follow on Twitter? continue reading…

Filed in: 2013 NBA Finals, I Follow: Inside Twitter, NBAOnESPN

posted by on May 15, 2013 2:13 PM

KIA NBA Countdown’s Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons help Tosh.0 with profile of ‘greatest Nerf dunker ever’

ESPN NBA Countdown analysts Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose appeared on Tosh.O.

ESPN KIA NBA Countdown analysts Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose appeared on Tosh.O.

On Tuesday night, KIA NBA Countdown analysts Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons traveled to a place few NBA analysts have been: the world of “Tosh.0.”

Simmons and Rose appeared on the popular Comedy Central show to contribute to a “mockumentary” dubbed 30 for 30.0 — a spin on the esteemed ESPN Films series 30 for 30. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, NBAOnESPN

posted by on May 8, 2013 3:05 PM

Colleagues hail Baseball Tonight host Karl Ravech, who today celebrates his 20th anniversary with ESPN

On May 8, 1993, Karl Ravech joined ESPN.

Twenty years later, Ravech remains one of ESPN’s most prominent voices and one of Major League Baseball’s most respected commentators. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, MLBonESPN

posted by on May 3, 2013 4:18 PM

Sunday Night Baseball’s Shulman, Olney ponder Dodgers vs. Giants

Matt Cain is scheduled to be the Giants starting pitcher against the (Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)

Matt Cain is scheduled to be the Giants’ starting pitcher against the Dodgers on Sunday.
(Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)

Editor’s note: Sunday Night Baseball is available on ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio and WatchESPN.

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball emanates this week from AT&T Park when the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers at 8 p.m. ET.

One-half of ESPN’s Sunday Night quartet — play-by-play commentator Dan Shulman and Senior Writer/Baseball Analyst Buster Olney — sat down with Front Row to preview this weekend’s telecast. (They are joined by analysts Orel Hershiser and John Kruk every Sunday night). continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, MLBonESPN

posted by on May 2, 2013 10:44 AM

ESPN MLB analyst Curt Schilling knows all about seemingly impossible Boston rallies versus New York

ESPN's Curt Schilling (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

Baseball Tonight analyst Curt Schilling
(Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

Entering last Sunday’s New York Knicks-Boston Celtics Eastern Conference first-round Game 4 on ABC, the widespread belief was the Boston Celtics were on their last legs.

They seemed old, beat up — plus, Carmelo Anthony was red-hot and the New York Knicks had their sights set on bigger things. What a difference a week makes. continue reading…

Filed in: Announcements

posted by on April 30, 2013 4:34 PM

Analysts Mark Mulder, Doug Glanville stake out Braves, Nationals dugouts for Wednesday Night Baseball telecast

ESPN MLB commentators Mark Mulder and Sean McDonough. (Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

ESPN MLB analyst Mark Mulder (left) won’t be sharing the booth with Sean McDonough (right) on Wednesday.
(Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)

At the start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season, ESPN announced an unconventional concept for its Wednesday Night Baseball telecasts: a rotating booth. The idea served two purposes: 1) to strategically place ESPN MLB analysts in the booth when they have a distinct connection to a game; 2) to utilize ESPN’s deep roster of baseball commentators.

This Wednesday, analysts Mark Mulder and Doug Glanville will join play-by-play commentator Sean McDonough to call the Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves game — the third consecutive night Nationals’ star Bryce Harper will be front and center on ESPN. (ESPN televised Nationals-Braves on Monday Night Baseball and debuts the one-hour special Bryce Begins tonight at 9 p.m. ET). continue reading…

Filed in: Announcements, MLBonESPN

posted by on April 26, 2013 4:33 PM

ESPN’s Mike Breen on calling Knicks games for national and local audiences, and working with analysts Van Gundy and ‘Clyde’

ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy (L) and Mike Breen. (Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)

ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy (L) and Mike Breen.
(Scott Clarke/ESPN Images)

Editor’s Note: Mike Breen will be joined by analyst Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Heather Cox this weekend to call Games 3 and 4 of the Knicks-Celtics series from Boston. Game 3 is tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and Game 4 is Sunday at 1 p.m. on ABC.

Mike Breen, the voice of the NBA Finals and ESPN’s lead NBA play-by-play commentator, will find himself in a familiar position this weekend when he calls two New York Knicks playoff games.

Perhaps nobody knows the Knicks better than Breen, who began calling Knicks games on radio in 1991. He currently calls Knicks games for the MSG TV Network alongside Walt “Clyde” Frazier. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, NBAOnESPN

posted by on April 19, 2013 5:07 PM

Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am works with ESPN on new NBA Playoffs Open featuring his song “#thatPOWER”

ESPN and pop music superstar will.i.am have teamed up to deliver “#thatPOWER” for the NBA Playoffs.

During All-Star Weekend in Houston in February, ESPN producers, will.i.am and a virtual who’s who of NBA superstars congregated in a Hilton Hotel ballroom. There, they shot ESPN’s new NBA Playoffs telecast open to the tune of will.i.am’s single, “#thatPOWER.” continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, NBAOnESPN

posted by on April 12, 2013 4:40 PM

O’s return to Sunday Night Baseball spotlight under former ESPN analyst Buck Showalter’s guidance

Buck Showalter impressed a lot of folks at ESPN during his time with the network. (ESPN Images)

Buck Showalter impressed a lot of folks at ESPN during his time with the network. (ESPN Images)

Since 1990, ESPN has been committed to serving baseball fans by showcasing the best teams, biggest stars and fiercest rivalries on Sunday Night Baseball, the exclusive national Major League Baseball game of the week.

One team that’s played its way back into the national conversation is the Baltimore Orioles. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, MLBonESPN