Stephen McDonald

Coordinator Customer Service & Social Media@StephenM_ESPN

I am the Coordinator of Customer Service & Social Media in ESPN Communications. An avid sports fan, I help sports fans across the globe stay connected and informed about ESPN. Whether by mail, e-mail, phone, text and twitter, I handle consumer relations for ESPN television and corporate communications. You might also catch me ringside during ESPN’s Friday Night Fights handling boxing PR for ESPN. I am a New York native, who roots for the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets and amazin’ Mets, and am a proud alumni of Ithaca College.

Recent Posts

posted by on June 6, 2013 1:00 PM

I Follow: Mark Mulder

Mark Mulder on the Baseball Tonight set.(Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

Mark Mulder on the Baseball Tonight set.(Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

Mark Mulder pitched for MSU. (Photo credit: MSU Athletics)

Mulder also starred at Michigan State.
(Credit: MSU Athletics)

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: @markmulder20
Following: 128
Followers: 29,592
(as of 6/6/13)

ESPN MLB analyst Mark Mulder, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Oakland Athletics in 1998, will appear on Baseball Tonight throughout the week to discuss the latest action and the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The draft starts tonight and runs through Saturday. In addition to Baseball Tonight’s coverage, ESPN.com will be providing extensive news and information throughout the draft. Fans can also follow @BBTN for the latest developments. Baseball Tonight airs this evening (10 p.m. ET & 12 a.m.), Friday (10 p.m. & 12 a.m.) and Saturday (1 a.m.).

Mulder, a two-time All-Star and a World Series champion in nine major-league seasons with Oakland and later St. Louis, shared his thoughts about Twitter and memories from when he was drafted out of Michigan State.

When did you first start using Twitter and why? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter, MLBonESPN

posted by on March 22, 2013 8:00 AM

Fan Central Mailbag: NCAA Women’s Tournament Viewing Guide; MLB Opening Night; Clemente documentary re-airs

Screen-shot-2012-11-28-at-4.20.25-PM1

Welcome to another edition of the Fan Central Mailbag. Remember, if you have an ESPN-related question, follow us @ESPN_FanCentral and use #FanCentralMB to tweet your questions. Also, be sure to “like” our Fan Central Facebook page. You can also e-mail questions to FanCentral@espn.com.

To tip-off this edition of the mailbag, we want to provide you with a complete guide to ESPN’s exclusive coverage of all 63 games of the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, which starts tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET. continue reading…

Filed in: ESPN Fan Central, Fan Central

posted by on March 1, 2013 12:20 PM

Rapper, boxing promoter 50 Cent visits ESPN, talks sports and his camp’s role in Friday Night Fights

Multiplatinum recording artist Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson stopped by ESPN’s Bristol headquarters yesterday for a “Car Wash” to discuss ESPN’s Friday Night Fights tonight, which will feature an IBF world title fight between featherweight champ Billy Dib and challenger Evgeny Gradovich.

The show will be televised live from the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN. 50 Cent’s company, SMS Promotions, handles Dib. The rapper will perform Dib’s walk-out song.

50 Cent also will be the “sparring partner” in the FNF “Fight Plan” segment with ESPN boxing analyst Teddy Atlas. That segment will air before the main event.

In the video above, 50 Cent talks with Front Row about his love for boxing, his favorite ESPN show and commentators, the FNF performance and more.

Video produced by Ariel Bond

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on February 21, 2013 12:10 PM

New Friday Night Fights studio host Todd Grisham joins show on the road, reflects on his journey to ESPN

Last week, Front Row caught up with ESPN’s Friday Night Fights’ studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) at the Mohegan Sun Casino.

It was the first of an unprecedented three straight weeks that the studio segments of Friday Night Fights will originate from ringside. Tomorrow’s studio show will be on-site from Washington D.C., where current junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson seeks to defend his IBF belt against former champion Kendall “Rated R” Holt (9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and WatchESPN).

On March 1, Grisham, who joined Friday Night Fights in January, will be back in Connecticut at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. On that night, current featherweight titlist Billy Dib, of 50 Cent’s SMS Promotions, seeks to defend his IBF title against Evgeny Gradovich (9 p.m. on ESPN2 and WatchESPN).

In the video above, Grisham discusses his new role as Friday Night Fights studio host, his journey from sports reporting jobs in local television and for the WWE to ESPN, and what it’s like taking the FNF studio show on the road.

About a year ago on ESPN’s Bristol campus Grisham — who also has anchored SportsCenter and various other network studio shows — encountered someone from his pre-ESPN past.

Bernardo Osuna, Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas and Todd Grisham on location during ESPN Friday Night Fights Presented By Corona Extra. (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

(L-R) Bernardo Osuna, Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas and Todd Grisham on location during ESPN Friday Night Fights Presented By Corona Extra. (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on January 4, 2013 8:00 AM

Fan Central Mailbag: ESPN’s commitment to women’s sports; BCS line-up & World’s Strongest Man

Welcome to another edition of the Fan Central Mailbag. Remember, if you have an ESPN-related question, follow us @ESPN_FanCentral and use #FanCentralMB to tweet your questions. You can also e-mail them to FanCentral@ESPN.com.

To start this edition of the mailbag, we want to address a topic several of you have expressed interest in: ESPN’s commitment to women’s sports.

ESPN’s commitment and support of female athletes is stronger than ever. In 2012, there were more than 2,100 hours of women’s sport programming on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, including the WNBA, NCAA Women’s Basketball, Women’s Grand Slam Tennis, NCAA Women’s Lacrosse, X Games, NCAA Softball and Women’s Professional Softball. Additionally, ESPN was home to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011.

Also, espnW, ESPN’s brand platform with its mission to connect female fans to the sports they love and follow, offers content geared toward female athletes and sports fans. espnW’s digital hub at espnW.com offers commentary and coverage for female sports fans, premier coverage of women’s sports and the voice of the female athlete.

As a multi-platform brand, espnW includes a strong social media presence on Twitter (@espnW), Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, branded content across ESPN networks (including ESPN3) and the annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit.

Will Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreit be calling the BCS National Championship game? — Mike
Indeed, Brent and Kirk will be calling the big game between No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama on Monday (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET). Heather Cox and Tom Rinaldi will handle sideline reporting duties. If you have a 3D television, you won’t want to miss ESPN 3D’s coverage of the game where Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore will provide extended coverage of the title game during select commercial breaks of the ESPN telecast.

When will ESPN televise the 2012 World Strongest Man competition finals? — Frank
ESPN and ESPN2 will be televising the entire 2012 World’s Strongest Man throughout the month of January. ESPN will air the first seven episodes from the 11-episode competition tomorrow starting at 7:30 p.m.

You can catch the remaining episodes, which include the finals, on Jan. 12 when ESPN2 reairs the entire competition starting at 6 p.m. You also can watch reairs of episodes Nos. 2-11 on Jan. 13 starting at 2:30 p.m.

Be sure to check out our latest TV listings by visiting our TV page at ESPNTV.com. Please note that programming is subject to change.

Filed in: ESPN Fan Central

posted by on December 7, 2012 4:30 PM

ESPN Deportes boxing analyst
Juan Manuel Marquez prepares for fourth meeting with Manny Pacquiao

Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, two of boxing’s biggest names will face each other for the fourth time.

ESPN.com’s No. 4 ranked pound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) will meet ESPN.com’s No. 5 ranked pound-for-pound boxer Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs).

When not in the ring, Marquez doubles as an ESPN boxing analyst for ESPN Deportes’ Golpe a Golpe. In the video below ESPN Deportes’ Jorge Eduardo Sanchez asks Marquez about his upcoming fight with Pacquiao, how he balances training with his ESPN Deportes boxing duties and his favorite part of contributing to Golpe a Golpe and more.

The fight, on HBO Pay-Per-View, is expected to match the first three fights in intensity. They were all close and controversial. Pacquiao won a majority decision in their last fight back in 2011, and a split-decision in their second fight in 2008. The two fought to a controversial draw in their first fight back in 2004.

For the latest schedule of Pacquiao-Marquez 4 coverage across ESPN platforms, visit ESPN MediaZone.

Which team are you on? Tweet @ESPN by using #TeamPacquiao or #TeamMarquez, and @ESPN will retweet the best replies.

This video from ABC’s The Jimmy Kimmel Show is a spoof documentary previewing the fight featuring Marquez, Pacquaio and ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna.

ESPNDeportes.com’s Monica Alvarez and ESPN Deportes’ Mexico studios contributed to the video.
Participate in the Spanish-language discussions by following @ESPNDeportes

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on November 16, 2012 12:00 PM

Fan Central Mailbag: ESPN’s commitment to veterans; Lil Wayne & Randy Moss; ScoreCenter app news

Welcome to another edition of the Fan Central Mailbag. Remember, if you have an ESPN-related question, follow us @ESPN_FanCentral and use #FanCentralMB to tweet your questions. You also can e-mail them to FanCentral@ESPN.com.

As we kick off this week’s mailbag, we want to address a question asked by some fans about why ESPN did not televise the in-stadium Veteran’s Day celebration at Lambeau Field before the Vikings-Packers Monday Night Football game last November.

As a general rule, ESPN does not always show the National Anthem on MNF or other event telecasts. As part of ESPN’s weeklong Salute to Veterans last November, however, we did begin the MNF telecast with a patriotic Veteran’s Day-themed opening video narrated by Marine Jake Wood, which was filmed at a military base in Wisconsin.

The Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game on MNF. (ESPN)

Just this week, the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers game on MNF was again part of ESPN’s annual companywide Salute to Veterans. This year, ESPN did cover the National Anthem as the Steelers saluted veterans before the game with a special ceremony and stadium-wide appreciation message (pictured above). In addition, during Monday Night Countdown, essayist Rick Reilly told the story of a father and son from Chicago who are going to all 32 NFL stadiums this season and taking wounded veterans along to each game.

Rapper Lil Wayne (R) with 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss. (ESPN)

How is Lil Wayne remotely qualified to interview players on an NFL pregame show? – Travis

It’s a fair question Travis.

For those who don’t know, the rapper interviewed the 49ers wide receiver on last week’s edition of Sunday NFL Countdown (Sundays, 10 a.m. ET, ESPN). Why? It’s simple. ESPN always seeks new and unique ways to tell a story, and does so with the understanding that some fans might not necessarily agree with every decision.

It should be noted, however, that Moss, who retired last year without much fanfare, did not want to do a “traditional” sit-down interview, but was intrigued when our very own Colleen Dominguez approached him about sitting down with Lil Wayne for the interview.

When will there be an ESPN ScoreCenter app for android tablets like ScoreCenter for iPad? – Scott continue reading…

Filed in: ESPN Fan Central

posted by on October 12, 2012 10:12 AM

Fan Central Mailbag: GameDay signs, ‘I Love Skip’ and an update on MNF’s Matthew Stafford T-Shirt

Welcome to another edition of the Fan Central Mailbag. Remember, if you have an ESPN-related question, follow us @ESPN_FanCentral and use #FanCentralMB to tweet your questions. You also can e-mail them to FanCentral@ESPN.com.

We enjoy College GameDay but we hope you can settle a bet! I am driving my husband crazy obsessing about who makes the signs and posters the students hold up behind (the set). I say they are pre-made by your advertisers. He says the students make them. Help! Thanks. — Cindy

Great question. Here’s what we found out from the College GameDay folks: While the overwhelming majority of students make their own signs, there is a sign-making booth available, via our sponsor Home Depot, so fans can create signs if they didn’t bring one. Those signs are always labeled with Home Depot markings.

Check out what is sure to be a great collection of signs this Saturday when College GameDay visits Notre Dame. You can get all the latest updates by following @CollegeGameDay on Twitter and liking College GameDay on Facebook.

College GameDay signs. (Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)

I have a two-part question. How can my boyfriend and I qualify to receive “I Love Skip Bayless” t-shirts and when will ESPN finally be giving Stephen A. Smith an “I love Stephen A.” t-shirt (of his own)? — Anna Marie continue reading…

Filed in: ESPN Fan Central

posted by on August 30, 2012 8:00 AM

Fan Central Q&A: What goes into ESPN’s college football coverage?

ESPN is set to kick off another exciting college football season. Tonight’s games include an ESPN doubleheader with South Carolina at Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. ET and Washington State at BYU at 10:15 p.m. View this year’s college football schedule to date, which includes more than 450 games across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Deportes, ESPN 3D, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN Radio and ESPN GamePlan.

If you’re like me, there’s nothing better than hanging with friends and watching your favorite school take the field on a Saturday afternoon. Not in front of a TV? No problem. We’ve got you covered. With WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN App you can watch live ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN Goal Line game action online or on smartphones and tablets. View more information on WatchESPN.

Last week, we told you about Fan Central, a new dedicated service here to answer your questions and comments about ESPN.

This week, as part of our Fan Central initiative, we got the answers to some questions you probably have about ESPN’s college football coverage. In the video above, Ilan Ben-Hanan, VP of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, discusses what you can expect this upcoming season.

And, of course, ESPN Fan Central is here to help answer any other questions you may have. Send us a tweet @ESPN_FanCentral.

Video shot by Dave Williams and produced by Stephen McDonald.

Filed in: ESPN Fan Central

posted by on June 8, 2012 12:23 PM

FNF’s Tessitore, Atlas reflect on New York state roots, Mike Tyson & more

January through August, ESPN’s Friday Night Fights airs from different locations nationwide, highlighting established fighters and rising stars from around the globe.

Recently, ESPN’s boxing showcase visited the Capital District in upstate New York for a telecast at the Times Union Center in Albany.

The boxing scene in upstate New York has a rich history and a passionate fan base.

Friday Night Fights’ boxing analyst Teddy Atlas and blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore are both part of that history.

Atlas was both a fighter and a trainer in Catskill, N.Y. He won the Adirondack Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Tournament in 1976 as a fighter, and he trained fighters like former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson with Cus D’Amato.

Tessitore grew up in upstate N.Y. and worked at WRGB, the CBS affiliate in Albany (read more about Tessitore’s ties to upstate NY from Albany Times Union sports reporter Pete Dougherty here).

Front Row caught up with Tessitore and Atlas in their old stomping grounds. In the video above, you’ll see Atlas recall his memories as a trainer at Cus D’Amato’s Catskill Boxing Club. Tessitore recalls the 1980s’-era Tyson — check out the vintage footage.

This Week on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights:

Former middleweight world champion Kelly Pavlik (38-2, 33 KOs) and Scott Sigmon (22-3, 12 KOs) meet in the 10-round main event June 8 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN3 from Las Vegas.

Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like on Facebook.

Filed in: Behind The Scenes