Category: ‘I Follow: In…’

posted by on February 20, 2013 8:00 AM

I Follow: Jamie Little

ESPN's Jamie Little (Andy Hall/ESPN)

ESPN’s Jamie Little (Andy Hall/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.

Today, we focus on Jamie Little, pit reporter for ESPN’s NASCAR and IndyCar coverage and a reporter for the Winter X Games. Little will be on the job as ESPN televises the opening race of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 23, at noon ET.

Twitter handle: @JamieLittleESPN
ESPN Job: Reporter
Followers: 51,028 (as of 2/19/13)
Following: 144

When did you join Twitter and why?
I joined in Jan. 2010. I was actually kind of [against it]. I just thought it seemed too personal and just another avenue for people to over-share. But when I started hearing people refer to things drivers said via Twitter and respectable journalists on the NASCAR beat were breaking stories on it, I figured I should give it a shot. It didn’t take me long to get addicted! I quickly gave up Facebook as a result.

Who is your favorite person to follow on Twitter?
I love following Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) and Brad Keselowski (@keselowski). Shelton is just hilarious while Keselowski is funny yet very informative and very active on Twitter. Both are quite entertaining.

Who is the most interesting person who follows you on Twitter?
I’d say Mario Andretti (@MarioAndretti) and Danica Patrick (@DanicaPatrick). But I have never looked at all of the people who follow me. I’m sure there are others who are interesting outside of racing.

If you could add any one person as a Twitter follower, who would it be? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter, NASCAROnESPN

posted by on January 30, 2013 8:00 AM

I Follow: Michael Collins

ESPN.com golf writer Michael Collins. (credit?)

ESPN.com golf writer Michael Collins. (Andy Hall/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.

Today, we focus on ESPN.com golf reporter Michael Collins, who previously worked as a standup comedian and as a professional golf caddie. Collins will be filing reports from this weekend’s PGA Tour event in Phoenix.

Twitter handle: @ESPNCaddie
ESPN Job: Golf reporter
Followers: 8,673
Following: 586
(*as of 1/29/13)

When did you join Twitter and why?
I think I joined in 2009 because someone from the PGA Tour’s Twitter account pestered me to do it. Best thing I’ve ever done career-wise. I got this job because of Twitter. My [current] boss contacted me through Twitter and asked if I would have time to talk. I thought it was a joke at first. Thank goodness I direct-messaged him my number.

Who is your favorite person to follow on Twitter?
It changes weekly. I follow a bunch of people so some weeks it may be Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo), other weeks it’s Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter). Tiger’s Headcover used to be really funny but haven’t heard it in a while. The caddie Kip Henley (@KipHenley) is always entertaining.

Who is the most interesting person who follows you on Twitter? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter

posted by on January 24, 2013 4:41 PM

I Follow: Lon McEachern

ESPN's new voice for PBA coverage Lon McEachern. (ESPN)

ESPN PBA commentator Lon McEachern. (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: @lonmceachern
Following: 55
Followers: 7,456
(*As of 1/24/13)

Lon McEachern is known as ESPN’s “voice of poker.” But he’s also in his first season covering ESPN’s bowling telecasts. McEachern is paired with PBA Hall of Famer Randy Pedersen as the commentating team.

Screen shot 2013-01-24 at 9.56.27 AM

Both will be on-site to call the action live for the first of six PBA League events on ESPN, airing Sunday, Jan. 27, noon ET in a two-hour telecast. The PBA League, a new concept in the 2012-2013 bowling season, is an eight-team pro bowling league featuring PBA stars as Franchise Players and celebrities from the TV and sports worlds as team owners, including the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul, tennis legend Billie Jean King, Grey’s Anatomy’s actor Jesse Williams and actor/comedian/blogger Chris Hardwick.

Front Row caught up with McEachern to learn how he approaches his new job and social media.

How has Twitter changed the way you do your job?
I’m very conscious of what I’m tweeting, because I know I’m representing the network and all the good people I work with. It’s an extension of our on-air business. I know what I’m saying will have an impression on people. It’s also direct contact with fans, which you don’t have when you are on TV. It helps me feel like what I’m doing on-air is real and has an impact on people. It’s a nice bridge between us and the folks out there who are watching.

Who is your favorite person or account to follow?
I follow people for professional and personal reasons. I keep track of all the main bowling guys to find out where their heads are ahead competitions. Some of my personal follows are @HenriLeChatNoir, and guys like @ConanOBrien and @StephenAtHome [Stephen Colbert]. Of course, I have to follow my San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks!

Give us a preview of our upcoming PBA League telecasts. continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter

posted by on January 23, 2013 4:22 PM

I Follow: Michael Kim

Anchor Michael Kim on the SportsCenter set.
(Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

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: @MKimESPN
Following: 774
Followers: 8,073
*As of 1/23/13

Michael Kim anchors SportsCenter from 3-6 p.m. ET weekdays. Kim joined ESPNEWS, ESPN’s 24-hour sports news network, as an anchor prior to its Nov. 1, 1996, launch.

The Columbia, Mo. native and University of Missouri grad tells Front Row how he uses social media, his favorite people to follow and what he considers the biggest story of 2012.

How does Twitter enhances your role as an ESPN anchor?
The connections you get to make with the viewers help me to understand where their interests are and what stories we need to emphasize. Also, I’m hopeful that it helps them get to know me better and makes them want to watch the show. I pretty much use Twitter as a headline service. Everything seems to break on Twitter first these days. There have been more than a few times that I have been on the set scanning my timeline when something crosses and I’m able to give the control room a heads-up on something we might want to report.

Who are your favorite people to follow on Twitter? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter

posted by on January 22, 2013 8:42 AM

I Follow: Alyssa Roenigk

Alyssa Roenigk

Alyssa Roenigk interviews Iouri Podladtchikov during Winter X Games Aspen 2012.
(Photo by Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

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.

In addition to her role as a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, Alyssa Roenigk is a veteran action sports reporter who has covered multiple X Games, Olympics and action sports events.

XGames_Aspen_2013_CLR_Pos

She will serve as an on-air reporter at X Games Aspen 2013, which gets under way this Thursday on various ESPN platforms. X Games Aspen 2013 is the official kickoff to the much anticipated X Games global expansion. Front Row caught up with Roenigk as she prepared for Winter X and she shared her thoughts on the upcoming event and being part of the Twitterverse.

Twitter handle: @espn_alyssa
Following: 639
Followers: 2,077
(as of 1/22/13)

What’s the Twitterverse like within the action sports world?
It’s xtremely active. The action sports world has always been community driven, so the athletes in these sports were some of the first to really tap into Twitter as a means of increasing their value to sponsors and as a way to connect with their fans. And for me, it was a great way to track down very hard to track down athletes. “Surfing in Indo today!” Ahh. So, that’s why Coco Ho isn’t answering her phone.

How has Twitter changed the way you approach your job, as both an on-air talent and a writer? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, I Follow: Inside Twitter

posted by on January 15, 2013 2:00 PM

I Follow: Andy Katz

ESPN's Andy Katz (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

ESPN’s Andy Katz (Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

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.

Andy Katz has been a fixture in ESPN’s college basketball coverage for more than 13 years — that includes a life of reporting before and after Twitter.

We caught up with him on the occasion of his new show, Katz Korner, debuting today (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU) to talk about how Twitter has affected his job and what role it will play on the program.

Twitter handle: @ESPNAndyKatz
Following: 278
Followers: 233,156
*As of Jan. 15, 2013

How has Twitter changed the way you do your job?
Twitter has added another layer. I originally went kicking and screaming to Twitter, because I have always been a firm believer that we work for the company that pays us. Twitter doesn’t pay our salary, benefits or anything else. That’s why I didn’t believe news should be broken on Twitter without a link to your site or it appearing in some form on your network.

I still believe the full story should be on your employer’s site and I always check with the news desk first to make sure it’s OK to Tweet [breaking news]. I still believe that’s the way we need to operate. I’d rather be careful and have the news vetted with our news editing staff than go rogue just to be first. I will say that Twitter has also allowed me to engage with fans more so than at any point in my career.

How do you plan to use Twitter in your new show on ESPNU, Katz Korner? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter

posted by on January 7, 2013 2:10 PM

I Follow: Brad Edwards

ESPN's Brad Edwards. (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

ESPN’s Brad Edwards. (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

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.

With the Discover BCS National Championship Game between No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama unfolding tonight in Miami (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio & ESPN 3D), ESPN college football insider Brad Edwards will be busy as always.

The network’s resident BCS expert joins Ryen Russillo and Trevor Matich for today’s special 2-1/2-hour edition of College GameDay on ESPN Radio at 4 p.m.

Front Row asked Alabama grad Edwards, who works for ESPN’s Statistics & Information Group, how he engages with fans on Twitter, what surprised him most this season and more.

Twitter handle: @JBradEdwards
Following: 24*
Followers: 27,281*
*As of Jan. 7, 2013

In what ways has Twitter most affected your job?
I have a lot of good information that doesn’t have a place in my ESPN Insider articles. Twitter is ideal for sharing it with people who are interested in notes, stats and trends related to college football. It helps me get more of my info to the fans.

What’s been your favorite Twitter interaction?
Nothing with a specific person. I enjoy interacting with emotional college football fans who aren’t capable of having rational discussions about their teams. Comments from delusional fans are generally entertaining to everyone. And I appreciate those people, because their love for sports is the reason ESPN exists.

How often do you and Rece Davis trade Crimson Tide glory days stories? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter

posted by on January 4, 2013 4:50 PM

I Follow: Dave Pasch

ESPN's Dave Pasch. (John Atashian / ESPN)

ESPN’s Dave Pasch. (John Atashian / 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.

ESPN play-by-play commentator Dave Pasch wears so many hats at ESPN, it’s hard to believe he has time for Twitter.

Pasch is one of ESPN’s most diverse commentators, contributing to ESPN’s TV and radio coverage of the NBA, college football and college basketball. He also is the radio voice of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

This past Tuesday, Pasch called the Rose Bowl on ESPN Radio. This Friday, Pasch will join analyst Jeff Van Gundy to call ESPN’s “Battle for L.A.” showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Front Row had the opportunity to chat with him about his thoughts on the “Battle for L.A.” and how his use of Twitter it keeps him “in the moment.”

Twitter handle: @DavePasch
Following: 425*
Followers: 3,716*
*As of Jan. 4, 2013

In what ways do you use Twitter?
I mainly use Twitter to keep up to date on sports news. Since I regularly cover four different sports — NBA, college football, college basketball and the NFL — Twitter is a quick and easy way to stay “in the moment” on anything and everything in the sports world. I also use Twitter to interact with fans, many of whom have great opinions on the games and players. Some tweet me their thoughts and criticisms on my announcing, most of the time respectfully, which I welcome.

What’s it like preparing for a nationally televised Lakers-Clippers game, especially now that the Clippers have the better won-loss record?
First of all, Staples Center will be electric tonight because the Clippers finally feel like they have some bragging rights. Of course, Lakers fans think that until the Clippers make a deep playoff run, the Lakers are still L.A.’s team. I think this game means more than most regular-season games to each team. That means Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul — the faces of their respective teams — will be at their best.

How has Twitter changed your job? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter

posted by on December 25, 2012 8:00 AM

I Follow: Marc Stein

Marc Stein (R) with Amar'e Stoudemire (CREDIT?)

Marc Stein (R) with New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire.

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.

As ESPN and ABC’s robust lineup of Christmas Day NBA games tips off, ESPN senior NBA writer Marc Stein shares his take on social media including how it has changed his NBA coverage and how it improves interactions between athletes, fans and media.

ABC, ESPN and ESPN.com combine for wall-to-wall coverage of all five Christmas Day NBA games highlighted by ABC’s doubleheader — the New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers at 3 p.m. ET, and an NBA Finals rematch of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat at 5:30 p.m. ESPN.com will also have special editions of the Daily Dime and Five on Five features, as well as a day-long live chat.

Twitter handle: @ESPNSteinLine
Followers: 226,472
Following: 1,324
*As of 12/24/12

What do you enjoy most about using Twitter?
I obviously love the immediacy and the ability to laser in on my favorite sports and subjects. I also can’t deny, as a lover of words, that I’ve grown to relish the challenge of trying to say something meaningful in a mere 140 characters. When I’m on the run, nothing is faster to me than cranking up a quick Twitter search on my handheld to find the answer to almost any question that invades my brain. I simply can’t imagine life without Twitter now and can’t wait to see what comes next that changes the media world.

What do you hope fans gain from following you? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter

posted by on December 11, 2012 11:15 AM

I Follow: Stan Verrett

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: @stanverrett
Followers: 10,973
Following: 316 (as of 12/10/2012)

Stan Verrett is a 12-year ESPN veteran who helped launch the 1 a.m. ET SportsCenter from the company’s new Los Angeles Production Facility in March 2009. He is co-host of that SportsCenter with Neil Everett.

ESPN’s Stan Verrett. (Steven Barry/ESPN)

Verrett tells Front Row what he likes about being active on Twitter, his mission to convince Everett to join the “Twitterverse,” (#getneilontwitter) and his experience making a cameo in the new movie Playing for Keeps — part of which was filmed in the LAPC.

When did you join Twitter and why? How often do you tweet – during any games, at an event?
I originally joined Twitter because our former colleague Michelle Beadle was talking some good-natured trash about me and my inability to drive a stock car during a field trip to the Charlotte Motor Speedway as guests of NASCAR. I had to defend myself to the masses.

Most of my Twitter activity is about one of
three things: SportsCenter, the Saints or LSU football. I love interacting with the people who watch our show because their viewpoints are usually valuable in learning how people use the service we provide in the ever-changing environment in which it is delivered. Most of the people are very kind and gracious, though sometimes I need a thick skin to interact with those who don’t like me or the show.

What was one of the most memorable Twitter exchanges you’ve had? continue reading…

Filed in: I Follow: Inside Twitter