ESPN Front Row » Weekend Tweetback

Tweetback: ESPN a big part of fans’ Father’s Day; Spurs on the verge; Sunday Night Baseball delivers; Dick Vitale and Sarah Jessica Parker

David Scott — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:11:28 +0000

A monster sports weekend converged with Father’s Day 2013 – here’s a look at what people were saying about ESPN the past few days.

Tweetback: WNBA ‘Ref Cam’ debuts to praise on ABC; LeBron knows how to get on SportsCenter; Sunday Night Baseball shines

David Scott — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:22:36 +0000

The future was present on Saturday when Lamont Simpson, a veteran WNBA referee wore a head band camera during Saturday’s ABC telecast of the Phoenix Mercury’s 82-67 win over the host Indiana Fever.

“Overall, the ‘ref cam’ deserves two thumbs up,” said ESPN Associate Operations Producer (WNBA & NBA) Laura Southerland. “My favorite usage was the game’s tip-off. We were able to give our fan a new and fresh point of view that not only enhanced the excitement of a game tip, but put the fan right there at center court, ‘tossing’ the ball in the air as if they were starting the game.”

“Today’s broadcast was a great opportunity to be at the forefront in terms of providing viewers with unique perspectives on our game,” WNBA president Laurel Richie said. “The use of ref cam certainly offered a previously unseen point of view that really brought viewers into the action, adding a whole new visual and audio component to the experience.”

On Friday, Southerland met with officials from Broadcast Sports Inc., the company that helped develop the camera, and Simpson tried on the vest — that hold the hardware including he would wear the next day — including technical RF equipment used to transmit the HD video signal and batteries to power the gear, according to Southerland.

“He did practice laps up and down the court as well as simulating live use during a game, such as free throws and inbounds, for production to get a feel for the camera,” said Southerland, a former Emmy winner for ESPN’s NASCAR coverage. “Without a doubt it gave our Production team a new source of content in addition to our every game live RF microphones on the ref and the coaches. The team was able to use the camera live on-air, as well as in replays and in-game packages. It was able to capture views from the sideline as teams transitioned on the court, shots from the court, jump balls and even a technical foul on [Candice] Dupree.”

“The first half, it took some adjusting to, especially when you started running and actually broke a sweat,” Simpson said. “The goggles started to loosen up and the sweat around the band started to loosen up. The first half was pretty much just adjusting the headset. We made some adjustments at halftime and the second half it was almost like it wasn’t there,” he said.

Similar technology has been used worldwide – the use in Rugby suggests field sports may be a fertile ground for quality content — but was the first implementation for a WNBA game.

“This was a successful first use of the camera and by adding this type of camera we now allow the fan to ‘touch’ the brand even more,” Southerland said. “We undeniably gave the fan a new point of view of the game. We are all very excited at the content that was captured and its incorporation into the broadcast. I can’t wait to see usage of this camera again on the WNBA, as well as other sports. We had a very unique opportunity to do what we do best at ESPN: To serve sports fans. Anytime. Anywhere, even if that means being attached to a referee’s head.”

For more on “ref cam” and other weekend social buzz involving ESPN, please check out the Weekend Tweetback, below.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this post
-Ben Cafardo and Kristen Hudak contributed to Tweetback

Tweetback: “Bases Loaded” lauded far and wide; Eric Mangini praised; Super soccer coverage from Bob Ley and crew

David Scott — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:01:27 +0000

Our weekly look back at the what social media was saying about ESPN over the weekend.

Tweetback: Lindsay Czarniak impresses in Indy 500 debut; Van Gundy and Breen please fans; NCAA post-season excitement

David Scott — Tue, 28 May 2013 13:06:11 +0000

A Holiday Weekend edition of the “Weekend Tweetback”:

Tweetback: Carlesimo to serve as ESPN NBA analyst; Darke/Macca soccer outtakes; Cabrera rocks Sunday Night Baseball

David Scott — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:08:38 +0000

Former NBA head coach P.J. Carlesimo will join ESPN as an NBA studio analyst for the remainder of the NBA postseason. Carlesimo will debut Thursday, May 23, during the 9 a.m. ET edition of SportsCenter and contribute to additional studio programming, including NBA Tonight. Carlesimo will also contribute to on-site SportsCenter coverage at the NBA Finals, beginning June 6.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to ESPN’s NBA postseason coverage,” said Carlesimo. “I look forward to sharing a coach’s perspective, along with insights from nine playoff appearances, with ESPN viewers and NBA fans.”

Carlesimo has 39 years of basketball coaching experience, most recently as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, who he led to the 2013 NBA Playoffs. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 1992 U.S. Men’s Basketball team (assistant coach). He has previously worked as an analyst for ESPN, ESPN Radio, NBC Sports, Turner Sports and Spurs Television.

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Enjoy the comedy stylings of Ian Darke and Steven “Macca” McManaman as ESPN wishes BPL’s new home the best in its upcoming coverage:

“Who were those two lunatics?!” – Macca

Much respect to the folks from both @espnuk and @foxsoccer for their #BPL coverage over the years. @nbcsn, the ship is yours.

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) May 20, 2013

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And now, the Tweetback. . .

Tweetback: Andy Katz signs ESPN extension; NBA Playoffs deliver thrills; Perfection pursuit on Sunday Night Baseball

David Scott — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:01:45 +0000

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch’s weekly “Media Circus” includes news of Andy Katz’s contract extension with ESPN and also offers praise for the legendary Dr. Jack Ramsay.

Now, onto the Weekend Tweetback. . .

Tweetback: Sundays with Hiestand come to end; NBA Playoffs roll on; ESPN’s Tedy Bruschi at Kentucky Derby

Mike Soltys — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:17:41 +0000

The author has had over 500 Sunday conversations with USA Today’s departing media writer, Michael Hiestand. This was one of Hiestand’s earliest columns from 1992.

My conversation yesterday with Michael Hiestand, the TV sports reporter for USA Today, started with Tuesday’s Sports Emmys and ended with where his twins decided to go to college (North Carolina and Virginia). It was similar to the 500-plus Sunday afternoon chats I’ve had with the quirky reporter since 1990, but may be the last as Hiestand has accepted a buy-out from the “Nation’s Newspaper” and looks for his next assignment.

USA Today Sports has had a reserved spot in the psyche of the sports media industry since the full-color paper debuted in 1982. More space is devoted to covering sports media in USA Today than any other newspaper, and its ubiquity in hotels and airports have furthered its place in the travel-heavy sports world.

Hiestand started as a back-up to the legendary Rudy Martzke. This meant he wrote at the whim of Rudy. A weekend with no big event? Hiestand was off the bench to find an angle like how ESPN’s Championship Week comes together. A beautiful spring day perfect for golfing? In stepped the back-up to quickly attempt to uncover news of changing commentator assignments.

In his first column in March 1990, Hiestand noted that while CBS experts were busy discussing the college basketball invincibility of Oklahoma, over on ESPN Big 8 bottom dweller Colorado was leading the Sooners. Hiestand gently implied viewers might’ve been better off watching ESPN, which sent Tiffany Network publicists into a fury and earned Hiestand instant appreciation from Bristol.

When Martzke retired in 2005, Hiestand became the “A” team for the column, ratings charts and the “spice rack.”

Those ratings charts are a simple device to give the media business a sports-like scoreboard. But they set off aggressive spinning – the kind you would do at report card time with your parents – from networks and sports leagues. One league spokesperson once screamed at me: “Why can’t you get Hiestand to understand this .4 rating is a big success?!” As Hiestand, a laid back left coaster, would respond: “Hmmmm.”

Hiestand wrote the first national features on Robin Roberts, Keith Olbermann and Lee Corso, explaining Coach’s affection for #2 pencils. In recent times, he has been the go-to space for inspirational medical recoveries for Dick Vitale, Stuart Scott, Sean McDonough and just last Friday, Digger Phelps.

The Phelps piece included a Hiestand signature, his love of uncovering odd historical details. For Phelps it was that he was with Vice President Dan Quayle when he misspelled potato. Hiestand gleefully reported that Jay Bilas successfully defended a lawsuit against Barney the purple dinosaur. And, that Gary Thorne was a lawyer in the My Lai massacre trials.

A PR person and a TV network’s biggest hope of a writer that chronicles them are fairness and an appreciation for an interesting story. USA Today readers have enjoyed just that from Hiestand.

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And now, the Weekend Tweetback. . .

Tweetback: NFL Draft behind the scenes photo gallery; Draft coverage praised; Carl Edwards a hit in the ESPN NASCAR booth

David Scott — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:08:31 +0000

Tweetback: Russell Wilson voices ESPN’s NFL Draft open; NBA Playoffs underway; New logo for Mike & Mike; Monday moment of silence live across ESPN

David Scott — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 03:04:36 +0000

Seattle’s Russell Wilson (Photo: Jason Jobes/Victory Pictures)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, the third round pick last year who became one of the great success stories of the 2012 NFL season, will appear in and voice ESPN’s 2013 NFL Draft opening tease on Thursday (April 25, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN). Wilson, pictured here, took part in a shoot earlier this month at the Seahawks facility in Renton, Wash., with Jason Jobes, Rico Labbe and Mike Sciallis of Victory Pictures, the creative team responsible for many of ESPN’s Monday Night Football opens.

The open will also feature multiplatinum recording artist 50 Cent and English rock band The Heavy performing the group’s hit “How You Like Me Now.” The music of both 50 Cent and The Heavy will also be paired with photos and video of more than 115 prospects — taken during the NFL Scouting Combine in March – throughout ESPN’s draft telecast.

• Mike & Mike unveiled a new logo this morning and with it, a new collection of animations you will see on ESPN2′s daily simulcast of the show (6 a.m. – 10 a.m. ET).

• ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS will interrupt regular programming this afternoon to provide live coverage of the 2:50 p.m. ET moment of silence in Boston.

• Today’s Tweetback:

Tweetback: New ads for TISC and NFL Draft; Masters drama; Kobe coverage; WNBA Draft tonight on ESPN2/ESPNU

David Scott — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:00:42 +0000

Anchor Scott Van Pelt puts on some weight for the latest This is SportsCenter ad

A few new ads debut on ESPN this week; the first is the latest from the This is SportsCenter campaign (below) and the others support ESPN’s 2013 NFL Draft coverage.

In the new TISC spot, New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia joins SportsCenter anchor Steve Levy in the copy room as Sabathia espouses the slimming effects of pinstripes to Levy before awkwardly encountering Scott Van Pelt, sporting unflattering horizontal stripes.

While the ad only lasts 30 seconds, it took several hours for Van Pelt to get his heavy look. He patiently sat through two hours of make-up as well several placements of latex around his face before getting in his “fat suit”, which was tailored specifically for the commercial.

Created in collaboration with Wieden + Kennedy New York, the spot is the latest addition to ESPN’s renowned This is Sports Center franchise, which currently features more than 400 ads.

New NFL Draft marketing spots start airing today as well. These ads center around ESPN Draft expert, Mel Kiper, arguably the foremost authority on the NFL Draft with his three decades of evaluating prospects and his involvement in the event.

In the spots — one of which is below — Kiper highlights the distinctive qualities of several top prospects in this year’s draft class, including cornerback Dee Milliner (Alabama), linebacker Manti Te’o (Notre Dame) and quarterback Geno Smith (West Virginia). ESPN has full coverage of the 2013 NFL Draft, April 25-27. – by Bill Hofheimer Ana Livia Coelho

Now, on the “Weekend Tweetback”: