Tagged: ‘Joe Tessitore’

posted by on March 2, 2013 12:00 PM

ICYMI: The Week on Front Row

Thursday, ESPN launched its latest This Is SportsCenter ad, another spoof of life in the company’s cubicles and corridors.

In the new, 15-second spot, New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist — making his second TISC appearance this winter — forgets that it’s casual Friday.

His “co-workers” — SportsCenter anchors Lindsay Czarniak, Kevin Negandhi and John Buccigross — watch as Lundqvist waddles into the office in NHL gear.

ESPN’s Gerry Matalon.
(Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

Listen closely to Czarniak’s dialogue and you’ll hear her reference an actual ESPN colleague who’s not seen in this particular spot, but he’s had a hand in many of the franchise’s commercials.

“I think GMat’s on vacation,” Czarniak says, referencing Gerry Matalon, ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer.

Among his many duties at ESPN, Matalon works with ESPN’s marketing team and the advertising agency behind the TISC series, W+K New York, to secure requested ESPN “talent” for the spots that usually also feature athletes, mascots and other celebrities.

Matalon credits Craig Bengtson, Vice President, SportsCenter, and his fellow Senior CPs for helping him determine SportsCenter anchor and analyst availability.

“And we have to look at when the athletes are coming in. If they’re coming in the morning and [the script calls for SportsCenter anchor] Steve Levy and he works at night,” Matalon said, “what do we do?

“If we have to have Steve Levy, do I have to take him off the 11 [p.m. ET SportsCenter]? Is that an option, is that the best thing for the show?”

The process can be complicated but “it’s a very cool partnership and one of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on in my 25 years,” at ESPN, Matalon said.

He was touched by Czarniak’s mention of him in the ad-libbed conversation with Negandhi and Buccigross.

“I was really flattered. I didn’t know Lindsay was going to it,” Matalon said.

His high school lacrosse coach, the late George Baron, “used to call me GMat, and I use the moniker socially because he was really tough, really disciplined, and really pushed for excellence. . . The fact that she said that was cool. I’m hoping he catches on to that, even though he’s probably in heaven yelling at somebody else.”

“I didn’t even think about it. We were literally just improvising conversation about swapping schedules,” said Czarniak, who is making her SportsCenter commercial debut.

“GMat is such an institution here,” she said. “He’s a big reason I ended up at ESPN and it was my first thought that I would run the ‘schedule swap’ by GMat.”

Even though Matalon has worked closely with the commercial franchise, he’s appeared in just one of the spots.

In the mid-1990s sketch below featuring a debate about Roger Clemens’ fastball, Matalon is seated between bearded Vince Doria, ESPN Senior Vice President and Director of News, and former SportsCenter anchor Keith Olbermann. Former anchor Jack Edwards earns The Rocket’s wrath.

ICYMI: Highlights from the past week on Front Row

• ESPN’s Joe Tessitore introduced the four-legged Joe Tess, a three-year-old Dark Bay colt owned by his friends George Bolton and Barbara Banke. The horse makes his debut today at the Santa Anita race track in Southern California.

• ESPN Radio’s Mike Greenberg and his wife Stacy Greenberg introduced the main characters in Greenberg’s new book, All You Could Ask For, which will be released by William Morrow on April 2.

• ESPN college basketball analyst Bruce Pearl recalls the 2008 tornado that hit downtown Atlanta during the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Georgia Dome. The extreme weather events are the subject of the new SEC Storied documentary, Miracle 3.

• Coordinating producer Amy Rosenfeld and producer Chris Alexopoulos shared insights about their crews and coverage of the upcoming 18th season of MLS on ESPN.

Row of Four
Our favorites from across ESPN over the past week continue reading…

Filed in: ICYMI Highlights

posted by on February 28, 2013 4:42 PM

Will ‘The Tessitore Effect’ have equine crossover?

ESPN’s Joe Tessitore knows a little something about coming down the stretch in dramatic fashion.

The versatile play-by-play man has gained a reputation for calling thrilling finishes. “The Tessitore Effect,” as explained here in Sports Illustrated, suggests that Tessitore’s presence at a sporting event increases the likelihood for late game drama.

ESPN’s Joe Tessitore
(Allen Kee/ESPN Images)

On Saturday at Santa Anita race track in Southern California, the theory will have a new test case opportunity as Joe Tess, a three-year-old Dark Bay colt owned by George Bolton and Barbara Banke (Stonestreet Stables), makes its debut in the day’s 11th and final race.

“I’m giddy at the thought of it,” said Tessitore, 41, who grew up around the sport near the famed Saratoga (N.Y.) Racetrack. “When George told me he was doing it, I was in disbelief. The thought of having a high-priced thoroughbred named after me? I kept asking him, ‘Are you serious?’”

“I always told him with the name Joe — like Joe Frazier and Joe Louis — it would be fun to have a horse with a masculine name like that, like Joe Tess,” Bolton said. “As a yearling, this horse looked like the one with the most promise.”

Bolton and Banke paid $225,000 for Joe Tess, the offspring of Forty Moves and Macho Uno, and is trained by Steve Assmussen and assistant trainer Scott Blasi (whose sister Kristie Blasi coincidentally works at ESPN).

“When George is buying horses, he’s like [ESPN analyst] Bill Polian at the NFL combine — he knows it when he sees it,” Tessitore said.

Human Joe Tess first met Horse Joe Tess a year ago in Ocala, Fla., where he saw his namesake take a “nice gallop around the track.” In a couple of weeks, Tessitore will be vacationing in California and plans on making a visit to see the colt and promised to bring peppermints and carrot sticks.

“From what I’m told, Joe Tess is very, very fast but he’s got a spicy attitude and is very aggressive,” said Tessitore, who is on the call of tonight’s Ohio State-Northwestern game with Sean Farnham (ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. ET).

“If he runs like my game broadcasts typically go, you know he’ll be getting up at the wire like Zenyatta!”

Bolton wouldn’t mind that all.

“They’re both extremely well-presented and both will win the paddock contest,” Bolton said.

“Joe’s a talent and I hope the horse is as good a talent as the human. If the horse can be as good at what he does as Joe is at his job, it’ll be a dream come true for me.”

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on January 1, 2013 2:00 PM

Covering Discover Orange Bowl, ESPN sideline reporter Taylor continues fulfilling college goal

Maria Taylor on the sidelines. (Photo credit: Alexis Morgan)

Maria Taylor will be reporting from the sidelines during the Discover Orange Bowl Jan. 1. (Photo credit: Alexis Morgan)

A few years ago when she was a junior at the University of Georgia, volleyball player Maria Taylor filled out a questionnaire for the school’s athletic website. One of the questions was “what would be your dream job?”

Taylor’s response: “ESPN sports journalist.”

Flash forward to New Year’s Day, 2013, and Taylor will be doing just that as she works as a sideline reporter for ESPN’s live telecast of the Discover Orange Bowl in Miami (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Alpharetta, Ga., native is completing her first year with ESPN/ABC at one of the oldest and most revered college football bowl games.

What made her want to go from being a three-time All-SEC outside hitter on the volleyball court to asking questions on TV?

“We had a crew come in and do a game on us and we’d only been on TV like maybe once or twice,” Taylor said. “I had to sit down and do this interview with one of the analysts and I just thought it was the coolest thing ever.

“From that moment on, I changed what I wanted to do and decided that I wanted to work in sports broadcasting. I thought it would be an interesting job, to still be able to communicate with athletes, and be around the sports I love and the people, so that’s when it really started.” continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on September 28, 2012 4:53 PM

Mike Black has gone from the Arena Football League to the MNF booth

Spotter/stage manager Mike Black with play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Courtesy Mike Black)

Most sports fans would love to find a job that pays them to travel to football games.

One day you’re seeing a thrilling Monday Night Football game, and a few days later you are watching an underdog pull an upset over a Top 10 team in a major conference clash.

Not a bad gig.

Just ask ESPN spotter/stage manager Mike Black, who is working five games in eight days this week — including a pair of memorable games in his hometown of Seattle (the “Inaccurate Reception” game on MNF and last night’s Washington upset of Stanford).

“Seattle’s absolutely my favorite place to go back and work game,” Black said. “My dad had season tickets to the Seahawks when they started in 1976, and I used to go with him to Washington Huskies games on Saturdays too. To see both teams play in Seattle was a real thrill.”

While this week has been quite memorable, it isn’t all that extraordinary. Check out his itinerary for Sept. 24 – Oct. 1: continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, Uncategorized

posted by on July 25, 2012 1:00 PM

Play-by-play commentators sign multi-year contract extensions

 

 

Mark Jones, Sean McDonough, Brad Nessler, Dave Pasch, Joe Tessitore and Bob Wischusen – six highly-respected and versatile play-by-play voices – have signed multi-year contract extensions to remain with ESPN. The sextuplet talks with Front Row about life as an ESPN play-by-play commentator, memorable moments, bucket list sports and more…

What is a typical week in the life of an ESPN play-by-play commentator?
McDonough: There is no such thing as a typical week, which is part of what makes it fun. Each week is different depending on the game schedule, travel, people with whom you are working, etc.
Nessler: My typical week is six days of homework and about three days of travel. The fun part – the game is somewhere in the middle of the craziness. We put in a lot of prep and don’t just show up at the game and start talking.
Wischusen: Materials start to arrive for football on Monday, I spend all day Tuesday making charts, Wednesday’s are conference calls with coaches, Thursday I travel, Friday is spent at the production truck and hotel in meetings, Saturday we do the game and Sunday I squeeze in a Jets game (on radio). Monday it starts all over again! But it’s fun…

What is one thing about being an on-air commentator fans might not know?
Jones: There is a major amount of time spent committing things to memory – names, numbers, stats and anecdotes, while also looking for personal stories on players and coaches to help humanize them.
Pasch: We spend much more time preparing for a college football game than we do actually calling the game. About 80 percent of the information I write down on my board or “cheat sheet” will never get used during the telecast.
Wischusen: The amount of time we are speaking while someone else (producer/director) is speaking to us at the same time. There is so much communication and teamwork that is involved in making a show work.

What is your most memorable moment on air at ESPN?
Jones: I have two memorable moments in my 22 years at ESPN. From a personal perspective I recently interviewed President Barack Obama during the USA vs. Brazil men’s basketball game. From an on-air perspective, I called the first football game of any kind on any network in the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks – South Carolina vs. Miss St. It was a poignant national moment of healing and I was honored to be the voice of it.
McDonough: Being on air for the historic six overtime game in the 2009 BIG EAST Championship quarters between Syracuse and Connecticut.

What is your favorite sport to call and why?
Pasch: It is hard to decide between basketball and football. But if I had to pick, it would be football, because there are so few games, making each one its own special event.
Tessitore: I have a love for college football that just connects to my core – it has long been my passion. But I enjoy calling any sport or event when there is that “it’s all on the line” feeling.

Do you have a bucket list sport/event that you would want to call?
Tessitore: I’ve been blessed to call the events that have been lifelong interests –Triple Crown horse races, world title fights, the biggest and best college football games, but still my bucket list is lengthy and includes the Rose Bowl at the top.
Wischusen: There are too many to count – Super Bowl, Rose Bowl, Stanley Cup Final, Final Four. Any announcer just wants to be a part of the huge events.

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

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

posted by on November 26, 2011 10:09 AM

Tessitore’s penchant for calling upsets spans months, multiple sports

Days before he was set to arrive in Virginia today, Joe Tessitore’s presence was felt.

From pre-Thanksgiving conversations between Tessitore and officials in the Virginia Tech athletic department, he emerged with a new nickname: “The Dragon Slayer.”

It was meant in good fun, no doubt.

Still, the VaTech camp has to wonder if Tessitore’s presence in Charlottesville, Va. this afternoon might spell doom for its No. 5 ranked Virginia Tech football team’s visit to Virginia (3:30 ET, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN3).

Based on his track record dating back at least a year and covering three different sports, Tessitore seems to be the underdog’s best friend and a heavy favorite’s arch nemesis.

“Among the players, coaches, athletic directors, and other media, this has not gone unnoticed at all,” said Tessitore (pictured right), who will call the Virginia Tech-Virginia game with analyst Rod Gilmore just hours after having described the Pitt-West Virginia game in Morgantown on Friday (also, of course, decided late for the 21-20 WVU win).

“They see that it’s our crew broadcasting the game, and there’s the expectation that something outrageous is going to happen, that the upset is going to happen,” he said.

No one should blame VaTech for being a bit nervous with Tessitore in the house.

Since November 2010, the versatile play-by-play announcer has been on the mic for huge upsets in horse racing, boxing and most notably college football.

Now he’s a week removed from describing huge upsets in Ames, Iowa and Waco, Texas in a 24-hour span.

In Week 12, double-digit underdogs Iowa State, Baylor and USC made a mess of the BCS with upsets of then-No. 2-ranked Oklahoma State, then-No. 4 Oklahoma and then No. 5 Oregon, respectively.

On Nov. 18, Tessitore and longtime colleague Gilmore called the host Cyclones’ double-overtime shocking win over 3-plus score favorite Oklahoma State.

The next night, Tessitore and analyst Matt Millen were in Texas to call Baylor’s first-ever win over Oklahoma.

Before the nation could stomach that 1-2 punch, USC shocked host Oregon.

Perhaps it was fitting that the voice of ESPN2′s boxing series Friday Night Fights was delivering the details of two of the stunning knockouts.

“To think that I called two of the three, and two of the three that were the most massive upsets, it seems I was at the right place at the right time,” Tessitore said.

Experts described Week 12 as ‘”the most outrageous and wild weekend college football has seen in the modern era,’” he said.

Even he would like to temper the hyperbole a bit: “When [people] make statements like that, it’s challenging to put it into perspective because it just happened.

“But it was pretty outrageous,” he said.

Still, it seems calling upsets is Tessitore’s calling.

It’s not just limited to this season — or this sport, for that matter.

Horse racing: As host of ESPN’s 2010 Breeder’s Cup coverage, Tessitore was trackside when 19-0 Zenyatta saw her unbeaten streak fall.

Boxing: During ESPN’s 2011 FNF season, Tessitore was ringside to describe the first losses for five prized prospects.

College football: Exactly one year ago today, Tessitore and Gilmore were in Reno, Nev. to describe the end of Boise State’s 24-game winning streak in an overtime loss to host Nevada.

More football follies followed: continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on November 21, 2011 9:34 AM

Tweetback: BCS craziness; Smoke gets the Sprint Cup title; MLS Cup 2011

Front Row knows you have better things to do all weekend than check your social media feeds, so we do it for you.

Here, from the ESPN PR universe, are some of the Tweets, posts and other commentary you may have missed.

You can thank us later!

continue reading…

Filed in: Weekend Tweetback

posted by on October 29, 2011 9:30 AM

Heismanology with Joe Tessitore

Ask Joe Tessitore to name all the Heisman Memorial Trophy winners — in order– a colleague suggests.

The versatile Tessitore apparently can rattle off all of the Heisman winners since 1935 — from Jay Berwanger to Cameron Newton — without error.

Tessitore also owns the same mnemonic mastery of other sports facts, which comes in handy given his hectic schedule. Besides being a play-by-play announcer for ESPN college football, Tessitore is preparing for coverage of horse racing’s Breeders’ Cup next week.

He’s also producing Roll Tide/War Eagle, an ESPN Films documentary about the Alabama-Auburn rivalry that debuts Nov. 8. When the college football season ends, he resumes his role as host of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights boxing series.

Even with all of that on his plate, Tessitore finds time to produce “Heismanology.” The segment airs on ESPN’s College Football Live, SportsCenter and other shows. The poll reveals what ESPN’s numerous Heisman Trophy voters are thinking about who’s most worthy of college football’s signature individual award, which will be presented Dec. 10.

Tessitore told Front Row what’s behind the Heismanology concept.

FR: How did the concept for Heismanology come about?

Tessitore: I have always had a love for the Heisman, especially the history of the award and the unique role it plays in sports. I thought we had always done an exceptional job in presenting the actual Heisman Award show in NYC, however as a longtime Heisman voter myself I felt we fell short in covering the Heisman race during the year. For years, I had kept a running log of my weekly ballot for the Heisman. I pitched the idea that at ESPN we have many official voters among our broadcasters and writers who could do the same. We could come up with weekly poll results to help fans follow the Heisman race rather than being poorly informed and left in the dark waiting for an envelope to be opened in December. This is now our second season of releasing the results of our weekly Heisman Poll. As someone who also had a passion for the stories of past Heisman races and winners, I thought we could also weave in some historical perspective to better frame the Heisman race.

FR: What separates Heismanology from other prognostication on the Heisman voting?

Tessitore: First and foremost, those being polled are actual Heisman voters. To be able to track the decision makers for this award all year long is fascinating. The group we have at ESPN taking part in our weekly poll not only gives viewers a very accurate sense of where the race is, but it gives you a glimpse of what will be influencing other Heisman voters.
Keep in mind, those of us at ESPN taking part in the poll are the top writers in the sport, or hosts and analysts on our biggest college football studio platforms, we are the play-by-play and color analysts on our biggest game broadcasts, so our views on specific players greatly impact the masses. There are hundreds of other voters out there who depend on ESPN CFB coverage as their source of information and analysis. Our Heisman poll reveals which players benefit from that.
The other thing we do with Heismanology that separates us from generic “who do you like for the Heisman” producing, is we attach some historical perspective to it. We will compare current candidates to other Heisman campaigns from the past. We will project point totals and compare them to past winners or also-rans.

FR: Is this race Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck’s to lose? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes