Tagged: ‘LeBron James’

posted by on January 8, 2013 9:40 AM

Forward/Rewind: NBA/ESPN The Magazine

ESPN The Mag

Chad Millman, Editor-in-Chief

Chad Millman

Chad Millman

What excites you most about 2013?
The Mag grew in several ways the past 12 months, with all the storytellers — from designers to photo editors to the folks working with words — getting a much better feel for what kind of magazine we want to be and how to exist within ESPN. Now that we’ve laid that foundation, I think there is a greater opportunity for us to have an impact, both on our readers and as content partners, with the rest of the platforms at ESPN.

Name the one moment from 2012 that exemplifies your team’s approach to delivering its content.
The execution of the “One Day, One Game” issue we did from Baton Rouge, La. about the LSU-Bama game. That started as just an idea for the magazine but grew into a multi-platform experience that included every element of the company including a coordinated effort with the ESPN social team. On game day, we had photo editors culling thousands of behind-the-scenes pics for a running photo gallery on ESPN.com that received one million hits in 24 hours. Two weeks later, we produced an issue that collected all this for a record of one of the season’s best game, which exemplified the best of college football.

The most popular #Hashtag of 2013 will be. . .
#Mag15. Because The Mag is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2013, which will include a double-issue commemorating where sports has been since we were born and where it is going as well as a coordinated effort with SportsCenter to air vignettes about the biggest moments in sports during our decade-and-a-half.
–By Carrie Kreiswirth

FrontRowDesign_Final

Editor’s Note: With this multi-week series — the Front Row Forward/Rewind, 2013/2012 — ESPN’s Communications Department takes the pulse of content executives throughout ESPN for their views on what’s ahead across ESPN for 2013 and some of what transpired in 2012. The snapshots provide a look at where ESPN has been, where it’s going and how it plans on getting there.

NBA on ESPN

Tim Corrigan, senior coordinating producer

Best off camera moment:
Watching how our team of 300 people (all departments, all platforms) come together at the NBA Finals is such a source of pride for everyone. The mission is simply “whatever it takes,” and everyone lives up to that standard. The NBA Finals comes at the end of a 10-month season and there is nothing better than the payoff when a team or player achieves their ultimate goal. In the last five years we have watched the Celtics “Big 3” win their first title, Kobe [Bryant] go back-to-back, Dirk [Nowitzki] win and have to leave the court because he was so emotional and LeBron James finally quieting his critics.

Tim Corrigan

Tim Corrigan

Favorite segment or interview:
Two favorite moments: First was Game 4 of the NBA Finals when LeBron James had leg cramps. Everything about his story became heightened in that one moment — his struggles to get up the court, laying down on the court, his teammates carrying him off the court and the trainers massaging him and getting liquids into his body. Then he checks back into the game, the building explodes and he pays it off with a dramatic three-pointer that leads to a victory. Nothing can compare with the world’s greatest basketball player fighting through injury to ultimately lead his team to the NBA Championship. The second was at the end of Game 5 with the “unbridled joy” LeBron showed on the sidelines as the clock counted down. Watching someone’s dream come true was truly remarkable.

#Hashtag of the year for 2013: continue reading…

Filed in: Forward/Rewind 2012-13

posted by on January 4, 2013 12:00 PM

Forward/Rewind: NFL/ESPN.com’s Top 10 ‘Most-Viewed’ Stories of 2012

Top Stories from ESPN.com

From breaking news, to investigative stories, commentary pieces and rankings, a good recap of the year in sports can be seen in ESPN.com’s most viewed stories in 2012.

Millions of fans visit ESPN.com as their online destination for the latest news and insights, and the site looks to continue its lead in the Sports category in 2013, carrying over an average minute audience of 77,000 last year, 52 percent higher than its closest competitor (source: comScore).

“Our list of the most trafficked stories each year is a barometer of what resonates most with sports fans,” said Patrick Stiegman, editor-in-chief, ESPN.com. “2012 was no exception to the trends of previous years. Coverage of the NFL, popular with fans seemingly 24/7/365, as well as breaking news — unfortunately, sometimes tragic — from around the sports world proved to be the most widely consumed content on our sites.”

#10 – #NBArank: Lebron James No. 1
#9 – NFL unveils new uniforms for 32 teams
#8 – NFL hammers Saints for bounties
#7 – Junior Seau dies at 43
#6 – Reilly: The Inspiration of Tim Tebow
#5 – Alipour: Sex in the Olympic village
#4 – NCAA levels sanctions on Penn State
#3 – Howard to Lakers deal complete
#2 – Chiefs Belcher kills girlfriend, self
#1 – QB Peyton Manning chooses Broncos

– By Kristie Chong-Adler

FrontRowDesign_Final

Editor’s Note: With this two-week series — the Front Row Forward/Rewind, 2013/2012 — ESPN’s Communications Department takes the pulse of content executives throughout ESPN for their views on what’s ahead across ESPN for 2013 and some of what transpired in 2012. The snapshots provide a look at where ESPN has been, where it’s going and how it plans on getting there.

NFL

Seth Markman, senior coordinating producer, NFL studio shows

Best off camera moment:
It was actually the night Mike Ditka suffered a minor stroke. As a show and as a family, we were all very concerned. I tried his cell phone when he was in the hospital. I thought I was going to get his voicemail but he picked up and said, “Seth, I’m alright.” For me, there’s no better moment than that this year. When I called around to everyone on the show, they were equally relieved and happy to hear the good news.

Seth Markman

Seth Markman

Favorite segment or interview:
The day after Veterans Day, Rick Reilly did a very touching piece for Monday Night Countdown about a father and son who, at their own expense, went to every NFL stadium this year and took Wounded Warriors to games. I had the chance to meet them in New Orleans at our Monday Night Football game. It was an amazing experience. So, Rick does this great piece and when it ends Coach Ditka interrupts Chris Berman during the bump. He tells Rick, “Have them get in touch with me. I’m paying for the rest of their trip.” It was just a great moment. A day later I got a note from the father and son asking me to thank Ditka because he was paying their expenses for the rest of the season.

#Hashtag of the year for 2013: continue reading…

Filed in: Forward/Rewind 2012-13

posted by on January 2, 2013 12:30 PM

Forward/Rewind: College Football/ESPN.com

ESPN.com

Patrick Stiegman, Editor-In-Chief

Patrick

Patrick Stiegman

#Hashtag of the year for 2012:
#NBARank: ESPN’s innovative, massively trafficked, Twitter-fueled ranking of every player in the NBA, 1-500, raised the bar for cross-platform social journalism. From No. 500 (Eddy Curry) to No. 1 (LeBron James), the picks were rolled out, challenged and applauded on a daily basis in the social space, ensuring this hashtag captured the attention of NBA fans and players alike.

#Hashtag of the year for 2013:
#Brazil2014: OK, so yes, it’s a 2014 hashtag in 2013. But the momentum is already sizzling for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, which — based on Brazil’s unparalleled success on the pitch, the zeal of its fans and the rich history and passion of futbol in South America — could be a sport spectacular without precedent. As the soccer-crazed locals say, “Nada mas importa.”

A big prediction for your property in 2013:
Over the next year, we’ll offer unprecedented customized, personalized and convenient access to our world-class sports news and information, regardless of device or platform. Mobile? Tablet? Computer? (See video below) From long-form storytelling to breaking news, scores to fantasy games, WatchESPN to live alerts and analysis, ESPN will seamlessly enhance the offerings across screens. –By Kevin Ota

FrontRowDesign_Final

Editor’s Note: With this multi-week series — the Front Row Forward/Rewind, 2013/2012 — ESPN’s Communications Department takes the pulse of content executives throughout ESPN for their views on what’s ahead across ESPN for 2013 and some of what transpired in 2012. The snapshots provide a look at where ESPN has been, where it’s going and how it plans on getting there.

College Football

Ed Placey, ESPN Sr. Coordinating Producer

Best off camera moment:
As part of my job, I get to travel to many games throughout the season – often double-dipping to hit two in a week. One of the things I enjoy most on those trips is the opportunity to watch the crews work together as a team to deliver the best viewing experience for the fan at home. I often wish people could see the dedication, passion and respect our production crews have for college football and towards their job.

Ed Placey

Ed Placey

Favorite segment or interview:
Despite having produced more than 400 games, we still have several left so I am holding out on this answer until all the games are done. There are many I could point to, but I love the idea we will do something that tops all of those in the upcoming bowl games.

#Hashtag of the year for 2013: continue reading…

Filed in: Forward/Rewind 2012-13

posted by on November 28, 2012 3:08 PM

From R.A. to LeBron, PacMan to Zito, Lin to Ryan: ESPN The Magazine’s ‘Interview Issue’ covers the bases

Jeremy Lin and James Harden on the cover of the “Interview” Issue.

ESPN The Magazine’s “Interview” Issue, which starts hitting subscribers’ mailboxes today and newsstands Friday, highlights some of the top newsmakers in sports over this past year.

On the eve of its release, The Mag’s Deputy Editor Ed McGregor, who led the charges on this year’s issue, shares some background on how it all came together:

How do you determine who is featured in the Interview issue?
We aim to fill this issue with the newsmakers of the year in sports. In fact, throughout the year research sends me regular updates on major happenings in a variety of sports. I compile all of those and, sometime in September, I went through everything to create a list for discussion with Chad [Millman], Editor in Chief, and my “Interview” crew, [Senior Editors] Raina Kelley and Aimee Crawford. Then the list evolves and changes, based on who we think are the most interesting people and what are the most interesting stories.

Are there athletes or newsmakers who didn’t make the cut? If so, why not?
Yes, there are always athletes who don’t make the cut, mainly because some new event happened, like Barry Zito starring in the playoffs after so many years of struggle in San Francisco. That was a revelation, and Tim Keown’s interview with Zito is just as revealing.

For those you reached out to, were there personalities who declined an interview? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on October 19, 2012 8:00 AM

ESPN The Magazine and Marvel create ‘LeBron: King of the Rings’

The custom edition was produced in four languages — English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese.

ESPN The Magazine’s NBA Preview on newsstands today features a special insert with some help from sister company Marvel: Two years ago, LeBron James predicted he would win not one, not two, not three. . . but seven NBA titles. What if he was right? In their second collaboration, The Mag and Marvel Comics have united once again to create LeBron: King of the Rings, an epic tale of zombies, clones, holograms, bionics and a star who will stop at nothing to fulfill his promise.

Front Row, in conjunction with Marvel.com, caught up with The Mag’s Deputy Editor Otto Strong and Senior Editor Ty Wenger for the backstory on how such a comic was born. For the full interview, visit Marvel’s site.:

How did the concept of the comic come about?
Ty Wenger: I actually came up with the overall story one night when I was extremely sick and my wife banished me to the guest room because I had a fever of 103. I wrote the outline all on my iPhone over three hours because I had nothing else to do.

Why did you decide to make LeBron the lead of the story? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on August 19, 2012 10:00 AM

Comedian Bellamy shares his sports knowledge with ESPN First Take crew

Bill Bellamy is an actor, comedian, cousin of Shaquille O’Neal and a big fan of ESPN First Take.

The Rutgers University alum and avid Twitter user joined the castof First Take on Aug. 15, with commentators Skip Bayless, Jemele Hill and Stephen A. Smith adding his comedic sports wisdom to the topics of the day.

A basketball fanatic, Bellamy was able to hold his own discussing the top subject: Is LeBron James better than Michael Jordan? Bellamy spoke to Front Row shortly after his First Take debut:

What is it about First Take that you like so much?
I just love the show because everyone has a point of view. You get Stephen A. saying one thing, Skip saying something else and Jemele mediating…when she can. It’s so fun to watch. On top of that they usually talk about the issues, or whatever is topical of the day or what happened that week. I want to hear what they have to say…then I can go on Twitter and do my version.

Do you like the new First Take set/look? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on July 26, 2012 7:11 PM

ESPN and ABC’s 2012-13 NBA TV schedule shines coast to coast

Christmas Day on ABC features an NBA Finals rematch when the Thunder visit the Heat.
(Getty Images)

The NBA season is closer than you think.

On Thursday evening, ESPN announced its 2012-13 NBA television schedule in conjunction with the NBA. It includes a blockbuster five-game Christmas Day offering, which includes some of the league’s best teams, biggest storylines and brightest stars.

For basketball fans, that means some important questions: Who will play on Christmas Day? What teams will be featured Opening Week? Who are the teams with the most appearances?

All questions that make for an exciting and lively discussion.

At the heart of that discussion is Leah LaPlaca, ESPN vice-president, programming & acquisitions, who sat down with Front Row to talk about the upcoming schedule.

How did ESPN’s 2012-13 NBA scheduling process begin?
The process involves our programming team and the NBA broadcasting team. We had our first meeting about the schedule at 2012 NBA All-Star in Orlando, Fla. where we talked about our available windows for ESPN and potential matchups for ABC. That’s where we began discussing the ABC Christmas Day doubleheader and our two games at Staples, which is a fun twist this year.

Leah LaPlaca

After our initial meeting at All-Star Weekend, the talks really kicked into high gear around the NBA Draft at the end of June. That’s when we had our next big meeting where we looked at where games will fall into place.

How do you compare constructing an NBA schedule for a full season with a condensed season like last year? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, Top Stories, TV Schedule

posted by on July 20, 2012 12:55 PM

Special twinbill for producer of LeBron, Sanchez ‘My Wish’ features

 

 

Associate producer Lizette Castaneda worked on a SportsCenter: My Wish feature in 2008 as a co-producer. In 2012, she has taken on even greater responsibility for the annual summer series.

The eight-year ESPN veteran produced a pair of My Wish stories this season, highlighting wishes granted by two of the most popular athletes in sports: NBA Finals MVP LeBron James and New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The James feature debuted July 15 as the Heat star hosted 17-year-old cancer survivor Thiago D’Elia for a shoot-around and home game in Miami.

The Sanchez story, the 2012 My Wish series finale, debuts today on the 3 p.m. ET SportsCenter as the Jets starting quarterback tosses the football with Jesus Reyes, a 14-year-old diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Castaneda discusses her involvement in the seventh annual SportsCenter: My Wish series:

How are these two wishes different from the others this year?
Although the LeBron James and Mark Sanchez segments will air on ESPN during the summer, both of the pieces were intended for the first edition of the ESPN Deportes series, Mi Deseo. The series will run during Hispanic Heritage Month, debuting Sept. 16. We’re proud to say this is the first time ESPN Deportes will have its own series, centered on Hispanic children and/or athletes.

What experiences as a co-producer helped you as the producer for two features this year? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on July 16, 2012 1:15 PM

Host Chris Connelly reflects on SportsCenter ‘My Wish’ series

My Wish host Chris Connelly

The narrator you hear during the SportsCenter “My Wish” series is ESPN essayist and reporter Chris Connelly.

Since the airing of the first “My Wish” segment, in 2006, Connelly has served as host of the heart-warming program. Before heading to Bristol, Conn., to view the raw footage of each segment with production staff, Connelly sat with ESPN Front Row during the ESPYS last week.

What were your initial feelings when you were asked to host the series seven years ago?
I was first very honored and then I didn’t know what to expect. I think I expected it might be really depressing, that I might be meeting families and there would be a lot of bad news and very little to be optimistic about. That turned out to not be the case at all. Going into these families’ homes, we’ve found amazing stories of resourcefulness, love, dedication and caring. These kids are just remarkably resilient and strong and funny, with great perspective on what they have gone through. So it turned out to be moving and inspiring in a way that I didn’t necessarily anticipate.

What were your expectations then and have they changed over the years? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on July 16, 2012 9:16 AM

Tweetback: Lin exiting New York?; What’s next for Penn State?; MLB begins 2nd half of season

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!

First, though, take a moment to watch the first of this week’s “My Wish” series on SportsCenter, featuring LeBron James. The series continues all week long.

continue reading…

Filed in: Weekend Tweetback