Tagged: ‘SC50K’

posted by on September 14, 2012 10:33 AM

What will SportsCenter look like at episode 100,000?

Editor’s Note: With SportsCenter airing its 50,000th episode last night at 6 p.m. ET, Front Row concludes its content related to the show and the milestone. Today, some of ESPN’s soothsayers take a guess at what #SC100K might look like.

The future of SportsCenter is almost as boundless as one’s imagination and with daily improvements in technology and an increased demand for real-time news and information, the vision is to continue to serve sports fans, anytime, anywhere — and, as you’ll read below and see above, anyway. Front Row sat down with some of SportsCenter’s key behind-the-scenes figures to gather a few prophecies as to what episode 100,000 might look like (it will likely air sometime late in the 2020′s).

Amina Hussein, Coordinating Producer:
I think episode 100,000 will be something that viewers will be able to produce from home; the elements will be produced in Bristol, but the viewer will have the ability to dictate what order they receive their news and highlights.

Rob Hunter, Vice President, Innovation:
There won’t just be one SportsCenter — there will be millions of individualized versions, with fans personal interests reflected in a virtual rundown based on their specific fandom.

ESPN Technology teams have already laid the groundwork to make it all possible. We’re building systems that can make all of ESPN’s content available to all of our subscribers all of the time. This future vision comes from our core editorial strength: ESPN excels at telling fans what happened, why it happened and why they should care. That’s one thing that won’t change during the next 50,000 SportsCenters.

Judson Burch, Coordinating Producer:
When we hit 100,000, the possibilities are endless, but I’ll bet viewers will still get the best highlights presented in the most detailed and insightful way, and I’ll bet the show will still be a lot of fun.

ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen spoke at UConn on Thursday, coinciding with the 50,000th episode of SportsCenter. For more on Bill and his 2012-13 “ESPN Founder Tour,” visit his website.

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on September 13, 2012 12:00 PM

SportsCenter at 50,000 episodes: The pioneers who started it all reflect

Editor’s Note: As SportsCenter approaches its 50,000th episode (tonight, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN), Front Row will present content related to the show and the milestone. Today, the founder and one of the original anchors discuss the show’s debut.

Beginning in today’s 9 a.m. block of SportsCenter, Chris Berman honored his good friend, the late Tom Mees, by voicing this piece which he penned for Front Row last month. (The video is at the bottom of this post.)

When the two pioneers in the video above — ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen and former anchor George Grande — walked into what is now the SportsNation and UNITE studio several weeks ago, they shared a big hug and an even bigger laugh.

“This was where it all started,” Rasmussen said.

“Yes it is,” Grande replied. “Can you believe it?”

Some 33 years prior, with Rasmussen looking on from the control room and Grande at the anchor desk, the duo was part of the initial team that brought SportsCenter into homes across the country. Now, 49,999 episodes later — the most of any show in the history of the medium — the “little show that could” is a ubiquitous presence in homes, locker rooms, bars and everywhere in between, all over the globe.

Rasmussen and Grande relive that first show in the video above and reminisce about the show’s — and the company’s — humble beginnings.

For more from Bill Rasmussen, please visit his website and follow him on Twitter at @Bill_ESPN. His book, “Sports Junkies Rejoice!: The Birth of ESPN,” can be purchased here.

Rasmussen/Grande Video produced by Tonya Malinowski

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, ESPN History

posted by on September 12, 2012 12:00 PM

50 faces of SportsCenter: What the show means to those who make it

Editor’s Note: As SportsCenter approaches its 50,000th episode (Thursday, Sept. 13, 6 p.m. ET), Front Row will present content related to the show and the milestone. Today, meet some of the faces behind the scenes.

From Show No. 1 in 1979, all the way through tomorrow’s landmark 50,000th episode, SportsCenter’s one constant has been this: It takes a village to put together the most-televised show in the medium’s history.

That village is populated by hundreds of men and women like those in the gallery above who contribute in every way possible to ensuring SportsCenter is presented in the style and manner fans have come to expect.

Click through the gallery to learn who these people are, what they do and to hear from them what it means to work on SportsCenter.

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on September 10, 2012 12:01 PM

Meet SportsCenter theme composer Colby — the ‘DaDaDa, DaDaDa’ guy

Editor’s Note: As SportsCenter approaches its 50,000th episode (expected to be Thursday, Sept. 13′s 6 p.m. ET show), Front Row will present content related to the show and the milestone. Today, meet SportsCenter theme composer John Colby.

You may not know his name, or recognize his face, but millions of people are familiar with his work. What’s more, most of those millions have hummed at least a few bars of one song in particular. Thousands more use it as their ringtone.

For the last 20 years, John Colby, a Grammy and Emmy-winning composer, producer, music director and keyboardist, has created theme and background music for virtually every televised sporting event, including two Super Bowls.

As ESPN’s music director (1984-1992), Colby helped shape the sound of ESPN in those early years, composing and producing music for hundreds of ESPN sporting events and television programs.

All that said, Colby, 63, is perhaps best known for six simple musical notes he composed in 1989 . . . six notes of an iconic melody heard every day by sports fans around the world — DaDaDa DaDaDa — part of the theme song to SportsCenter.

(It’s important to note here that Spinal Tap did NOT compose the theme despite what this “This is SportsCenter” ad claimed!)

“Everybody knows SportsCenter, everybody watches it, it’s absolutely a universal thing,” Colby said. “It is a tremendously gratifying thing for an artist. . . to be a part of it, whatever the small part is.” continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, ESPN History

posted by on September 7, 2012 10:32 AM

ESPN turns 33 and “79er” Chris Berman signs multi-year extension

He is, what is known around the ESPN campus, as a “79er.” That’s what the select group of original ESPN employees, who began with the company in 1979 are affectionately called.

Today, as ESPN blows out 33 candles on its birthday cake, the company also announces the re-signing of six-time National Sportscaster of the Year Chris Berman, one of ESPN’s original anchors. Berman joined ESPN in October 1979 — less than a month after the network launched

Berman’s extension will officially begin in 2013. At the conclusion of his new deal, he will have worked for ESPN for nearly 40 years.

“On the day we commemorate our company’s birthday, it’s fitting we extend our relationship with Chris, arguably the most recognizable face and voice in ESPN’s history,” said ESPN President John Skipper. “Since arriving in Bristol in 1979, Chris’ passion and enthusiasm, and, of course his signature highlights, have long been his trademarks, earning him a special place among fans for more than three decades.” continue reading…

Filed in: Announcements

posted by on September 6, 2012 3:30 PM

What happened when Charley Steiner finally met Carl Lewis?

Editor’s Note: As SportsCenter approaches its 50,000th episode (expected to be Thursday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. ET), Front Row will present content related to the show and the milestone.



Check this out on Chirbit

It was one of those TV moments that that has lived well beyond its few seconds of air time. When track star Carl Lewis sang the National Anthem before a 1993 New Jersey Nets game, SportsCenter anchor Charley Steiner was, shall we say, a bit taken aback by the version.

The resulting outburst of uncontrollable laughter from Steiner became pure TV gold.

In a media call today, Steiner reflected on the famous moment and discussed the first — and only time — he ever met Lewis following the “giggle seen ’round the world.” Listen to Steiner’s story in the Chirbit audio clip above and listen to the entire conference call which featured Steiner, Scott Van Pelt, Sage Steele and Senior VP and Executive Producer, Mark Gross, HERE.

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, ESPN History

posted by on September 5, 2012 12:00 PM

SportsCenter’s executive producer, Mark Gross, discusses SC FAQs

SportsCenter Set (Rich Arden/ESPN)

Editor’s Note: As SportsCenter approaches its 50,000th episode (expected to be Thursday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. ET), Front Row will present content related to the show and the milestone.

ESPN Senior Vice President and Executive Producer Mark Gross joined ESPN in 1988 and has played an integral role in the growth of SportsCenter since. Currently, he oversees the strategic direction for SportsCenter (among other assignments) and he recently addressed some of the most common SportsCenter-related topics and questions with Front Row.

On the SportsCenter mission and definition:
SportsCenter is a sports news and information program that serves sports fans through reporting, highlights and context. It shows the most interesting stories and highlights for the biggest audience and when you get through everything else, the most important thing SportsCenter does is document the day and night in sports just like a game telecast would document a game.

On potentially excessive coverage of select players or teams:
We cover the stories that resonate with the widest number of people. That’s what drives our editorial decisions every single day. We can’t do everything for everybody all at the same time, yet we do try to broaden our coverage when we can to cover teams that may have relatively smaller followings. Ultimately, there is no mistaking what our research and ratings tell us about what we cover. While we are aware of the pockets of feedback about coverage fatigue relative to certain players or teams, those same teams and players have wide appeal.

Mark Gross

On repetition of stories throughout multiple shows:
When people comment about the SportsCenter repetition, I completely understand that argument, especially since I watch more SportsCenter than most. What you have to remember though is that the average viewer is watching SportsCenter for limited portions at a time. So what may seem like repetition to those who watch it all, to most it’s primarily new material. Another factor is given our role as a 24-hour sports news source, we are defined in many ways by big sports stories. Sports fans rely on us in those situations more than any other time. It’s similar to how news networks cover election campaigns around the clock or how viewers turn to the Weather Channel for comprehensive coverage of a hurricane. Viewers expect wall-to-wall coverage from every angle; that’s why they tune in, and that’s what networks deliver.

On SportsCenter covering leagues/players/teams that ESPN, Inc. has a business relationship with: continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on September 4, 2012 12:21 PM

Learn more about SportsCenter history with timeline, trivia

Editor’s Note: As SportsCenter approaches its 50,000th episode (expected to be Thursday, Sept. 13), Front Row will present content related to the show and the milestone. Today, a timeline of important dates in SportsCenter’s history and facts you may not know.

SportsCenter Timeline

Sept. 7, 1979 — ESPN launches and the first program aired is the flagship show, SportsCenter, hosted by George Grande and Lee Leonard.

Feb. 6, 1981 — SportsCenter anchor Rhonda Glenn joins ESPN and becomes first full-time woman sportscaster for a national TV network.

Jan. 1982 — SportsCenter provides on-site reports from the Super Bowl for the first time.

Dec. 2, 1988 — The 10,000th episode of SportsCenter airs.

Oct. 10, 1995 — This is SportsCenter, the irreverent, behind-the-scenes, on-air promotional campaign, begins. Roger Clemens, Grant Hill and Micheal Andretti were among the first athletes to visit Bristol to participate in the critically acclaimed campaign.

May 17, 1998 — The 20,000th episode of SportsCenter airs.

Jan. 2000 — The first international edition of SportsCenter, reaching 2.4 million homes in Brazil, launches in Portuguese.

Aug. 25, 2002 — The 25,000th episode of SportsCenter airs. continue reading…

Filed in: ESPN History

posted by on August 30, 2012 3:25 PM

Chris Berman honors memory of former SC colleague Tom Mees

ESPN anchors (L-R) Tom Mees, Chris Berman and Bob Ley on the SportsCenter set during the 10,000th show. (Rick LaBranche/ESPN)

Editor’s Note: As SportsCenter approaches its 50,000th episode (expected to be Thursday, Sept. 13), ESPN Front Row will present content related to the show and the milestone. Award-winning commentator Chris Berman, who joined ESPN just weeks after the network launched in 1979, wrote this piece about his good friend and former SportsCenter anchor colleague Tom Mees, who tragically passed away 16 years ago this month.

Every time I sit at my home office . . . I look up at the picture of three young men in tuxedos, beaming at the SportsCenter desk, ready to deliver that show’s 10,000th episode.

I think between Bob Ley, Tom Mees and me . . . we must have done 5,000 or 6,000 of them. That’s the way it was back in the 1980s here at ESPN . . . a ton of work with everyone rolling up their sleeves.

That part hasn’t changed much in 2012, as we get set to present our 50,000th SportsCenter. But for me, and those of us here in the 80’s and 90’s, a lot of things changed when we lost Tom Mees in 1996. He had a spirit and energy . . .and dare I say . . .a sense of purity in his love of sports and his delivering of the evening’s news through the TV to his fellow sports fans that all of us envy to this day.

He was on SportsCenter . . . or calling his beloved NHL games . . . or on assignment to pro football, college basketball, and so much more. . . for just one reason. Tom was there to give us the sports. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on August 15, 2012 2:47 PM

SportsCenter to air 50,000th episode in September; revisit Episode No. 1

SportsCenter was the first program on ESPN the night the network launched on Sept. 7, 1979.

This week, original anchor George Grande and ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen reunited in the very studio where the first show originated to look ahead to another milestone: SportsCenter’s 50,000 episode, which will air next month.

The two key figures in that milestone Episode No. 1 reflected upon the show’s impact and how when Grande introduced viewers to the unprecedented 24-hour sports network on the debut episode of its flagship show, he spoke of the mission to serve sports fans.

When Grande relayed the mission in that first show, he said, “If it takes an interview, we’ll do it. If it takes play-by-play, we’ll do it. If it takes commentary, we’ll do that, too. That’s the way we will function from the ESPN SportsCenter.”

The program has clearly evolved since then. Instead of a few shows each evening, SportsCenter has expanded to daytime. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes