First Take
posted by Josh Krulewitz on April 8, 2013 9:11 AM
SportsCenter’s in-depth highlights, next-level stats and investigative reports and features have been pillars of the program’s enduring success. Yet during the biggest news stories, engaging discussion and analysis is often what sets ESPN’s flagship show apart.
“We always strive to have smart discussions and serve the fans with deeper perspective,” said Senior Coordinating Producer Michael Shiffman. continue reading…
posted by David Scott on March 22, 2013 11:59 AM
The viewing area – and fashion – has come a long way since this 1983 photo of Bob Ley and Dick Vitale watching the NCAA Tournament. And they surely didn’t have a live blog like we do today!
Spend Friday afternoon with ESPN’s college basketball experts as they watch all the NCAA Tournament action live from the Building 4 viewing room on ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. campus.
Communications Department members Mike Humes and David Scott bring you the action with special appearances from any number of ESPN’s college basketball experts. Join in the discussion, ask questions of our experts, participate in polls and generally goof off even more than you already are as you watch the early window Friday games. continue reading…
posted by Mike Humes on March 19, 2013 8:00 AM
Greg Shaheen was a familiar face on ESPN this past weekend.
Former NCAA Senior Vice President Greg Shaheen, who was the organizer of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship for 12 years, spent this past weekend in Bristol, Conn. serving as a “selection committee expert.”
Shaheen’s unique perspective was widely praised across social media, as these Tweets confirm: continue reading…
posted by Hannah Worster on March 9, 2013 1:10 PM
Gonzaga University’s men’s basketball team has the program’s first-ever No. 1 national ranking, an accomplishment celebrated by the Spokane, Wash. school as the ESPNU Campus Connection video above illustrates.
Tonight in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals, the Zags (29-2, 16-0) attempt to defend their top-ranked status when they meet upstart Loyola Marymount (11-22, 1-15) (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2, WatchESPN). Should Gonzaga end the Lions’ Cinderella run, it would play in the WCC Championship Game in Las Vegas on Monday night (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).
While Gonzaga is leading the WCC to greater prominence, another athletic conference’s profile is changing.
The Big East officially announced on Friday that the Catholic 7 schools will leave the conference on June 30.
In this Outside The Lines podcast, former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun shares some of his favorite Big East memories and his thoughts on the future of the NCAA with host Bob Ley.
ESPN’s College GameDay is on hand for the last Big East regular-season Syracuse-Georgetown game today (12 p.m. ET, ESPN). It’s the opener of a CGD doubleheader; the crew will be in Chapel Hill, N.C. for the nightcap when Duke visits North Carolina.
On the women’s side, Big East Championship Week coverage starts Sunday, March 10, with three quarterfinal games on ESPNU and an exclusive game on ESPN3, along with the semifinals on ESPNU and the only women’s title game to be aired on ESPN.
ICYMI: Highlights from the past week on Front Row
• ESPN Radio listeners went “green” for Friday’s edition of Mike and Mike in the Morning. Regular co-host Mike “Greeny” Greenberg welcomed guest co-host Seth Greenberg to the show as a fill in for the absent Mike Golic.
• Wright Thompson’s recent feature on Michael Jordan lead to nearly 2.5 million page views across ESPN.com and ESPN mobile web sites. ESPN.com Editor-in-Chief Patrick Stiegman shared more insight on ESPN’s approach to feature storytelling across platforms.
• ESPN and Full Sail University unveiled the new Full Sail University Sports Lab Powered by ESPN as part of a celebration of their collaboration. Check it out here.
• Columnist Chris Jones tells the story of a young tennis pro stepping away from the sport she loves due to an ongoing bout with depression in ESPN The Magazine’s latest issue, “One Day, One Game.” He shares some background on the piece.
Row of Four
Our favorites from across ESPN over the past week continue reading…
posted by David Scott on March 7, 2013 4:30 PM
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and Seth Greenberg. (ESPN Images)
The traditional “wearing of the green” for St. Patrick’s Day is still 10 days away. But ESPN Radio is going green for Friday’s edition of Mike and Mike in the Morning as regular co-host Mike “Greeny” Greenberg welcomes guest co-host Seth Greenberg as he fills in for Mike Golic.
The “Greenberg and Greenberg” pairing (ESPN Radio, 6-10 a.m. ET with simulcast on ESPN2) promises to be filled with college basketball talk as the regular season enters its final weekend and the former Virginia Tech head coach, Seth, prepares listeners and viewers for the NCAA Tournament.
But hijinks and humor — in addition to scheduled guests John Smoltz (7:30); Roy Williams (7:45); Bill Self (9:15) and Buster Posey (9:30) — should ensue as the same surnamed pals try to out-Greenberg each other.
“I have long felt that the success of the show hinges on the hosts having the same name,” Greeny said. “So, when Mike Ditka, Mike Jordan and Mike Krzyzewski turned us down, this was a natural.”
“I’m just honored to sit down with the little brother I never wanted and talk sports for four hours,” Seth said. continue reading…
posted by David Scott on March 1, 2013 3:52 PM
Seth Greenberg’s Court Storming Rules
I have various rules over the years, and sometimes these change and get modified. There are certain aspects that make it legal and illegal. I actually get people now tweeting me asking if it’s legal or illegal leading up to the end of the game. Here are some of “Seth’s Storming Rules”:
• Certain schools can’t rush the court – Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas. They just can’t rush the court. Naismith would not approve of fans from the birth place of basketball rushing the court.
• If you beat a Top 5 team and the arena is sold out – you can rush the court. If it’s not sold out, you can’t rush the court because people don’t care enough.
• If you chant, “Overrated,” you can’t rush the court. If you think they are overrated, then they must not be worthy of rushing the court.
• If you make a half-court shot to win the game, that is a legal rush the court.
• Fans can’t rush the court if you are the ranked team and you beat an unranked team – totally against the rules of rushing the court.
• College GameDay or national TV there – that is always a positive.
• Then you can rate the storming of the court… Virginia was a very slow developing storm. Butler and Miami were very good storming. I was impressed with Minnesota fans’ effort, they had to climb up on to the court to storm it, so it added a degree of difficulty.
On three consecutive nights this week in college basketball, an unranked opponent has toppled a Top 5 team. For two of the games, ESPN had the telecast — last night’s No. 3 Duke’s loss at Virginia and Tuesday’s No. 1 Indiana’s loss at Minnesota.
In each, a high camera shot displayed, as Andy Katz describes in the Katz Korner video above, a “surge of humanity” swarming the court as fans fled their seats and congregated at mid-court to salute their conquering heroes.
But it was the Cavaliers’ court storming that set off a national debate as Blue Devil coach Mike Krzyzewski –whose team has been “stormed” four times since Jan. 12 — expressed concern for his players’ safety.
Throughout Friday that debate has raged on with input from the likes of Dan Dakich, Katz, Mike Greenberg and Mark Schlereth and Seth Greenberg.
Somewhat overlooked in the discussion, however, is how the storm’s surge affects the game’s broadcast team. Front Row reached out to ESPN play-by-play man Dave O’Brien and sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards to get firsthand accounts of weathering the storm. O’Brien, who says he’s been part of seven or eight rushes, was on the call for Maryland’s Feb. 16 upset over Duke and again last night in Charolottesville. Edwards said she’s been part of five stormings this season alone, including three of Duke’s (Jan. 12 at NC State, Jan. 23 at Miami and Maryland).
Preparing for the storm:
J.E.: You’re anxiously awaiting the :00′s on the clock, and then it’s a mad stampede.
D.O.: There is an anxiety that builds in the final minutes of the game.
J.E.: I usually hover at the edge of the court, hopefully have a couple of cops nearby, and bolt in the direction of the winning head coach as soon as I see :00′s.
D.O.: Our producer, Scott Matthews, lines up security to be at our backs at the broadcast station. For the Maryland upset of Duke, we felt the fans getting into a position, almost linebacker position, near the end of the game. Our table was still jostled and Jeannine was in the middle of it on-court.
ESPN’s Dave O’Brien (Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)
Staying safe during the storm: continue reading…
posted by David Scott on February 26, 2013 1:00 PM
ESPN’s Andy Katz on the set of “Katz Korner.” (ESPN)
Click HERE to listen or visit iTunes to download the podcast and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Front & Center podcast. Also, make sure to check out the ESPN Radio app, available for the iPad.
The madness of March doesn’t really seem all that mad once you hear Senior ESPN.com Writer Andy Katz’s season-long college basketball schedule. From his daily writing for the site to his sideline reporting at games to his in-studio work, Katz goes pretty much non-stop from Midnight Madness (October) through One Shining Moment (April).
This year, Katz’s plate has overflowed with a brand new podcast (co-hosted by analyst Seth Greenberg), hosting duties for ESPNU’s The Experts (Tuesdays, 1 p.m. ET with re-air at 2:30 p.m., ESPNU) and his new show, Katz Korner (Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m., ESPNU).
In the Front & Center podcast above, Katz covers a range of topics from his goals for Katz Korner to his affection for Outside the Lines and his thoughts on whether college basketball needs “fixing,” as some have suggested.
posted by Keri Potts on January 16, 2013 4:10 PM
ESPN’s Keri Potts with Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim in 2003, the night the Orange won the NCAA Championship. (Photo courtesy of Keri Potts)
Editor’s note: Jim Boeheim’s Car Wash visit to ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters on Monday provided a chance for a timely reunion with ESPN Communications publicist Keri Potts. She relates what it was like to work for Boeheim while she was at Syracuse, and quizzes him on his thoughts about this season.
I recall the day clearly.
I had returned from lunch at my summer staff assistant job for my school’s basketball office. Two weeks in, I had yet to meet or speak to my boss, the head coach.
My nerves were high, for I had seen him on the court during our team’s run to the Final Four, flapping his arms wildly up and down the sideline, making scrunched up faces with eyes shooting daggers at the officials; he never seemed to like any of their calls.
I wasn’t exactly torn up about not meeting him, but the longer it went, the more my imagination took over and I was convinced I’d be the recipient of a flapping arm-dagger scenario.
But there it was, a white note on my desk chair, “Kerry, Please get stamps. J.”
My name! He knew my name! Sure the spelling was off, but suddenly, I had proof he was aware of my existence, and furthermore, he said “Please.”
I mean, he couldn’t be all that bad, right?
No sooner had I ceased marveling at this note than a call came in from the general manager of the Denver Nuggets looking to speak with Coach. With renewed spirit, I promptly transferred him, and by transferred, I mean hung-up on him so that Coach sat in his office waiting for a call that never came.
I made the long, painful, 10-foot walk to his office door to confess my mistake.
“I, um, hung up on the Denver Nuggets man. I am so sorry,” I sputtered, preparing for the fury.
And that is when Coach said the magic words, barely looking up from his newspaper, face scrunched: “Ehhhh, he’ll call back. No worries.”
And so began my fealty to Jim Boeheim, a man who drove the school-issued Chrysler LeBaron instead of something flashier, who preferred to cash his paycheck in person rather than accept that new-fangled direct deposit idea, and who helped calm me down after my bicycle was stolen from inside my summer apartment while I was asleep.
In the 16 years I have known him and his family, I’ve done my best to make it to his coaching milestones: his 600th win, his first National Championship, the Big East finals, and myriad other moments in a coaching career few will ever match.
So naturally, I caught up with him during his recent visit to Bristol, Conn., to promote the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge, peppering him with questions while he tried to eat his tuna sandwich.
We have some new analysts in the ESPN rotation this year, as you know. Any thoughts on the new guys?
On Seth Greenberg: I have to be honest, he talks too much, but other than that, he will give good insight into the games. He’ll be somewhat analytical and critical, but not overly much; that’s what coaches look for. continue reading…
posted by Gracie Blackburn on January 9, 2013 10:36 AM
ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg is no rookie to the sport, but he was a little green around the gills when it came to navigating ESPN’s Bristol campus. Luckily, he had a veteran tour guide, college basketball reporter, Andy Katz.
Greenberg has known Katz since “my hair went on defense,” (29 years ago for those who aren’t following Greenberg’s disappearing hair follicle timeline). Katz and Greenberg have become a fixture around the ESPN campus, seen most often in the cafeteria discussing the college game.
In the video above, Front Row was at the table when Katz recently informed Greenberg he would be spending quite a bit of time in Charlotte, N.C. debuting his new show Katz Korner (debuting Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU) and returning as the basketball host of The Experts.
Who is Andy Katz, really? We thought there’s no better person to give fans the inside scoop on Katz than Greenberg:
You met Andy Katz in 1984, any first impressions?
I first met Mr. Katz, “basketball savant,” when he was the beat writer [covering] the New Mexico Lobos. It was at a time that he would actually listen to me. Seriously. . . it was a time when beat writers and coaches had an open dialogue. Andy was always interested in learning more, the hows and whys of what we were doing as coaches.
Did he give you any advice when you started at ESPN this year?
Andy was very helpful to me and my family in my transition to ESPN. He told me what to and not to order in the ESPN Cafe; where to live so my daughters could babysit his kids; and he introduced me to more people than I can remember their names. In general, he has been an invaluable resource in my transition.
You’ve given a lot of locker room speeches in your coaching career. What would you tell Andy on Jan. 15 before Katz Korner debuts on ESPNU? continue reading…
posted by Mike Humes on November 12, 2012 10:00 PM
This converted conference room will be buzzing with social action during Tuesday’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon
College basketball’s season is underway and ESPN’s 24-hour celebration — the fifth annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon on Tuesday, Nov. 13 — kicks off at midnight with West Virginia facing Gonzaga. (See the complete viewers guide and 24 questions for the 24 hours of hoops.)
It’s not quite a national holiday, but a college basketball fan would argue it should be.
A new element to this year’s coverage will deliver even more access points for fans who just can’t get enough of ESPN’s college basketball coverage.
ESPN will create and staff the new “Tip-Off Social Hub” to provide an environment for all college basketball social media activity. Beginning tonight at 11 p.m. ET — one hour before the Mountaineers and Zags begin – ESPN analysts, bloggers, social media producers and executives will assemble in a converted conference room to monitor fan social media activity and contribute to the conversation. continue reading…
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