Sports TV News
ESPN Films Announces New 30 For 30 Projects
Published
8 years agoon
ESPN Films today announced several new 30 for 30 projects including documentaries on the ’85 Chicago Bears and the Duke lacrosse scandal, and the group’s first-ever miniseries event, “OJ: Made in America.” The third volume of the award-winning and critically acclaimed 30 for 30series will continue with the premiere of “The ‘85 Bears” on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 9 p.m. ET, followed by “Fantastic Lies” on Sunday, March 13, at 9 p.m. ET, both on ESPN. “OJ: Made in America” will debut in June.
“30 for 30 strives to be the gold standard of sports storytelling and continues to deliver thought-provoking documentaries that give viewers a unique point of view into a particular story,” said Connor Schell, senior vice president, ESPN Films and Original Content. “The projects coming in 2016 showcase some of our most ambitious work to date and we’re proud to work with this diverse group of incredible filmmakers who have again raised the bar when it comes to high quality storytelling.”
“The ’85 Bears,” directed by Emmy Award winner Jason Hehir (“The Fab Five”) and executive produced by Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley, will look at perhaps the most famous football team of all-time – the Super Bowl XX champion Chicago Bears – on the 30th anniversary of their epic triumph. The birth of Buddy Ryan’s 46 Defense, the sweet-revenge victory over the 49ers, the loss to the Dolphins that ruined their perfect season and the “Super Bowl Shuffle” that was filmed the day after, are all topics explored in this film about a group of misfits who became the toast of football.
“Fantastic Lies” will return to the night of March 13, 2006, when Duke University lacrosse players threw a team party that ended up changing lives, ruining careers, tarnishing a university’s reputation and even jeopardizing the future of the sport at the school. The film, from acclaimed director Marina Zenovich (“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”), will premiere on the 10th anniversary of the party that ignited what became a national firestorm and resulted in a highly-charged legal investigation. Usually confined to the sports section, lacrosse suddenly appeared on the front pages of newspapers because of the lurid details of the case and the hot buttons that it pushed: sex, race, class, violence.
“Our first two films of the year highlight the diversity of topics that we seek with the 30 for 30series,” says John Dahl, ESPN Films Vice President and Executive Producer. “The Bears film offers a fresh yet nostalgic look at one of the most iconic teams in NFL history while the hard-hitting “Fantastic Lies” goes far beyond the playing field with an examination of how multiple factors led to a miscarriage of justice.”
Another 30 for 30 film premiering in April will look back on the electrifying Orlando Magic of the mid-90s, directed by Erin Leyden (“The 99ers”) and Gentry Kirby and executive produced by Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal. Coming this summer, directors Judd Apatow (“Trainwreck,” “This Is 40”) and Michael Bonfiglio (“You Don’t Know Bo”) will explore the connection between the lives and careers of former New York Mets superstars Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden (executive produced by Radical Media’s Dave O’Connor and Justin Wilkes).
Also this year, ESPN Films will debut the group’s most ambitious project to date, “OJ: Made in America.” The five-part documentary is a miniseries event and the first episodic documentary by ESPN Films, starting a new chapter for the 30 for 30 brand. Directed by Peabody and Emmy winner Ezra Edelman, “OJ: Made in America” examines the history of race over the last several decades through the lens of OJ Simpson’s rise and fall.
It is perhaps the defining cultural tale of 20th-century America, one that centers around two of our country’s greatest fixations: race and celebrity. “OJ: Made in America” will explore these themes in tracing a personal journey, from how Orenthal James Simpson first became a football star, to why the country fell in love with him off the field, to his being accused of murdering his ex-wife and his subsequent acquittal and why he is now sitting in jail 20 years later for another crime. This 10-hour epic will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22 and will debut on television in five parts in June.
Schell said, “’OJ: Made in America’ is unlike anything ESPN Films has done before and Ezra’s phenomenal work has taken one man’s story and, through it, explored the topics of celebrity, sports, police brutality, race relations and domestic violence.”
Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at [email protected].
Sports TV News
Bill Belichick to Appear in All ‘ManningCast’ Alternate Presentations Next Season
Manning stated that Belichick will appear early in the game, likely during the first quarter, to provide his insights and analysis pertaining to the action.
Published
2 days agoon
May 10, 2024By
BSM Staff
While there are still several months until the start of the NFL regular season, anticipation is building towards the action on the field. The Kansas City Chiefs will take the gridiron as back-to-back Super Bowl champions and aim to continue their dynasty, becoming a consistent presence at the top of the AFC. Bill Belichick departed his role as general manager and head coach of the New England Patriots this past season and knows what it is like to be part of a dynasty, having won six Super Bowl championships in 17 years. For the upcoming season, he will be part of the Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli alternate broadcast presentation produced through a partnership between ESPN and Omaha Productions.
Belichick will be part of every ManningCast next season, as divulged by Omaha Productions founder and two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Peyton Manning during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Manning stated that Belichick will appear early in the game, likely during the first quarter, to provide his insights and analysis pertaining to the action. Additionally, Belichick will make weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show during the NFL season and also participated in its Draft Spectacular broadcast from the NFL Draft in Detroit.
“I said, ‘Bill, we want you to come on. Look, we’d love to go behind the ropes on the defensive side as to kind of what the Eagles are going to have to do to stop Patrick Mahomes, right? And if you ever run out of things to say, just make fun of Eli, right? That’s always sort of a time-filler,’ and Bill doesn’t like Eli,” Manning explained. “We all know that – two Super Bowls – so it’s just a match made in heaven.”
As a former NFL quarterback, Manning remembers Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy meeting with him early in the week to break down the opposing defense and guiding him on how to plan for a contest. Looking back on it, he believes that the instruction from a defensive-minded coach ultimately made him a better quarterback. Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady told Manning that Belichick did the same with him at the beginning of the week and how to overcome the challenges presented by the opposing defense.
“I think the audience is going to be fascinated at how smart he is,” Manning said. “Look, you guys saw how witty he is. I watched the Draft show you guys did; it was awesome. He’s quick-witted, he’s funny and like I said, he’s brilliant when it comes to defense and offense.”
Sports TV News
ESPN Set to Begin 28th Season with WNBA; ‘WNBA Countdown’ Expands Coverage
Published
2 days agoon
May 10, 2024By
BSM Staff
ESPN, which has carried WNBA games since its inception in 1997, will begin its 28th season with a doubleheader that features Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in game one at the Connecticut Sun followed by two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces hosting the Phoenix Mercury. The games will be shown on ESPN2, ESPN+ and Disney+.
Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe will call game one with Tiffany Greene, Debbie Antonelli and Angel Gray handling game two.
In a release, ESPN said it “will utilize a WNBA Finals-level production setup for Indiana’s first game to document Clark’s debut. Comprehensive coverage will feature multiple camera angles, including Below and Above the Rim Cam viewing options, roving RF handheld cameras, and player mics.”
WNBA Countdown, ESPN’s pregame show, will feature two different desks for its ESPN and ABC broadcasts throughout the regular season. LaChina Robinson will host for ESPN’s broadcasts. She will be joined by analysts Monica McNutt and Carolyn Peck, a former WNBA head coach and GM who has been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. ABC’s broadcast team will feature a new lineup with SportsCenter anchor Elle Duncan leading the way, along with Chiney Ogwumike and Andraya Carter.
The first regular season edition of the show will originate live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut with Robinson, McNutt and Peck. A second show will include coverage of the Aces championship ring ceremony and banner unveiling.
Duncan, Ogwumike, and Carter will make their WNBA Countdown on ABC debut Saturday, May 18, prior to the Indiana Fever at New York Liberty game.
Sports TV News
Michael Grady Joins New York Liberty Broadcast Team
Before being named the television play-by-play voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Grady was the sideline reporter for Brooklyn Nets games on YES Network for six years.
Published
2 days agoon
May 10, 2024By
BSM Staff
The New York Liberty organization has made several additions to its broadcast team for the upcoming 2024 season, including 24 locally televised games broadcast across FOX5 and My9 available for over 7.5 million households in the New York tri-state area. The team has announced that Michael Grady will serve as a play-by-play announcer for the team in the upcoming season, marking his return to the WNBA and Brooklyn, N.Y.
Before being named the television play-by-play voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Grady was the sideline reporter for Brooklyn Nets games on YES Network for six years. Grady started his broadcast career in Indiana with 1070 WIBC Radio and landed an executive producer role at 107.5 ESPN Radio. Additionally, he was a sports anchor on WRTV6 and the public address announcer for the Indiana Pacers. YES Network host Chris Shearn will also serve as a play-by-play announcer for the season, continuing his role with the team since the 2019 season.
Zora Stephenson will be back on New York Liberty broadcasts for the 2024 season as a play-by-play announcer as well, which continues her work in the space after previously serving as a sideline and digital reporter for the Milwaukee Bucks. Stephenson is also a member of NBC Sports and is a play-by-play announcer for Big Ten Women’s Basketball on Peacock and sideline reporter for Notre Dame Football and Big Ten Football on the network. Stephenson became the first American-born Black woman to call an NBA game in 2021 when she earned the opportunity with the Milwaukee Bucks. This is the fourth consecutive season that Stephenson will be on the air for Liberty games.
ESPN analyst and former Stanford Cardinal guard Ros Gold-Onwude is returning to New York Liberty broadcasts to work as an analyst. Gold-Onwude worked in a similar role with the team between 2012 and 2017 and has been a part of basketball coverage on ESPN across multiple platforms. In addition to Gold-Onwude, former YES Network analyst Julianne Viani-Braen will return to the broadcasts in the same role.
FOX 5 New York lead sports anchor and reporter Tina Cervasio has been named the courtside reporter for New York Liberty broadcasts this season. Throughout the year, she will deliver the latest news and updates during the game while also continuing to host the weekly Sports Xtra show on Sunday nights.
The New York Liberty qualified for the WNBA Finals for the second consecutive season in 2023, led by star guard Sabrina Ionescu and forward Breanna Stewart. The Liberty will look to continue their success through the 36-game regular season that starts on Tuesday when the team plays the Washington Mystics at 7 p.m. EST on My9. After the opening game, the team visits Gainbridge Fieldhouse to play Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever before returning to Barclays Center for a three-game homestand.
