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ESPN’s 2011 Monday Night Football Schedule

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:15:11 +0000

2011 ESPN Monday Night Football schedule with preseason games announced as follows:

Preseason
Date	Time (ET)	Teams
Aug. 11	8 p.m.	Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers
Aug. 15	8 p.m.	New York Jets at Houston Texans
Aug. 22	8 p.m.	Chicago Bears at New York Giants
Aug. 25	8 p.m.	Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens
Regular Season
Sept. 12	7 p.m.	New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
	10:15 p.m.	Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
Sept. 19	8:30 p.m.	St. Louis Rams at New York Giants
Sept. 26	8:30 p.m.	Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
Oct. 3	8:30 p.m.	Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oct. 10	8:30 p.m.	Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
Oct. 17	8:30 p.m.	Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
Oct. 24	8:30 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars
Oct. 31	8:30 p.m.	San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Nov. 7	8:30 p.m.	Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles
Nov. 14	8:30 p.m.	Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Nov. 21	8:30 p.m.	Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots
Nov. 28	8:30 p.m.	New York Giants at New Orleans Saints
Dec. 5	8:30 p.m.	San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Dec. 12	8:30 p.m.	St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Dec. 19	8:30 p.m.	Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers
Dec. 26	8:30 p.m.	Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

Guest Analysts To Enhance ESPN’s Open Championship Coverage

admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:10:06 +0000

ESPN’s all-star lineup of analysts will anchor 68 hours of television and extensive multiplatform coverage of the Open Championship, golf’s oldest major. Guest analysts will include five-time Open Championship winner Tom Watson, 1973 winner Tom Weiskopf and the BBC’s legendary golf analyst Peter Alliss.

ESPN will air all four rounds of tournament play live, starting Thursday, July 14, at 4 a.m. ET from Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England.

HDNet To Present Live Coverage of the UFC 129 Weigh-Ins on Special edition on Friday, April 29

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:22:27 +0000

HDNet will present Live Coverage of the UFC 129 Weigh-Ins on Special edition on Friday, April 29.

“Inside MMA” sets the stage for a historic night in mixed martial arts with a special edition featuring LIVE coverage of the UFC 129 weigh-ins, and exclusive interviews with the event’s headliners. The UFC is set to make its long-awaited debut in Toronto before a record crowd of 55,000 fans this Saturday night.

In the main event of the evening, Georges St-Pierre will defend his UFC Welterweight Title against Jake Shields in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year.

As part of our special coverage, Ron Kruck speaks exclusively with St-Pierre and Kenny Rice sits down with Shields as they prepare for the big fight. Plus, Bas Rutten breaks down the entire fight card.

A preview clip is available at:

http://www.hd.net/blogs/2011/04/inside-mma-preview-live-from-ufc-129-weigh-in/

This special edition of “Inside MMA” premieres at 4:00 p.m. ET.

HDNet will also air an encore presentation of this special “Inside MMA” in the program’s regularly scheduled time slot of 9:00 p.m. ET. “Inside MMA” is just part of three hours of UFC 129 coverage on HDNet—Your Home for MMA!

#Countdown to UFC 129 @ 8:00pm ET

#Inside MMA @ 9:00pm ET

#UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Shields @ 10:00pm ET

#UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Shields @ 10:30pm ET

‘The mun2 Arena’ Features Exciting MMA Action on March 20

admin — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:27:27 +0000

mun2′s sports recap, lifestyle show “The mun2 Arena” continues to deliver unmatched sports offerings customized for YLAs (young Latino Americans) with action-packed MMA coverage of UFC 128 Light Heavy Weight Champions Chap Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Jon Jones, LIVE March 20 at 7:30pm ET/PT.

mun2 host Guad Venegas reports on one of the biggest weekends for Futbol Mexicano with Champions Monterrey hosting America, and Chivas in a must win home game against Queretaro. Catch an exclusive interview with Mexican major league San Diego Padres Adrian Gonzalez, who shares with viewers what its been like to go from west coast to east coast all-star. Also, the all-new entertaining “WTF” segment, which features the most outrageous sports moments of the week, spotlights NFL star Chad Ochocinco trying out for a soccer team.

“The mun2 Arena LIVE” continues to capture more YLAs (young Latino Americans) with a record high delivery during its Sunday, March 6 show, which grabbed 158,000 Persons 2+, and 46,000 Persons 18-34 during its Sunday 7:30pm ET/PT prime time slot. “The mun2 Arena LIVE” had its best month to date in February 2011 with 46,000 Persons 2+, 30,000 Persons 18-34 & 40,000 Persons 18-49. The show scored nearly 4 times more audience among YLAs and a growth of +167% in Persons 18-49 versus January 2011.

Comcast Hometown Network To Launch New Live Newscast ‘Upside’ on Tuesday, March 15

admin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:14:48 +0000

Comcast Hometown Network to launch a live, twice weekly, half-hour newscast “Upside” on Tuesday, March 15.

“Upside” on features Comcast Hometown Network the positive side of news and covers stories not found on traditional local newscasts. Upside’s slogan — “It’s All Good” – illustrates the program’s focus on what is going right in the world, the country, the state and in our local communities. The newscast, airing live at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and replaying at 10:00 p.m. on those evenings, features positive perspectives, in-depth news coverage, interviews, and commentary.

“Viewers are tired of the ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ mentality of some local newscasts that focus on crime and negative news,” said Jeff Giles, Director of Comcast Hometown Network. “While we obviously need to pay attention to the negative stories that could potentially impact our lives, we felt that equal time should be spent on what is going right in our world. Comcast Hometown Network’s Upside focuses on the good news and positive stories that don’t get enough news coverage.”

Sample segments on Upside include stories on advancements in transportation and their impact on the environment; the San Francisco Chapter of Mustaches For Kids, and their efforts to fundraise for children; and advice on how Americans can build up their savings.

Upside is hosted by anchor Tori Taylor, a former reporter for Current TV. Since coming to Comcast Hometown Network in 2009, Taylor has also served as a sideline reporter for Comcast Hometown Network prep football, and live sports broadcasts. Additional “on location” news coverage for the program is contributed by Upside reporter Myriah Johnson as well as New America Media (NAM) TV anchor Odette Keeley. Upside is produced by Amy Morrell and directed by Michael Serafin.

In addition to airing live on Channel 104, Upside will also be available any time of the day or night via Comcast’s popular ON DEMAND platform, which is free to Comcast digital customers. To view past newscasts of Upside, Comcast Digital Cable customers can tune to Channel 1 on their Digital Cable lineup or press the ON DEMAND button on their remote control, then click on the “Get Local” section, click on Comcast Hometown Network and select “Upside.”

Sinclair Enter Multi-Year Retransmission Consent Agreement With Time Warner Cable

admin — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:57:53 +0000

Sinclair has entered into a multi-year agreement with Time Warner Cable for the carriage of 28 of the television stations Sinclair owns and/or operates in 17 markets.
The television stations and markets are:

WLFL & WRDC (Raleigh, NC)
WCGV & WVTV (Milwaukee, WI)
KABB & KMYS (San Antonio, TX)

WSYX & WTTE (Columbus, OH), WSTR (Cincinnati, OH), WUTV & WNYO (Buffalo, NY), WSYT & WNYS (Syracuse, NY), WXLV & WMYV (Greensboro, NC), WRGT & WKEF (Dayton, OH), WGME (Portland, ME), WUHF (Rochester, NY), WDKY (Lexington, KY), WCHS & WVAH (Charleston, WV), WTAT & WMMP (Charleston, SC), WTVZ (Norfolk, VA), WPGH & WPMY (Pittsburgh, PA), and KBSI (Cape Girardeau, MO).

TWC will produce a 6:30am, 6:00pm and 11:00pm half-hour local news program, Monday through Friday, on Sinclair’s ABC affiliate, WXLV-TV, in Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC beginning January 2012.

Storylines Swirl, Excitement Builds As NHL Season Reaches Midpoint

admin — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:13:30 +0000

Dramatic team turnarounds, stellar individual performances, remarkable hot streaks and its hallmark competitive balance have lit up the 2010-11 NHL regular season, which reaches the midway point on Saturday. They all set the table for a thrilling stretch run of a season in which every game matters, every point counts.

Competitive First Half Sets Stage For Wild Finish

* Presidents’ Trophy: Top seven clubs separated by five points
* Eastern Conference: One-point lead in each of the three divisions; top four point-earners separated by four points
* Western Conference: Five points separate the 10 teams occupying 4th through 13th place
* Back in the playoffs? Five teams who didn’t make the playoffs last season are currently ‘above the line’, including the Southeast Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning and Pacific Division-leading Dallas Stars. They are joined by the Atlanta Thrashers, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. Four other non-playoff clubs in 2009-10, the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild, are within five points of a post-season berth.

How Close Is The West? Loss Drops Kings From 4th To 11th

The Los Angeles Kings led the Nashville Predators 2-0 early in the second period of their game Thursday night at STAPLES Center. Combined with results from earlier games and the game in progress up the road in San Jose, where the Sharks trailed Buffalo, the Kings were positioned to end the evening in fourth place in the Western Conference with a regulation victory. The Predators, however, rebounded to tally five unanswered goals in a 5-2 win, dropping the Kings to 11th place in the conference standings.

Crosby, Stamkos Staging Another Classic Goals Duel

Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos, who competed in a thrilling race for the Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHL goal-scoring leader last season, seem headed for a similar finish in 2010-11. Crosby and Stamkos lead the pack with 32 and 31 goals, respectively, a pace to exceed the career-high 51 they tallied last season.

Stamkos, Duchene, Tavares Leading The Next Wave

Following in the footsteps of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane in recent years as top prospects who become impact players early in their NHL careers, a trio of young stars aged 20 or under lead their respective teams in scoring. Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene, who turns 20 on Jan. 16, has 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 41 games, Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos, 20, has 56 points (31 goals, 25 assists) in 41 games and New York Islanders center John Tavares, 20, has 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 35 games.

Double Trouble

The list of the NHL’s top 10 scorers features three pairs of linemates — Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks plus Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson of the Dallas Stars. Other top duos among the top 20 include Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings (7th and 16th) and Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks (8th and 19th, respectively).

Canucks Knocking At The Door Again

Led by the consistent Daniel and Henrik Sedin (both with 50 points and a +14 rating), a career year for Ryan Kesler (20-16–36, club-leading +15) and the goaltending of Roberto Luongo, the NHL’s Second Star for December, the Vancouver Canucks are the NHL’s top-ranked club and headed for their sixth 100-point season in the past eight years. The Canucks have been virtually unbeatable lately, posting a 16-1-2 record since Nov. 24. Eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs prior to the Western Conference Final in recent years, is this year’s team ready for a deep playoff run?

Best Flyers Team In Years?

The momentum generated from the run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final has spilled over into the 2010-11 regular season for the Philadelphia Flyers (25-10-5), on track to post their best record since back-to-back 53-win seasons in 1984-85 and 1985-86. Defenseman Andrej Meszaros, acquired in July from Tampa Bay for a 2011 second-round draft pick, leads the NHL in plus-minus (+26). Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, 22, was the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for November and boasts a 15-6-3 record with a 2.57 goals-against average. Right wing Claude Giroux, also 22, has followed his 2010 playoff performance with valuable two-way play: he ranks second on the club in scoring (16-19–35) and shares the League lead in shorthanded goals (three).

Thrashers Surge in Southeast

The Atlanta Thrashers (22-15-6) are in the thick of the race for the Southeast Division title, thanks in part to an infusion of championship experience from four former Chicago Blackhawks (Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel) and the goaltending of Ondrej Pavelec (15-8-4, 2.14 GAA), who made an inspiring comeback after collapsing to the ice minutes into his opening-night start. What Byfuglien has done is particularly remarkable. Last spring he was among the best Blackhawk forwards and was in the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation by scoring 11 post-season goals, including a League-leading five game-winners. This season — as a defenseman — he shares the NHL lead in game-winning goals with six, tops all blueliners in goals (16) and points (41) and averages close to 23 minutes in ice time per game (22:43). Few players in NHL history have achieved that level of excellence at both positions.

Rising Stars

Few predicted that the Dallas Stars (24-13-4) would be within striking distance of first place in the NHL overall standings at the halfway point, but the Pacific Division leaders are indeed in the thick of the Presidents’ Trophy race. At his current pace, center Brad Richards (18-29–47) will crack the 90-point barrier for the second consecutive season. Left wing Loui Eriksson (16-28–44) is on pace for a career-best 85-point season, plays more than 20 minutes per game and leads his team in plus-minus (+15), power-play goals (six) and game-winners (four). The Stars also have benefited from the off-season acquisition of veteran goaltenders Kari Lehtonen (17-10-4, 2.64 GAA) and Andrew Raycroft (7-3-0, 2.24 GAA).

The Beat Goes On In Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings (25-10-5) keep rolling. They are on track for their 20th consecutive playoff berth (the longest active streak in pro sports) and their 11th consecutive 100-point season (which would extend their NHL record). D Nicklas Lidstrom continues to amaze at age 41. Lidstrom extended his point-scoring streak to eight games with a pair of assists in the Red Wings’ win at Edmonton Tuesday. Lidstrom has registered 39 points in 40 games this season, his highest total at the 40-game mark in any of his 19 seasons in the NHL and currently second among NHL defensemen. Lidstrom’s previous high was 37 points through 40 games in both 1991-92 (his rookie year) and 2005-06. Goaltender Jimmy Howard, a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie last season, shares the League lead in victories in his sophomore campaign (20-7-3) and is 33-7-5 over his past 45 regular-season starts dating back to last season.

Crosby Powers Penguins

It’s the Crosby Show in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins captain is halfway through his best season ever. Crosby leads the NHL in goals (32) and points (65), recording at least one point in 35 of the 41 games he has played. He compiled a 25-game point streak from Nov. 5 to Dec. 28, the longest in the NHL since Quebec’s Mats Sundin had a 30-game streak in 1992-93. He averaged two points per game and better than a goal per contest during the streak (26 goals, 24 assists). There are only four players in League history who averaged more than a goal per game during a point streak of 25 games or more — Wayne Gretzky (61 goals in 51 games), Steve Yzerman (29 goals in 28 games), Brett Hull (31 goals in 25 games) and Bryan Trottier (28 goals in 25 games).

Bruins’ Thomas Rejuvenated

Winner of the Vezina Trophy in 2008-09 then slowed by injury and relegated to the bench late in 2009-10, Bruins’ 36-year-old goaltender Tim Thomas has enjoyed a spectacular bounceback season after undergoing off-season hip surgery. Thomas won his first eight decisions, which broke a club record set by Tiny Thompson in 1937-38, and won his first nine road games — becoming the first NHL goaltender to do so since Chicago’s Glenn Hall in 1965-66. Thomas is 18-4-5 and leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.80), save percentage (.945) and shutouts (T-five).

Quick Backstopping Kings

Though he set franchise records for wins (39) and games (72) last season, there were questions whether Jonathan Quick would last the season as the Kings’ #1 goaltender. As the season nears the halfway point, Quick ranks among NHL goaltending leaders in goals-against average (2nd, 2.09), shutouts (T-4th, four), wins (T-5th, 18) and save percentage (9th, .922).

Tale of Two Goaltenders

One of the NHL’s biggest off-season trades featured the Montreal Canadiens sending 2010 playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues, paving the way for Carey Price to assume the #1 goaltender role in Montreal. The results for Price, in his new role, and Halak, with his new team, are positive as the season reaches the halfway point. Price leads all goaltenders in minutes played (2,220), is tied for first place in wins (20) and games (37), tied for fourth in shutouts (four) and ranks eighth in goals-against average (2.32). Halak has appeared in 31 games for the Blues, posting a 15-11-4 record with a 2.51 GAA and .911 save percentage.

Stamkos, St. Louis Make Magic For Lightning

The Lightning’s challenge for first place in the Southeast Division has been keyed by high-scoring linemates Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis, two supremely talented forwards who complement the other’s game perfectly. Stamkos ranks second in the League in goals (31), while St. Louis is tied for second in assists (34). The club’s bid for its first post-season berth since 2007 was bolstered by the recent trade acquisition of goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who posted a shutout in his Tampa Bay debut, a 1-0 overtime victory at Washington Tuesday.

Capitals’ Strategic Remake Unfolds

The Washington Capitals’ effort to adopt a more playoff-conducive style of play has resulted in some statistical differences over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning season of 2009-10. Their goals-against is improved over last season (currently eighth in the NHL at 2.54, compared to their #16 ranking last season, 2.77) and their goal production is down significantly (10th, 2.88 this season compared to 1st, 3.82 in 2009-10). A roller-coaster first half saw them go nine games without a regulation loss (8-0-1 from Oct. 30 through Nov. 17), then eight without a win (0-6-2 from Dec. 2 through Dec. 18) and now are 5-0-2 in their past seven games.

Schedule Notes

* The Tampa Bay Lightning open a 12-game homestand when they host the Atlanta Thrashers at St. Pete Times Forum on Sunday, Jan. 23. The homestand matches the longest in NHL history, set by the California Seals from Nov. 26 through Dec. 28, 1975.

* The Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, New York Islanders and Phoenix Coyotes have the most home games remaining on their schedule (24); the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals have the fewest (18).

* Three ‘Original Six’ clubs are set for several inter-conference games during the second half of the season. The Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings have played a League-low five inter-conference games to date, while the Boston Bruins have played six. The Bruins and Red Wings will contest a rare home-and-home series, meeting Feb. 11 in Boston and Feb. 13 in Detroit.

* Pacific Division rivals Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings meet in the ‘Freeway Faceoff’ four more times, including a home-and-home series to end the season Apr. 8 and 9.

* Central Division rivals Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings meet four more times, including a home-and-home series to end the season Apr. 8 and 10.

* Northeast Division rivals Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens meet four more times, beginning Saturday night at Bell Centre in Montreal.

* Atlantic Division rivals New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers meet four more times, including Sunday matinees Feb. 20, Mar. 6 and Apr. 3.

* Classic rematch: The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals face off twice more in the 2010-11 regular season, starting with a Super Sunday matinee on Feb. 6 at Verizon Center in Washington. The clubs’ fourth and final meeting will take place at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Monday, Feb. 21.

* Classic reunion: First-year Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman will face his former club for the first time when the Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings Feb. 17. Yzerman won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings over a legendary 27-year career in Detroit, capturing three as a player (1997, 1998 and 2002) and another as a member of the Red Wings’ management team (2008).

What’s Ahead?

Monday, Jan. 10: NHL Central Scouting releases its mid-season rankings of top prospects for the 2011 Entry Draft.

Tuesday, Jan. 11: The NHL will name 36 players selected to participate in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game presented by Discover on Jan. 29 at RBC Center in Raleigh, joining the six players previously voted to the game in fan balloting. The NHL also will unveil the 12 rookies selected to participate with the NHL All-Stars in the Honda NHL SuperSkills® on Jan. 28.

Wednesday, Jan. 19: The 2011 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will take place at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. This year’s game marks the 16th annual showcase of the CHL’s top-40 NHL draft eligible players featuring talent from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The two-day event also features a skills competition and three-on-three challenge on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Sunday, Jan. 23: NBC opens its Game of the Week coverage with a rematch of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Philadelphia Flyers at 12:30 p.m., ET. The NHL and NBC will again collaborate on flexible scheduling for NBC’s regular-season dates, providing fans the most exciting match-up available. At least 13 days prior to the scheduled date, a game will be selected to broadcast on NBC. All NBC Game of the Week games will be broadcast on Sundays and presented in High Definition.

Friday, Jan. 28: NHL Fan Fair™, the official fan festival of the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend, opens at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh and runs through Sunday, Jan. 30. Occupying more than 150,000 square feet of the Convention Center, NHL Fan Fair™ will feature interactive games and attractions, special appearances, trophy and memorabilia displays and much more.

Friday, Jan. 28: The inaugural NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft powered by Cisco will be conducted from NHL Fan Fair™ at the Raleigh Convention Center. A player draft that will determine the team rosters for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game presented by Discover as well as the Honda NHL SuperSkills®, the event will be televised live on TSN in Canada and VERSUS in the U.S. at 8 p.m., ET. NHL Network also will be on-site, providing pre- and post-draft coverage of the new All-Star format and player draft selections.

Saturday, Jan. 29: The Honda NHL SuperSkills® competition will be held at RBC Center in Raleigh. The NHL All-Stars and Rookies will participate in six events, including the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater™; the BlackBerry NHL Breakaway Challenge™, where NHL All-Stars put their best goal scoring moves and skills to the test; the McDonald’s NHL Accuracy Shooting™; the XM NHL Hardest Shot; the Discover NHL Elimination Shootout™; and the all-new G-Series NHL Challenge Relay, an all-around competition that will showcase the one-timer, passing, puck control, stick-handling and accuracy shooting. The event will be broadcast live by VERSUS in the U.S. and CBC and RDS in Canada at 7 p.m., ET.

Sunday, Jan. 30: The League’s mid-season spectacular returns when 42 of the world’s most talented players take to the ice at RBC Center in Raleigh for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game presented by Discover. The game will be broadcast live by VERSUS in the U.S. and CBC and RDS in Canada at 4 p.m., ET.

Saturday, Feb. 12: Whitehorse, Yukon, plays host to Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada on CBC. The 11th edition of this grassroots celebration of hockey features 13 hours of coverage, including a NHL tripleheader featuring all six Canadian-based teams: Ottawa at Edmonton at 2 p.m. ET, Toronto at Montreal at 7 p.m. ET and Calgary at Vancouver at 10 p.m. ET.

Sunday, Feb. 20: The Calgary Flames host the Montreal Canadiens at McMahon Stadium in Calgary in the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic (6 p.m., ET), marking the first regular-season NHL game contested outdoors in Canada since the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 22, 2003. CBC and RDS will carry the game in Canada and VERSUS will provide coverage in the United States. NHL Radio will have the live action across North American radio. NHL Network will provide on-site pre- and post-game reports and NHL.com will provide extensive digital coverage.

Sunday, Feb. 20: As part of Hockey Weekend Across America in 2011, NBC Sports and the NHL will salute the roots of the sport with Hockey Day in America. Launched by USA Hockey in 2008, Hockey Weekend Across America is a nationwide initiative to celebrate the game and those involved at all levels and to expose hockey to new audiences. NBC Sports will celebrate the day-long event with regional NHL coverage.

Monday, Feb. 28: An event that has created a signature day on the League calendar, the NHL trade deadline is 3 p.m., ET.

Monday, Mar. 14 to Wednesday, Mar. 16: NHL General Managers meeting, Boca Raton, Fla.

Sunday, Apr. 10: The 2010-11 NHL regular season concludes, wrapping what promises to be a photo finish for playoff berths and seedings. The 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs open on Wednesday, Apr. 13.

FOX Sports To Present AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday Jan. 7

admin — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:47:06 +0000

FOX Sports to present one of college football most prestigious bowl games this Friday Jan. 7 at 8:00 PM ET when the LSU Tigers invade Cowboys Stadium to take on the Texas A&M Aggies at the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

This marks the first time ever that the Cotton Bowl is being played under the prime-time lights. Legendary broadcaster Pat Summerall lends his renowned voice to the game’s pregame coverage and offers his most memorable moments in bowl game’s storied history as part of FOX Sports’ expanded pregame coverage. FOX Sports’ Chris Rose hosts pregame coverage live from field level at Cowboys Stadium and is joined by analysts John Lynch, a former All-America safety at Stanford and future NFL Hall-of-Famer, and former University of Tennessee defensive back Charles Davis.

FOX Sports’ rules analyst Mike Pereira joins veteran play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert and former Dallas Cowboys great Daryl Johnston in the booth to offer his unique perspective of the game. Best known for his expertise from his tenure as VP of officiating for the NFL, Pereira spent 14 years officiating college football.

He worked nine years in the Big West Conference (1982-91) followed by five years in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) (1992-96). During that time, Pereira officiated eight postseason Bowl Games including the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic and Aloha Bowl twice each, Citrus Bowl, Gator Bowl, Holiday Bowl and Freedom Bowl. FOX Sports has been the television home of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic since 1999.

Nickelodeon Picks Ninth Season of Animated Mega-Hit ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:24:41 +0000

Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group has announced that the network has picked up a ninth season of the hit animated series ‘SpongeBob SquarePants.’

Nickelodeon is adding 26 episodes to the series, which ranks as the top animated program with kids and tweens in 2010, that will roll out in 2012, including the series’ landmark 200th episode. SpongeBob SquarePants has been TV’s number-one animated series with kids 2-11 for 10 consecutive years.

SpongeBob SquarePants will once again cap the year as the number-one animated show among kids 2-11 (followed by The Penguins of Madagascar) and kids 6-11 on broadcast and basic cable. The series is also basic cable’s top animated show with total viewers. SpongeBob SquarePants is seen in 171 markets in 26 languages and is the most widely distributed property in MTV Networks’ history.

The last SpongeBob SquarePants special, “Mystery with a Twistery,” aired Nov. 11 and was the year’s top animated telecast with kids 2-11 on TV and basic cable’s number one animated series with 6.6 million total viewers (+122%). The series’ next special, “Legends of Bikini Bottom,” is an hour-long anthology of brand-new four underwater tales that will premiere Jan. 28, 2011.

SpongeBob SquarePants is executive produced by creator Stephen Hillenburg, who previously worked as a writer, director and creative director on Nickelodeon’s animated series Rocko’s Modern Life. Hillenburg graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a master’s degree in experimental animation and studied marine biology and art as an undergraduate. Hillenburg created and executive produced The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie which hit theaters in November 2004.

Paul Tibbitt served as a director and writer on SpongeBob SquarePants for its first three seasons and is currently executive producer. He wrote some of the show’s most memorable episodes, such as “Ripped Pants” and “Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy.” Tibbitt was one of the co-writers and storyboard artists on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. SpongeBob SquarePants is a Nicktoons Production and is produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif.

Johnson said “SpongeBob’s success in reaching over 200 episodes is a testament to creator Stephen Hillenburg’s vision, comedic sensibility and his dynamic, lovable characters. The series now joins the club of contemporary classic Nicktoons that have hit this benchmark, so we’re incredibly proud.”

NFL on FOX Reaches Final Stages With Week 16 Doubleheader Coverage on Sunday, Dec. 26

admin — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 13:08:27 +0000

The NFL on FOX Week 16 presents doubleheader coverage on Sunday, Dec. 26. America’s Game of the Week features the Giants traveling to Green Bay to take on the Packers at PM ET.

Coming off the crushing loss to the Eagles last week, Eli Manning and the Giants look to stay the course and earn a playoff spot. Their direct competition for the NFC’s last wild card is their opponent on Sunday, the Packers, who hope to welcome Aaron Rodgers back to their lineup. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver call the action from Lambeau Field.

The games kick-off at 1:00 PM ET as Sam Bradford and the Rams host the 49ers. Currently in first place in the NFC West, St. Louis can strengthen their position with a home win. Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jaguars look to stay in the AFC South race when they face the Skins. In South Florida, the Dolphins host the Lions. Also at 4:00 PM ET, Josh Freeman and the Bucs try to stay in the NFC playoff race when they welcome the Seahawks to Tampa.

Coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET with America’s most-watched pregame show, FOX NFL SUNDAY. Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee co-host the Emmy Award-winning program and are joined by analysts Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Jimmy Johnson. NFL Insider Jay Glazer presents the latest league news and scoops and comedic prognosticator Frank Caliendo contributes his weekly “Frank’s Picks” segment. NFL rules analyst Mike Pereira is also on hand to go over any impactful officiating issues from the last week.

San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams, Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston & Tony Siragusa, going to 61% of USA, 1:00PM
Edward Jones Dome – St. Louis, MO

MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Austin, Birmingham, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tulsa

Washington Redskins at Jacksonville Jaguars, Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan & Nischelle Turner, going to 23% of USA, 1:00PM
EverBank Field – Jacksonville, FL

MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Columbus, Dayton, Greensboro, Greenville, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Nashville, Norfolk, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Richmond, Washington

Detroit Lions at Miami Dolphins, Dick Stockton, Charles Davis & Laura Okmin, going to 6% of USA, 1:00PM
Sun Life Stadium – Miami, FL

MARKETS INCLUDE: Detroit, Fort Myers, Miami, West Palm Beach

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman & Pam Oliver, going to 90% of USA, 4:15PM
Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI

MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Dayton, Detroit, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Tampa, Tulsa, Washington, West Palm Beach

Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Bucs, Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick & Chris Myers, going to 6% of USA, 4:15PM
Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL

MARKETS INCLUDE: Fort Myers, Portland, Seattle, St. Louis

STRAHAN: GIANTS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES – FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Michael Strahan is not making any excuses for his former team, the New York Giants. “I’m not apologizing for that, they should be ashamed of themselves,” said Strahan. “You look at that game and wonder how it got out of hand for the Giants. They got soft and relaxed. They thought ‘we got it.’ With eight minutes to go, they’re up by 21 and give up an easy touchdown to Brent Celek and all of a sudden the blitz’s looked like ‘whoever gets there gets there’ [lackadaisical] instead of ‘I’m going to make that play and not wait for someone to make that play.’ Then when it came time to pick it up, they couldn’t. The end of the game was fitting because you don’t let a team back in when you’re up like that.” The former Super Bowl champion believes New York needs to learn how to be consistent all the way through the end of the game. “The Giants have not finished, I don’t know if they know how to finish and they need to learn how, if they expect to do anything this year. You have to have a killer instinct. You have to finish teams.”