New ESPN newsmagazine worth a look

Former major-leagurer Cecil Fielder is featured on the debut of “E-60.”

“E:60,” ESPN’s first prime-time newsmagazine, debuts at 6 p.m. Tuesday with three interesting stories. It’s definitely worth a look.

“Ray of Hope” — Last March, just hours before the North Carolina men’s basketball team prepared to play in the NCAA tournament at the Meadowlands, the student who dressed as the team’s mascot was struck by a car as he walked along a New Jersey highway. Jason Ray, 21, died three days later. Ray wanted to be an organ donor and even as his parents agonized at his hospital bedside through the final hours, they decided to honor that request. In “Ray of Hope,” Lisa Salters and Wayne Drehs accompany Ray’s parents as they travel from North Carolina to New Jersey to meet four recipients of their son’s organs and try to come to terms with Jason’s gift.

“Justice Intercepted” —  Miami Northwestern High School is the No. 1-ranked high school football team in many national polls. But the 2007 season was almost canceled after an incident last year in which the team’s star running back, then 18, had sex with a 14 year-old freshman in a school bathroom. Though as many as 21 school employees knew about the incident, none reported it to police. Tom Farrey examines how the reputation of a powerhouse football team may have led adults to look the other way. The story includes the first media interview with the girl’s mother.

“Fielder’s Choice” — Cecil Fielder and his young son Prince were inseparable during the years when Cecil was becoming the preeminent slugger in Major League Baseball. But as Prince has grown to become one of the league’s most-celebrated home run hitters, he and his father have become estranged. In an interview with Jeremy Schaap, Cecil Fieder divulges why he is estranged from his son and how, in turn, it has affected his relationship with his grand kids – Prince’s children.

OSU slighted: It’s a shame the K-State at OSU game at 6 p.m. Saturday isn’t being televised. Both teams are 2-1 in the conference and coming off big wins Saturday. The networks often make their TV selections based on a team’s reputation, regardless of who they are playing. For instance, OU’s game at Iowa State at 11:30 a.m. will air on FSN Southwest and Texas travels to Baylor at 11:30 a.m. on Versus. Both games appear to be lopsided affairs. The other two Big 12 telecasts Saturday should be more competitive: Texas Tech at Missouri, 2:30 p.m., KOCO-5;  Kansas at Colorado, 4:45 p.m., ESPN. The Oct. 27 telecasts, when OU and OSU are both off, are: Colorado at Texas Tech, 11 a.m., KOCO-5; Nebraska at Texas, 2:30 p.m., KOCO-5; Kansas at Texas A&M, 6 p.m., ESPN2.

Switzer, Johnson rate colleges: Sunday’s edition of “Grumpy Old Coaches” on Fox’s “NFL Sunday” featured discussion of the BCS Standings. Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson gave their top five teams.

Switzer: 1 Ohio State, 2. LSU, 3. Oklahoma, 4. California, 5. Boston College.

Johnson: 1. Oregon, 2 Oklahoma, 3. LSU, 4. Ohio State, 5. Arizona State.

Johnson on undefeated South Florida’s failure to reach his Top 5: “If they beat Rutgers this week, I’ll put South Florida up there. Who is the best team that I’ve seen play? Oregon.Oregon is the best team in the country. Oklahoma is No. 2 and LSU still has got a great team even though they lost. Ohio State hasn’t played anybody and won’t play anybody.”

Switzer: “I got South Florida sixth. Let me tell you, if they beat Rutgers and beat those basketball schools, Louisville and Cincinnati, I might get them up there.”

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