Adrian Peterson profiled on ESPN’s E:60; his $200,000 shoe collection featured
Adrian Peterson
Former OU running back Adrian Peterson, now in his third season with the Minnesota Vikings, is featured at 6 p.m. Tuesday as the lead story on the ESPN news magazine “E:60.” Peterson already holds NFL’s single-game rushing record and has earned MVP honors in the Pro Bowl, where he has appeared twice. This past off-season, he helped lure Brett Favre out of retirement.
Members of Peterson’s family share stories with “E:60” of the adversity he has faced along the way to the top, including watching as his younger brother was struck and killed by a drunk driver, enduring the imprisonment of his father and learning of his stepbrother’s murder only hours before the NFL Combine. NFL legend Jim Brown, new teammate Favre and Vikings’ coach Brad Childress also discuss Peterson in the feature.
Peterson also gives Rachel Nichols an all-access look at his life off the field, including the dirty secrets he keeps in his kitchen, and even lets E:60 cameras behind closed doors to reveal his beloved $200,000 shoe collection.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit to have hectic Saturday of broadcasting
Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Kirk Herbstreit will have a hectic day of college football Saturday. He will start out early Saturday with the “GameDay” broadcast from Chestnut Hill, Mass., site of Florida State-Boston College game. He then will board a chartered plane for a 1,500-mile flight to Land Shark Stadium in Miami, Fla., site of the OU-Miami game at 7 p.m. on ABC. Herbstreit will call the game with Brent Musburger and sideline reporter Lisa Salters.
“College GameDay,” 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, is hosted by Chris Fowler with Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard. The show will include a feature on Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, last year’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year who is out this season battling Ewing’s Sarcoma cancer, a malignant tumor most often found in bone and soft tissue. Herzlich, who will be honored by Boston College during the game, will appear as a guest on the “College GameDay” set.
CBS analyst Danielson brags about SEC quarterbacks
Gary Danielson
CBS college football analyst Gary Danielson, who has turned into one of the SEC’s most-outspoken cheerleaders, now is bragging about the conference’s quarterbacks. He will be in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday to broadcast the Arkansas-Alabama game at 2:30 p.m.
In a press release from CBS, Danielson said, “When I came to this conference there was a lack of quarterbacks. The Big 12 gets a lot of notoriety for their quarterbacks because of their stats. I am going to make a prediction that the three quarterbacks in the SEC, Tim Tebow, Jevon Snead and now (Ryan) Mallett eventually will be drafted higher than any three quarterbacks now playing in any other conference. Snead may go No. 1 in the draft this year if the team drafting needs a quarterback. He will be the first quarterback taken in the draft and Tebow will go in the first round. Mallet next year, or the year after, will be the first quarterback taken.”
On other topics:
On Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett: Mallett who has transferred from Michigan, has gone from the Bluest of Blue to the Reddest of Red. He is one of the cockiest people I have come around in my 15 years of doing this. And I love him for it. He is really going to be an interesting player for us to watch in the conference.
On Arkansas-Alabama: This game really crystallizes why this conference has exploded and gotten tougher and tougher every year that I have been covering the SEC. Now with the league has another coach, Bobby Petrino, who is a national expert in the passing game. If you talk to anyone in the country about who knows how to throw the ball, if you are going to name two guys, he’s one of the two. He is going to go against the No. 1 guy in defending the pass in Nick Saban. Again, this game crystallizes why this conference has become must see TV. It’s become almost a mini NFL. Arkansas is not as good, but they are so good at what they do.
On Tennessee winning in loss to Florida: I don’t know if I have ever seen a team lose a game and gain more out of it than Tennessee’s program did. Lane Kiffin, in one game, has gained the respect of his players, the fans and the coaches around this conference that he is the guy that will turn Tennessee around. That team was almost down on themselves. They now look at themselves in the mirror and actually see something good. Tennessee was really down on themselves last year and the same goes for Tennessee fans.
On Florida coach Urban Meyer gaining the attention of his players: Urban Meyer got something out of the win that he needed. That team was flying so high, no one was saying anything bad about his team. It was almost as if they were unbeatable. He now has something to sell to his team, that they are not all that everybody has been telling them. So he got a win out of it, but he also got something he can grind his team with. It almost took losing to Mississippi last year before he gained their attention. He gets to gain their attention with a win.
Roy Williams jokes with Joe Torre on HBO show
Bengals safety Roy Williams, a former OU standout
On this week’s episode of “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre makes an appearance.
In a hilarious exchange, Bengals defenders Tank Johnson and Roy Williams, who both played for the Dallas Cowboys last season, pay a visit during batting practice as the Reds prepare to host the Dodgers in a recent series at the Great American Ballpark.
Johnson, who is on a quest to meet Torre (“He’s an American icon.”) wants to take a photo with him and ask him to have a beer. Finally, they greet Torre in the visitors dugout and ask the four-time World Series winner for any words of wisdom that he can share.
Johnson: “That might be the coolest thing I’ve done since I’ve been in Cincinnati.”
In the program, Johnson brushed up on his NFL history with a little twist. “I just learned who Donnie Walsh was and why he was so important to the NFL. That dude was a coaching genius. That damn West Coast offense.” When a Bengals assistant corrects Johnson and says it was Bill Walsh, who once coached in Cincinnati, Johnson remarks, “Who’s Donnie Walsh?”
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit discusses OU, OSU and Corso
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit talked with the media during a conference call this week. Here are a few of the highlights:
Will the Sooners, as ESPN analyst Andre Ware recently predicted, lose four games?
Herbstreit: I would say looking at their schedule and what they have returning, I can’t imagine them losing four games. The Sooners return enough around Bradford offensively even though they have some concerns on the offensive line and at receiver. Their defensive will be one of the best in the country. They have some tough games, but I can’t imagine them losing more than a game or two tops.
What’s your opinion of the Big 12 South?
Herbstreit: I think it’s OU and Texas. Even though Oklahoma State is trying to be this year’s Texas Tech, I think people are anticipating the trip to Dallas to see OU and Texas with the winner having a real shot to get into the national title.
Do you think Oklahoma State has enough substance overall to justify a top 10 ranking?
Herbstreit: My theory on Oklahoma State is you can look at their offense and say this is a top 10 team. Their defense is a mystery. You bring Bill Young, who is one of the great minds in our game, back to Oklahoma State, and I think that gives you a chance to improve. There is some leadership there. There are a lot of players back with experience. For them to be this top 10 team, especially in that conference where there is a lot of scoring, they’ve got to become better on that side of the football. If they are to beat Texas and if they want to hang with Oklahoma and beat Oklahoma, they cannot just get into a scoring match. They have to be able to play good defense. My concern is between the ears psychologically. All this hype about Oklahoma State is justified, but it’s also uncharted waters. And here comes Georgia in Week 1, with nobody talking about Georgia, nobody expecting much with (quarterback Matthew) Stafford and (running back Knowshon) Moreno gone. Geez, Florida is going to kill Georgia, they don’t have any chance, and they come limping in week one, nobody expecting anything, I think Oklahoma State has to be very careful in Week 1 just because of the psychological effect of being in an area where they are not quite used to being. Oklahoma is used to it, Texas is used to it. Oklahoma State is not and they need to show some maturity in not listening to all that hype and just playing their game. And if they do that, they will be fine. If they get caught up in it, Georgia will come in there and get them.
How is Lee Corso doing after his stroke in the offseason?
Herbstreit: I saw Lee in Los Angeles a few weeks ago when we were shooting our “College GameDay” promo commercials. I was really excited to see how he was recovering. You know, Lee and his energy. He still has that same energy and the same passion for the game. It’s just a matter of him in the next couple of weeks where he finds his comfort zone and is able to get out there and be the entertainer that we’ve all come to know and love. All of our thoughts and prayers are with him that he continues to progress and continues to show the same type of ability to have those impromptu, amazing, witty comments that he’s always had.
Do you think Florida will repeat as national champions?
Herbstreit: I’m always nervous about this because in this sport, anytime you assume something is a foregone conclusion, it usually is not. In all the years I’ve been working on “GameDay” and calling these games, 15 years or so, I can never remember a year there is one team that is clearly the team to beat, not only in their conference but in the country. When you have that, the No. 1 thing to avoid is the obvious and that’s complacency. Every where they go, every station they watch, every game they tune in to, people will be telling them how wonderful they are. Sometimes you can lose your edge. You can let your guard down and a team like Arkansas or Ole Miss can give you everything that you can handle. It happens every year to these teams in college football because of the emotions of the game. You let your guard down for one week and somebody can get you because that’s their one big game of the year. I know they have maturity, experience and outstanding leadership. I know they’re going to say we’re going to avoid all that, but it’s just human nature. There’s a reason we haven’t had a lot of teams repeat in the last 30 years, I think that the’s the No.1 thing that catches up to teams. With all that being said, I still think Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and (linebacker) Brandon Spikes will be able to overcome that tendency and I still think they will play with a lot of passion. I think they will be challenged more than people expect. I think they will win the SEC. I think they will beat Alabama in Atlanta and I think they will end up playing Texas in the national title (game).
Rank the top three quarterbacks’ chances of winning the Heisman Trophy?
Herbstreit: I’d say Colt McCoy because of the players he has returning and because he has not been able to win it yet. I’d say No. 2 would be Sam Bradford, breaking in four new offensive linemen and his top two receivers. Then Tim Tebow at No. 3, only because we set such high expectations for Tim Tebow, even last year in a year he won the national title, people we’re comparing him to what he did the year before when he won the Heisman, when he put up ridiculous numbers on a team that had two or three losses. He had to carry the team and because of that, people said, “Wow, what a great individual performance” and he won the Heisman. Last year was more of a team (effort) and he didn’t win it. I think that will be more of the same this year.
CNBC looks at thriving Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship is the premiere name in the sport of mixed martial arts.
CNBC takes a new look inside the biggest brand in brawling with “Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars,” a fresh take on CNBC’s original Emmy-nominated documentary from 2007. “Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of dollars” will air at 9 p.m. and midnight Wednesday, midnight Friday and 9 p.m. Sunday.
Correspondent Scott Wapner travels to Germany for the UFC’s first event in mainland Europe, and goes inside the Octagon with Dana White, the controversial front man, as well as billionaire backers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. Wapner also profiles a stable of skilled fighters who have helped the league grow from a dying franchise to a global sensation in less than a decade.
Despite continued controversy, the UFC has gone mainstream, and Fortune 500 companies like Budweiser and Harley-Davidson are big-time backers. The sport is becoming so popular and profitable that billionaires Mark Cuban and Donald Trump are throwing their hats into the ring. Their league, Affliction, promises top fighters and revenues to match, but Dana White tells Wapner that it’s just another in a long list of competitors he’s ready to take to the mat.
CNBC takes a look at the range of promotions, endorsements and movie deals tied to the sport, as well as at TapouT, the successful apparel company created by three hardcore fans who turned their passion for mixed martial arts into a $100 million dollar business.
CBS to reair Nicklaus-Snead classic match from 1963
Jack Nicklaus blasts out of a sand trap in the 1959 British Open.
From the archives of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf comes a classic 1963 match-up between Jack Nicklaus, then 23 years old, and legendary Sam Snead, then 50 and the owner of a PGA Tour-record 81 wins. Filmed at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey, Calif., the 18-hole stroke play competition pitted current and future greatness in Snead and Nicklaus, who was the reigning U.S. Open champion.
The match was filmed on Feb. 24 and came down to the final hole. It hasn’t been rebroadcast in any manner since 1963, until this Sunday, when it air at 1 p.m. on CBS.
Produced by PGA Tour Productions and digitally re-mastered to high definition, the one-hour special will feature an interview with Nicklaus regarding the match and his fondness for Pebble Beach, swing tips from both Nicklaus and Snead, mini-features on the two contestants as well as the golf course, and interviews with writers, television producers and fans who were in attendance.
Tiger boosts ratings
CBS Sports’ final-round coverage Sunday of the PGA Tour’s AT&T National, which saw host Tiger Woods win his tournament with a birdie at the 16th hole and pars at 17 and 18 to beat former OSU golfer Hunter Mahan by a stroke, scored an overnight household rating of 4.6, up 207 percent from last year’s 1.5/3 in the metered markets.
Sunday’s 4.6/11 was the highest rating for a PGA TOUR event (non-major) on CBS Sports since a 4.6/9 for the final round of the Buick Invitational (Jan. 27, 2008) and the highest rating for the final round of the AT&T National since the inaugural event in 2007.
CBS Sports’ third-round coverage Saturday earned an overnight household rating of 2.6, up 100 percentfrom last year’s third round 1.3 in the metered markets.
ESPNU to replay OU games as part of NBA draft coverage
Blake Griffin dunks against American University.
ESPNU (Cox 253) plans to replay three OU basketball games to spotlight Sooner star Blake Griffin, expected to be the No. 1 pick in NBA draft Thursday night. The Sooners’ 72-60 loss to North Carolina in the Final Eight will air at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. Other broadcasts include OU’s 82-78 win against Davidson and star guard Stephen Curry at 5 p.m. Thursday and a 89-81 victory over OSU (Jan. 26 in Stillwater) at 7 a.m. Friday.
ESPNU also is featuring games of other draft prospects, including DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), James Harden (Arizona State), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Jrue Holiday (UCLA) and Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut).
ESPN’s extensive draft coverage will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday from the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Stuart Scott will host ESPN’s coverage with analysts Jay Bilas, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. Additional contributors will include international basketball expert Fran Fraschilla; Dick Vitale (via satellite); reporters Ric Bucher and Andy Katz; on-site interviews by Mark Jones; green room interviews by Lisa Salters; and field reporter Rachel Nichols from Tarrytown, N.Y., site of the New York Knicks’ training facility.
The coverage will include video conferencing with 15 team headquarters — Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Indiana, Los Angeles Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Minnesota, New Jersey, Phoenix, Portland and Washington — and “draft cam” from the draft rooms of the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves, which have three first-round selections.
ESPN The Magazine’s current issue offers a preview of the NBA Draft including a Mock Draft featuring current players making the picks for their respective teams. Top five picks:
1) L.A. Clippers (selected by Ricky Davis) – Blake Griffin, Oklahoma.
2) Memphis Grizzlies (selected by Rudy Gay) – Hasheem Thabeet, Uconn.
3) Oklahoma City Thunder (selected by Russell Westbrook) – James Harden, Arizona State.
4) Sacramento Kings (selected by Spencer Hawes) – Ricky Rubio, Spain.
5) Washington Wizards (selected by Antawn Jamison) – DeMar DeRozan.
Do you want to win your own man cave?
- Tony Siragusa, host of DIY series “Man Caves”
The MLB Network is teaming up with the DIY Network to deliver one lucky viewer a man cave fit for the major leagues with their “Who Wants A Man Cave?” contest. From June 12 to July 24, guys in desperate need of a getaway can submit a video explaining why they want their own baseball-themed man cave to www.diynetwork.com or www.mlbnetwork.com.
After selecting the winner in August, DIY Network’s “Man Caves” host Tony “Goose” Siragusa and licensed contractor Jason Cameron will join MLB Network studio analysts Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams to transform the winner’s space into the ultimate man cave, equipped with official MLB merchandise from his favorite team, high-tech toys and deluxe furnishings. Four runners-up will receive an MLB Authentic Collection cap and jersey from the team of their choice. Viewers can witness the fast-paced renovation from start to finish on a special edition of the DIY series “Man Caves” at 8 p.m. Sept. 29 and on MLB Network in October.
“I’m always willing to lend a hand if it means giving another guy a space of his own,” said Siragusa. “And as a sports fanatic, I especially look forward to building a man cave where our winner can kick back and watch his favorite major league team.”
Whether building a swanky cigar bar, a well-equipped wine cellar or an upscale sportsman’s lodge, DIY Network’s “Man Caves,” 8 p.m. Tuesday, delivers jaw-dropping getaways outfitted with high-tech toys and all the manly essentials for homeowners and even celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Rainn Wilson.
ESPNU to provide coverage of NBA draft combine
Should the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet with its No. 3 pick in the NBA draft. Viewers can form their own opinions by watching ESPNU’s coverage of the NBA draft combine from Chicago, 1-4 p.m. Thursday and 9-11 a.m. Friday.
Besides Thabeet, other top draft prospects expected to participate include Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, Davidson’s Stephen Curry, USC’s DeMar DeRozan, Memphis’ Tyreke Evans, UCLA’s Jrue Holiday, and North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson.
Mike Gleason will host the coverage from an on-site set alongside analysts Steve Lavin and Jay Williams, as well as ESPN.com’s NBA Insider expert Chad Ford. ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz will give live courtside reports and interviews with players and coaches.
Spelling Bee coverage: Spellers from across the country will meet in Washington, D.C. this week for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and ESPN360.com has exclusive live coverage of the preliminary rounds from 12:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. ESPN will air the semifinals at 9 a.m. Thursday, and ABC will air the finals at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Bee fans with iPhones and iPod Touch devices can also be part of the spelling action by downloading the ESPN Spelling Bee game application from the iTunes App Store. The app, developed with EpicTilt and with voiceover by ESPN’s Trey Wingo, includes 400 challenging words and simulates an actual spelling bee with options to hear the word again, get the
Hasheem Thabeet is expected to be among the top three players selected in the NBA draft.
definition, use it in a sentence, get the part of speech and find out the word origin. A leaderboard will showcase the highest scores.
