Just A Few More Releases

The TV networks public relations departments want to get out early so they keep churning out the releases just before they close for the 4th of July weekend. So I’ll give you these and I think they should close out the releases for the week. You won’t see any tomorrow unless something major happens.

Starting with ESPN, Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic and Steve Young will call the “nightcap” of the opening Monday Night Football doubleheader on September 14. And ESPN announces that Mike & Mike will do the Monday 6 p.m. SportsCenters during football season.

Mike & Mike to Co-Host SportsCenter on Mondays at 6 p.m. During NFL Season

Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, co-hosts of ESPN Radio’s popular Mike & Mike in the Morning, will team with ESPN studio analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young to call the San Diego Chargers-Oakland Raiders game as part of ESPN’s season-opening Monday Night Football doubleheader on September 14 at 10:15 p.m. ET. The game will follow the Buffalo Bills- New England Patriots telecast (7 p.m.) when ESPN’s main commentator team of Mike Tirico and analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski makes its regular season debut.

Greenberg and Golic will also expand their roles on Mondays during the NFL season as co-hosts of the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter. The duo will recap all of Sunday’s NFL games and other weekend sports news, and look ahead to each week’s Monday Night Football matchup, by bookending their Mondays from 6-10 a.m. on ESPN Radio (simulcast on ESPN2) and hosting the one-hour SportsCenter from the ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn., beginning Sept. 21.

The Chargers-Raiders telecast marks the third straight season Greenberg (play-by-play) and Golic (analyst) are calling the MNF doubleheader. They worked alongside Mike Ditka the last two seasons — Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers (2007) and Denver Broncos vs. Raiders (2008). Young, who is calling a MNF game for the first time, made a pair of guest appearances in the MNF booth during the 2006 season in addition to his weekly Monday Night Countdown studio role.

“As we kick off the 40^th season of Monday Night Football, we are excited to have the familiar faces and voices of Mike and Mike back on the doubleheader game this year alongside Steve, a Hall of Famer, who will offer the kinds of insightful opinions that have made him one of our top NFL analysts all these years,” said Norby Williamson, executive vice president, production, ESPN. “We are equally pleased to create yet another new role for Mike and Mike on the 6 p.m. SportsCenter in the latest evolution of our season-long ‘game around the game’ coverage of Monday Night Football.”

Greenberg joined ESPN in September 1996 as an anchor for ESPNEWS, and today he regularly anchors SportsCenter. He and Golic were named co-hosts of Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio on December 30, 1999. The popular program is now heard by more than 12 million people weekly, airing on more than 350 affiliates nationwide. They have also co-hosted ESPN Radio’s NFL Draft coverage and called Arena Football League games together.

Golic, a nine-year NFL veteran (1986-93) who played defensive tackle for the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, joined ESPN in 1995 as an NFL reporter/analyst for Sunday NFL Coun
tdown. In addition to co-hosting Mike & Mike in the Morning, he has worked as a game and studio analyst for AFL and college games, and contributed to ESPN’s NFL Live and NFL Draft coverage. Golic served as an analyst for ESPN’s NFL preseason telecast of the Colts-Falcons game in Tokyo in 2005, and he worked as an analyst for Jacksonville Jaguars preseason games (1995-98).

Young, the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback, retired in 1999 as the highest-rated quarterback in NFL history. The three-time Super Bowl champion was the MVP of Super Bowl XXIX and a two-time league MVP (1992 and 1994). He remains the only quarterback in league history to win four consecutive passing titles and post six consecutive 300-yard passing games. Young has been with ESPN since 2000 as an NFL studio analyst, appearing on a variety of programs, including Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown, as well as annual Super Bowl and NFL Draft coverage.

Senior coordinating producer Tim Corrigan, who has overseen ESPN’s season-opening MNF doubleheader games the past three seasons, and director Mike Schwab, will oversee production of the Chargers-Raiders telecast. The matchup of longtime AFC West rivals and original American Football League franchises will be one of the Legacy Games that is part of the NFL’s celebration of the 50^th anniversary season of the AFL.

Next, ESPN and ESPN360.com will show the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th.

ESPN and ESPN360.com to Offer Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Live July 4

For the sixth consecutive year, ESPN and ESPNHD will televise the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest live from Coney Island, N.Y., Saturday, July 4, at 12 p.m. ET. The one-hour high definition telecast will include Paul Page providing bite-by-bite action with analysis from Richard Shea of Major League Eating and reporting by Rob Stone. George Shea, also from Major League Eating, will emcee the event. ESPN360.com will offer an exclusive live simulcast of the event.

The event will showcase approximately 20 competitors, including Joey Chestnut, who beat six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi in a five-dog overtime eat-off last year after both ate 59 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns in the 10-minute regulation contest. It was Chestnut’s second straight title.

Among other competitors are: Crazy Legs Conti, “Eater X” Tim Janus, Sonya Thomas, Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, Marco “Mongo” Marquez and Micah “Wing Kong” Collins.

“We look forward to showcasing the very best in the world of competitive eating at its marquee event – The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest,” said Jason Bernstein, ESPN Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions. “In fact, you could say we ‘relish’ the opportunity to bring this event to fans across the world.”

This is Stone’s first year reporting table-side at the contest, but not his first on-air encounter with food. For ESPN’s telecast of the Nevada and New Mexico State college football game on Nov. 2, 2007, Stone visited Paul W. Bosland, the Regents Professor & Director of the Chile Pepper Institute, and his class at a chile farm on the campus of NMSU. Without hesitation, Stone bit into a Bhut Jolokia, the world’s hottest chile pepper – not once, but twice.

In preparation for the annual event, ESPNU will air the last five contests on Friday, July 3:

Time	Year
12:00-1:00AM	2008
1:00-2:00AM	2007
2:00-3:00AM	2006
3:00-4:00AM	2005
4:00-5:00AM	2004

The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is held each year on July 4 at the original Nathan’s Famous location at Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island, N.Y. ESPN first televised competitive eating in 2004, providing live coverage of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on the fourth of July. The event has delivered strong ratings for ESPN, and it was ESPN’s most-viewed program of the day the past two years.

And here’s a preview from ESPN360.

Finally, here’s what’s happening on Golf Channel next week.

COMING UP ON GOLF CHANNEL… July 6 – 12, 2009

Fairway to Heaven on Golf in America

Original Programming Premieres

(All times eastern)

Golf in America

Time: Tuesday 10 – 10:30 p.m.

Host: Anthony Anderson

The third episode of the 10-week series will feature:

· Scott and Dale Parlin, “Fairway to Heaven.” – Three years ago, 35-year-old Scott Parlin endured a tragedy like no other. Scott’s father, Dale, a marshal at a golf course outside of Dallas, took a break from his job to watch his son tee-off on the 15^th hole. Scott’s drive ricocheted off a tree and hit his father in the neck. He passed away an hour later due to a cerebral hemorrhage. GOLF CHANNEL’s Scott Walker will visit with Scott, who will share the tragic story and how he is keeping his father’s spirit alive in the community.

· Dawn Patrol – Over 40 weeks a year, the “Dawn Patrol” gathers at Torrey Pines Golf Course on Saturday afternoons with the goal to be the first in line for a tee-time on Sunday morning. GOLF CHANNEL’s Tom Abbott will follow some “Dawn Patrollers” as they arrive to the course Saturday afternoon to wait in line all night for that prestigious 5:30 a.m. Sunday tee-time.

· Bob Grober, Sonic Golf – Grober, a physics professor from Yale University, will explain his theory of improving a golf swing by turning motion into sound with a unique training aid 15 years in the making.

Golf in America takes viewers coast-to-coast to discover never-before-told stories, larger-than-life characters and inspirational people in capturing the spirit of the game of golf. The series, hosted by film and television actor Anthony Anderson, chronicles stories in stunning HD from celebrities, such as Justin Timberlake and Donald Trump, to everyday people across the country that are unified by the sport.

Playing Lessons from the Pros

Time: Monday 10 – 10:30 p.m.

Country music star Steve Azar joins PGA TOUR winner Kenny Perry for a round of golf at The Club at Old Stone in Bowling Green, Ky. Perry and his coach Matt Killen will provide tips around the greens, while Azar will provide insight into the music business.

Top 10: Greg Norman Highs and Lows

Time: Tuesday 9 – 9:30 p.m.

Host: Lauren Thompson

As charismatic as he was cursed, no player in history can rival the star-crossed career of Greg Norman. With insight from Norman, Fuzzy Zoeller, Raymond Floyd, Hale Irwin, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Larry Mize and commentary from noted sports journalists, the show will count down Norman’s top 10 highs and lows in his professional career. Notable moments include his “Saturday Slam” in 1986, where he led all four major championships after 54 holes; his final round 64 to win the 1993 Open Championship and his final round collapse in the 1996 Masters.

Quest for the Card

Time: Wednesday 7:30 – 8 p.m.

Host: Jerry Foltz

Quest for the Card chronicles the year-long journey on the Nationwide Tour for players competing to earn their PGA TOUR card for 2010. The show will feature player profiles and air highlights from the 2009 Nationwide Tour Players Cup.

PGA TOUR Primetime

Time: Thursday 8:30 – 11:30 p.m.

Friday 8:30 – 11:30 p.m.

GOLF CHANNEL’s coverage of the first two rounds of the John Deere Classic re-airs on PGA TOUR Primetime.

News and Talk Show Programming Highlights

Golf Central

Live Airings: Mon – Wed 6 – 6:30 p.m.

Thursday 6 – 6:30 p.m. / 11:30 p.m. – Midnight

Friday 6 – 6:30 p.m. / 11:30 p.m. – Midnight

Saturday 6 – 6:30 p.m. / 11:30 p.m. – Midnight

Sunday
6 – 7 p.m. / 11:30 p.m. – Midnight

Golf Central will deliver the latest golf news from the John Deere Classic and all of the major golf tours.

Golf Central Pre Game

Live Airings: Saturday 12:15 – 1 p.m.

Sunday 12:30 – 1 p.m.

GOLF CHANNEL’s Golf Central team will preview the weekend action on the various tours with interviews and analysis.

The Golf Fix

Time: Monday 8 – 8:30 p.m.

Host: Michael Breed

GOLF CHANNEL’s fast-paced interactive instructional show will feature live call-ins and emails from viewers.

The Approach with Callaway Golf

Time: Tuesday 8 – 8:30 p.m.

Hosts: Kraig Kann/Analysts Andrew Magee and Alex Miceli

Highlighting the top storylines in golf from different perspectives, analysts from The Approach with Callaway Golf will preview the John Deere Classic and review the AT&T National in an entertaining and informative manner.

Grey Goose 19^th Hole

Time: Wednesday 8 – 8:30 p.m.

Host: Inga Hammond/Analysts Jeff Rude and Mark Cannizzaro

Grey Goose 19^th Hole, the network’s fast-paced half-hour talk show, features debates on the hot topics in golf. New York Post golf writer Mark Cannizzaro will make his return as an analyst on Grey Goose 19^th Hole, filling in for John Hawkins on Wednesday.

And we are done with the releases.