Now Today’s Press Releases

We have two more releases, both coming in during the last 30 minutes.

Starting with the worst kept secret since the NFL Network canned him, Adam Schefter joins ESPN as an NFL insider. He’s going to get a lot of air time according to what I’ve heard.

Adam Schefter Joins ESPN as NFL Correspondent

Adam Schefter, one of the top National Football League reporters and insiders, will join ESPN as an NFL correspondent in August. Schefter, who worked for NFL Network, will appear on such programs as SportsCenter, NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown, as well as ESPNEWS throughout the year. He will write regular columns for ESPN.com and contribute to ESPN Radio and other platforms. Schefter will continue to be based in New York.

Schefter has been a reporter/analyst and key source of breaking news for NFL Network since 2004, appearing on NFL Total Access and NFL GameDay Morning and also writing for NFL.com. Prior to joining NFL Network, Schefter was a sportswriter for the Denver Post where he covered the Broncos for 15 years. He was named the Colorado Sports Writer of the Year in 2002 and 2003. No stranger to ESPN, Schefter frequently appeared on Around the Horn and The Sports Reporters during his days at the Post.

“Adam has covered the NFL for 20 years and he is widely respected for his professional approach and ability to uncover stories,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, production. “He is a tremendous addition to our roster of NFL insiders who provide year-round coverage across ESPN’s platforms.”

Schefter added: “The name ESPN speaks for itself. Its reputation stands alone. I watched ESPN growing up, so to be a part of the programming that every football fan watches, and really has always watched, and to be a part of such a talented group of people, it’s surreal to me. It feels like I’m a late addition to the Pro Bowl. I’m flattered, honored, humbled – and I can’t wait to get to work.”

A graduate of the University of Michigan and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Schefter is a former president of the Pro Football Writers of America and the author of three books, including Romo: My Life on the Edge Living Dreams and Slaying Dragons about former Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski which was on the New York Times bestseller list. Schefter has a new book out this summer entitled, “The Class of Football: Words of Hard-Earned Wisdom from Legends of the Gridiron.”

And World Championship Boxing returns to HBO this weekend. Unfortunately boxing charlatan Max Kellerman returns to repeat whatever Jim Lampley says.

HBO SPORTS SHOWCASES A WELTERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT

FROM THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ARENA WHEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^®: MIGUEL COTTO VS. JOSHUA CLOTTEY IS SEEN LIVE SATURDAY, JUNE 13 ON HBO

HBO Sports delivers a New York City knock-out of a prizefight with a welterweight title on the line when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: MIGUEL COTTO VS. JOSHUA CLOTTEY is presented live SATURDAY, JUNE 13 (10:35 p.m. ET/7:35 p.m. PT) from Madison Square Garden, exclusively on HBO. Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Emanuel Steward will be ringside for the event, which will be presented in HDTV and in Spanish on HBO Latino. Larry Merchant and Lennox Lewis are off to Canastota, New York to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 14.

Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs), returns to The Garden hoping to record another victory at the world’s most famous arena on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade. In this venerable sports institution he has tasted memorable triumphs against Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Paul Malignaggi, Mohamad Abdulaev and most recently, captured his second welterweight crown with a convincing knockout victory against top-rated Michael Jennings in February. Eleven months after absorbing the only loss of his stellar career in the hot spotlight of Las Vegas, the popular Cotto, 28, will be looking to regain momentum in the debate over who is the premier welterweight in the world as he defends his crown in this hot 12-round showdown.

Ghana native Joshua Clottey (35-2, 20 KOs), who now lives in the Bronx, has the potential to establish himself as an elite welterweight with a victory over Cotto. With durability and intense physicality, 31-y
ear-old Clottey achieved prominence after winning his first 20 fights and last year captured his first welterweight title by defeating former undisputed champ Zab Judah. Despite two losses, Clottey has become a feared competitor in the division and is a high-risk, often-avoided opponent who consistently brings his A-game. Delighted at the opportunity to fight for the first time at the Garden, Clottey is sure to bring heat in this highly anticipated clash of powerhouse welterweights.

The big Saturday night of entertainment and boxing on HBO includes the debut of the theatrical box office blockbuster “The Dark Knight” at 8:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. PT. With a free HBO preview weekend offered to cable and satellite distributors, participating systems will be able to show the movie and fight to an expanded audience.

On a programming note, HBO will not be televising boxing on Saturday, June 20 due to the postponement of the Wladimir Klitschko-David Haye heavyweight title bout. HBO Boxing After Dark returns Saturday, June 27 with a doubleheader from Los Angeles at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT preceded by the premiere of “Mayweather/Marquez 24/7” at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

All HBO boxing events are broadcast in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Marc Payton.

That’s it for the releases for the time being.