ESPN’s E:60 Returns Tonight

ESPN’s E: 60 returns with a whole new season tonight.

ESPN kicks off its Fall 2014 season of E: 60 tonight beginning at 8pm ET.  Tonight’s season premiere presents two in-depth feature that come from the NFL.  The first of the pair focuses on Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and the second on the Seattle Seahawks’ polarizing cornerback Richard Sherman.

On the heels of the Ray Rice case, E: 60’s Jeffri Chadiha sits down with Jamaal Charles and discusses the murder of his wife’s cousin Kasandra Perkins.  Perkins was murdered by her husband Jovan Belcher, who was also a teammate to Charles.  Belcher turned the gun on himself after killing his wife in December of 2012.  It is now believed that Belcher’s actions may have been the result of CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.  Charles discusses the terrible tragedy as well as his own tough childhood, growing up as part of a large family and more in that interview.

In the second of the night’s premiere features, Kenny Mayne talked with Richard Sherman.  The outspoken Seattle Seahawks cornerback has made headlines since the buildup to last season’s Super Bowl.  But as Kenny Mayne reveals, there is a whole other side to Sherman that few if any know of.  Mayne reveals in his talk with Sherman that he [Sherman] demands success of himself not just on the gridiron but off the field, too.  Sherman reveals in his interview with Mayne that much of his drive for excellence goes back to his younger days growing up in Compton, California.  He also discusses how his days playing at Stanford played a role in his development, too.  It is an intimate portrait of a man much deeper than the one most people know of.

Along with the interviews with Sherman and Charles, there is also a feature on “Morganna, The Kissing Bandit.”  The famed figure rose to fame in the 1970s and 80s, well before the rise of Youtube and viral videos as she would run out onto the field at MLB games, kissing players.  She disappeared suddenly in the 90s.  Now fifteen years after she disappeared, “Morganna, The Kissing Bandit” has re-emerged.  She sat down with E: 60’s Wright Thompson to discuss her reputation and how it was a troubled personal life that led her to become the famed figure.

The figures scheduled to appear on tonight’s season premiere of ESPN’s E: 60 are but a handful of the names set to come on the network’s hit show this season.  Also expected to appear this season are: Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, NFL superstar Gerald McCoy, famed pitcher Randy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten, and New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.  The complete schedule for this season is noted below.

Fall Highlights of E:60

Date and Time (ET)	Scheduled stories include*
Tue. Sept. 30 (8:00pm)	Jamaal Charles, Richard Sherman
Tue. Oct. 7 (8:00pm)	Max Scherzer,
Tue. Oct. 14 (7:00pm)	Gerald McCoy, Randy Johnson
Tue, Oct. 21 (8:00pm)	Jason Witten
Tue. Oct. 28 (8:00pm)	Rob Ryan
Tue, Nov. 4 (8:00pm)	Cam Newton

*Air dates & stories subject to change

 

More information on this season of E: 60 is available online now at:

Website: http://e60.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/espne60

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

AL Central, NL Central Matchups Take Center Stage This Weekend On ESPN’S MLB Coverage

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell closes out its 25^th season of MLB coverage this weekend when the NL Central leading St. Louis Cardinals host division foes the Cincinnati Reds.

Sunday night’s matchup will be the closer in a three-game series between the NL Central foes. Dan Shulman will have the call for Sunday night’s broadcast. He will be joined by analysts John Kruk, Curt Schilling, and reporter Buster Olney for commentary. Coverage of the game is scheduled to begin at 8pm ET. Before Shulman and his SNB colleagues bring audiences Sunday’s season-ending broadcast, Karl Ravech and MLB Hall of Famer (and Cincinnati Reds great) Barry Larkin will have all of the latest baseball headlines on Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet live at 7pm ET. For those that won’t be near a TV, the game will be simulcast on ESPN Radio affiliates nationwide and online at WatchESPN. Spanish-speaking audiences can catch the game on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes Radio.

Tonight, ESPN2 will have another matchup with even bigger playoff implications as the Kansas City Royals host the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a three-game series between the AL Central foes. Detroit currently leads the Royals by only half a game. And it looks to end its current two-game skid as it comes into Kansas City today in that series’ first game. This weekend’s series looks to be a close one as the Royals and Tigers are evenly matched. Detroit is 43 – 35 on the road while Kansas City is 41 – 36 at home. Interestingly enough, Kansas City is 4 – 6 in its last 10 games while Detroit is 7 – 3 in its last 10 games. Dan Shulman and company will be on hand for tonight’s broadcast. Hakem Dermish and analysts Alex Cora and Mark Mulder will have all the latest from around the league before the game at 7pm ET on Baseball Tonight. Fans can also catch the series’ second game live Saturday on their local ESPN Radio affiliate. Jon Sciambi will have the call for that game. He will be joined by Jim Bowden for additional commentary. The duo will also have full coverage of Sunday night’s game between the Cardinals and Reds.

More information on this weekend’s MLB coverage is available online at

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Tigers Host Giants Live Sunday On ESPN’s SNB Broadcast

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell will come live from Motown this Sunday night.

The Detroit Tigers will host the San Francisco Giants live on ESPN this Sunday night in the third game of a three-game series between the teams. ESPN’s Dan Shulman will anchor Sunday night’s broadcast. He will be joined by analyst John Kruk and reporter Buster Olney for additional commentary throughout the game. As with each week’s broadcast of Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell, Sunday’s telecast will be preceded by Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet at 7pm ET. MLB Hall of Famer Barry Larkin will join host Karl Ravech for the show.

This weekend’s inter-league matchup will prove to be an interesting one for both teams as the Tigers have proven so far this season to be better on the road than at home. The team is 35 – 30 at home but 42 – 33 on the road. However, it is coming into tonight’s game on the heels of an 11 – 4 drubbing of Cleveland yesterday at home, giving the team even more motivation going into this weekend’s series as it hosts the Giants. San Francisco will pose its own threat for the Tigers this weekend. It has proven to be almost as good on the road as it is at home going 38 – 33 at home and 38 – 31 on the road so far this season. San Francisco comes into tonight’s game after having a day to rest up yesterday following Wednesday’s 9 – 2 loss to Colorado. So the team will be ready to go against Detroit.

Sunday night’s game is the third in a three-game series between the Tigers and Giants. The series’ first game is tonight with first pitch scheduled for 7:08pm ET. Game two is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. It is currently expected to start at 1:08pm ET. ESPN Radio will have full coverage of the game beginning at 12:30pm ET.

Anyone that is not near a TV Sunday night can still catch the game live on ESPN Radio. Spanish-speaking audiences can also catch Sunday’s broadcast live on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes Radio.

More information on ESPN’s MLB coverage is available online at http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Orioles To Host Yankees On Sept. 14th Edition Of Sunday Night Baseball

Courtesy: ESPN

Football season is officially underway.  College football and NFL stadiums alike are now rocking every week with rabid fans on both sides of the ball.  While football has taken center stage, audiences should be reminded that the 2014 MLB season isn’t over just yet.  With time ticking away before the playoffs start, ESPN has announced that the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees will face off live on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell on Sunday, September 14^th.

The teams’ matchup on September 14^th will be the last in a four-game series between the teams that weekend.  The series kicks off Friday, September 12^th with a double-header between the AL East rivals. Whether or not audiences are Yankees fans, the scheduled game will be an important one as it is believed that it will be the last appearance by Yankees great Derek Jeter on Sunday Night Baseball.  It will also be the last for Jeter at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which is itself celebrating its 25^th season this year.

Dan Shulman will have the call for the game.  He will be joined live by analyst John Kruk and reporter Buster Olney for additional commentary.  Fans that won’t be close to a TV to catch the game on  September 24^th can still catch it on their local ESPN Radio affiliate.  Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton will have the call for audiences listening on the radio.  It will also be available online via WatchESPN and on TV and radio for Spanish-speaking audiences on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes radio.  As with every Sunday Night Baseball broadcast on ESPN, the matchup between the Orioles and Yankees will be preceded by ESPN’s Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet live at 7pm ET.

Tomorrow night, audiences can catch the third game in a three-game series between the Indians and Royals.  The Royals currently sit atop the AL Central Standings while the Indians are third in the division, 3.5 games back.  Game two is tonight at 7:10pm ET.  Next Sunday night, September 7^th, ESPN will carry the third game in a three-game series between the Giants and Tigers.

More information on ESPN’s MLB coverage is available online at http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry Rolls On Sunday Night On ESPN

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN continues its 25^th season of Sunday Night Baseball this weekend when it comes live from Fenway Park Sunday night.

Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell will broadcast live from Fenway Park this Sunday night beginning at 8pm ET.  Sunday’s game features what is just the latest round in one of the most storied rivalries in sports history. As the Red Sox host their hated rivals, the New York Yankees. Sunday night’s game will be the third in the three-game weekend series between the Yankees and Red Sox.  Dan Shulman and John Kruk will call the game live from atop Fenway’s famed Green Monster. They will be joined by MLB Insider Buster Olney throughout the game. Olney will have reports on the game from the field throughout the game.

Boston currently sits in last place in the American League East and has struggled going 2-8 in its last ten games at the time of this post while the Yankees are third in the division, going 5-5 in their last ten games. Audiences will be able to catch Sunday night’s game through a number of platforms from ESPN on television, online and on the radio including: ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, and WatchESPN.

Sunday night’s broadcast will be preceded by ESPN’s weekly pre-game show, Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet. The pre-game broadcast will come live from Yawkey Way, just outside of Fenway Park. It starts at 7pm ET. Karl Ravech will host Sunday’s pre-game show. He will be joined by analyst and former Yankee Aaron Boone.

After Sunday’s game three against the Red Sox, the Yankees will head back to New York Monday night to host the Tigers on ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball presented by USAA. That broadcast will begin at 7pm ET. Dave O’Brien will have the call. He will be joined by Aaron Boone and reporter Tim Kurkjian for the game.

More details on ESPN’s MLB coverage is available online through ESPN’s official website and the Baseball Tonight Facebook page. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to the Phil’s Picks Facebook page and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog.

ESPN Announces Spring Training Coverage, Baseball Tonight Goodyear Express Tour Schedules

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has announced the schedule for its coverage of Major League Baseball’s 2014 Spring Training games.

This year’s schedule kicks off with coverage of a rematch from last year’s World Series.  The Boston Red Sox will host the St. Louis Cardinals March 17^th at Fenway Park.  First pitch is scheduled for 1pm.  The game will be carried on television on ESPN and online via Watch ESPN and ESPN Deportes+.    The ESPN family of networks’ complete seven-game Spring Training coverage schedule is available below.

Spring Training game schedule:

Date	Time (ET)	Game/Commentators	Networks
Mon, March 17	1 p.m.	St. Louis Cardinals at Boston Red Sox Karl Ravech, Barry Larkin, Tim Kurkjian	ESPN,WatchESPN,ESPN Deportes +
Tue, March 18	1 p.m.	Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees Dan Shulman, John Kruk, Buster Olney	ESPN,WatchESPN
Thu, March 20	7 p.m.	New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox Dan Shulman, John Kruk, Buster Olney	ESPN,WatchESPN,ESPN Deportes +
Mon, March 24	1 p.m.	Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates Adnan Virk, Doug Glanville, Tim Kurkjian	ESPN,WatchESPN,ESPN Deportes +
Tue, March 25	1 p.m.	Atlanta Braves at Detroit Tigers Adnan Virk, Doug Glanville, Tim Kurkjian	ESPN,WatchESPN,ESPN Deportes +
Wed, March 26	1 p.m.	Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals Steve Levy, Eduardo Perez, Doug Glanville	ESPN,WatchESPN,ESPN Deportes +
Thu, March 27	12 p.m.	Washington Nationals at New York Mets Steve Levy, Eduardo Perez, Doug Glanville	ESPN,WatchESPN,ESPN Deportes +

 

Before the ESNP family of networks kick off their coverage of Major League Baseball’s 2014 Spring Training games, the Baseball Tonight Goodyear Express Tour will hit the road.  The tour will visit a number of teams’ camps beginning next Monday, February 17^th at the Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, Florida.  Karl Ravech and Buster Olney will be on hand with coverage of the team’s preps for the 2014 season.  SportsCenter will have Baseball Tonight segments beginning at 9am ET each day.  Each segment will include interviews with players and managers as well as in-depth team analysis and discussions on every major off-season story lines.  Baseball fans can get even more in-depth coverage of the upcoming season online at ESPN.com.  Buster Olney, Jayson Stark, Jerry Crasnick, Keith Law, Jim Caple, and David Schoenfield will have reports from various camps in Florida and Arizona through the online home of the Worldwide Leader in Sports.  As an added bonus, ESPN.com will also offer baseball fans a Countdown Clock to Opening Day, videos from the Baseball Tonight Goodyear Express Tour, and a blog with daily posts.  The complete Baseball Tonight Goodyear Express Tour schedule is available below.

Baseball Tonight Goodyear Express Tourschedule:

Date	Location	Team/Commentators
Mon, Feb. 17	Fort Myers, Fla.	Boston Red Sox Karl Ravech, Buster Olney
Tue, Feb. 18	Lakeland, Fla.	Detroit Tigers Karl Ravech, Buster Olney
Wed, Feb. 19	Jupiter, Fla.	St. Louis Cardinals Karl Ravech, Buster Olney
Thu, Feb. 20	Viera, Fla.	Washington Nationals Karl Ravech, Buster Olney
Fri, Feb. 21	Tampa, Fla.	New York Yankees Karl Ravech, Buster Olney
Mon, Feb. 24	Glendale, Ariz.	Los Angeles Dodgers Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Tim Kurkjian
Tue, Feb. 25	Scottsdale, Ariz.	San Francisco Giants Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Tim Kurkjian
Wed, Feb. 26	Surprise, Ariz.	Texas Rangers Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Tim Kurkjian
Thu, Feb. 27	Tempe, Ariz.	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Tim Kurkjian
Fri, Feb. 28	Goodyear, Ariz.	Cincinnati Reds Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Tim Kurkjian
Sat, March 1	Peoria, Ariz.	Seattle Mariners Tim Kurkjian

 

More information on the ESPN family of networks’ upcoming MLB coverage is available online at http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

James, Williams, Heat Lead The Night At Annual ESPYs Awards

Courtesy: ESPN

Another year, another big night for the ESPYS.  LeBron James and his team mates with the Miami heat were some of the big winners at ESPN’s annual sports awards show.  Also on the list of the year’s big winners were Serena Williams and Michael Phelps.  James led the pack with three ESPY awards.  And his team mates took home the award in the “Best Team” category for the second consecutive year.  James’ awards were in the categories of: “Best Championship Performance”, “Best NBA Player”, and “Best Male Athlete.”  Just as his team mates won their award for the second consecutive year, so did James take home the same awards personally for the second consecutive year, too.  Last night’s win brings James’ ESPY total to nine awards over the course of his career. 

Serena Williams took home two awards on the night.  She won in the categories of “Best Female Athlete” and “Best Best Female Tennis Player.”

Game Six of the NBA Championship finals won the award in the “Best Game” category.  It was in that game that Ray Allen forced the game into overtime with a game-tying three-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in the game.  The Heat went on to win the game and the 2013 NBA Championship.

San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick might not have won the big game this year.  But he did win at the ESPYs.  He took home the award in the “Best Breakout Athlete.”  Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby won in the category of “Best NHL Player.”  The award comes on the heels of a season that saw Crosby score fifteen goals and forty-one assists over the course of the regular season.  And from the world of Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers player and triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera brought home the award for “Best MLB Player.”  Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps won the award for “Best Record-Breaking Performance.”  He won the award for his record setting the all-time record for most Olympic Medals at a total of twenty-two medals.  He also won this award in 2009. 

In one of the night’s more emotional moments, Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts took home the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.  Roberts, who also played a direct hand in the new ESPN/espnW film series, Nine for IX, was one of ESPN’s first female sports anchors in the 1990s.  Roberts has faced both cancer and MDS yet never wavered in her fight against either life-threatening illness.  The award was presented to Roberts by LeBron James. 

Another of the night’s more emotional moments came in the presentation of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.  The award was given to the father and son team of Dick and Rick Hoyt.  The pair has competed together in over one thousand endurance events including thirty-one Boston Marathons.  The younger of the duo, Rick Hoyt, is 51-years old.  He was born with cerebral palsy.  The condition left him unable to use his hands and legs.  His father, 73-year old Dick Hoyt, pushes his son in a custom-made running chair during races including 5Ks, 10Ks, marathons and triathlons.  The award was given to the duo by actor Ben Affleck. 

Among some of the nights other notable winners were:  Rick Pitino (Best Coach/Manager), Candace Parker (Best WNBA Player), Floyd Mayweather (Best Fighter), Missy Franklin (Best Female Olympian), Usain Bolt (Best International Athlete) and Thierry Henry (Best MLS Player).  A full list of the night’s winners is available below.

SPECIAL AWARDS

 

ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD: Robin Roberts

JIMMY V AWARD FOR PERSEVERANCE: Dick and Rick Hoyt

 

BEST IN SPORT

 

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE: Serena Williams

BEST MALE ATHLETE: LeBron James

BEST FEMALE OLYMPIAN: Missy Franklin

BEST MALE OLYMPIAN: Michael Phelps

BEST MOMENT: Jack Hoffman TD at Nebraska spring game

BEST TEAM: Miami Heat

BEST COMEBACK: Adrian Peterson

BEST COACH/MANAGER: Rick Pitino

BEST GAME: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs, Game 6 NBA Finals

BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE: LeBron James, NBA Finals

BEST PLAY:

BEST UPSET: 15-Seed Florida Gulf Coast over 2-Seed Georgetown

BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE: Colin Kaepernick

BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE: Michael Phelps 22 Olympic medals

BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE: Johnny Manziel

BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE: Brittney Griner

BEST MALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY: Jeremy Campbell

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY: Jessica Long

 

INDIVIDUAL SPORTS

 

BEST MLB PLAYER: Miguel Cabrera

BEST NBA PLAYER: LeBron James

BEST WNBA PLAYER: Candace Parker

BEST NFL PLAYER: Adrian Peterson

BEST NHL PLAYER: Sidney Crosby

BEST MLS PLAYER: Thierry Henry

BEST MALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE: Nyjah Huston

BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE: Stephanie Gilmore

BEST BOWLER: Pete Weber

BEST DRIVER: Ryan Hunter-Reay

BEST FIGHTER: Floyd Mayweather

BEST MALE GOLFER: Tiger Woods

BEST FEMALE GOLFER: Stacey Lewis

BEST INTERNATIONAL ATHLETE: Usain Bolt

BEST JOCKEY: Joel Rosario

BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER: Novak Djokovic

BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER: Serena Williams

 

SPONSORED AWARD

 

CAPITAL ONE CUP: North Carolina Women’s Athletics and UCLA Men’s Athletics

 

To find out more about the night’s events, fans can go online to the official ESPN website, http://www.espn.com or its official Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/ESPN and “Like” it.

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.