ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Preseason Coverage Begins Tonight

Courtesy: ESPN

Monday Night Football launches its 2017 National Football League broadcast season tonight with a pre-season cross conference matchup.

ESPN’s flagship NFL program begins its 2017 broadcast season with a showdown between the Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South).  The matchup is just one of the games on the schedule for the second week of the NFL’s 2017 preseason.

Jacksonville will look to add a second notch to its win column in the preseason after defeating the New England Patriots 31 – 24 in week 1.  The Bucs will look to bounce back and get its first win of the preseason after falling to the Cincinnati Bengals in week 1 23 – 12.

Sean McDonough will have the call for tonight’s game, which is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.  He will be joined in the booth by analyst Jon Gruden for additional commentary.  Reporter Lisa Salters will be on the sidelines for all of the latest in-game news and interviews.

Monday Night Countdown will set the stage for tonight’s game beginning at 7 p.m. ET with Suzy Kolber at the helm.  She will be joined by analysts Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss and Charles Woodson for additional commentary alongside NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

ESPN will also have full coverage of the preseason week 2 match between the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns Aug. 21. the Browns defeated the New Orleans Saints 20 – 14 in preseason week 1 while the Giants fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers 20 – 12 that week.

More information on ESPN’s NFL coverage is available online now along with all of the latest NFL news at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.espn.com/nfl

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NFL_MNF

 

 

 

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.

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ESPN Announces MNF Pre-Season Broadcast Schedule

Courtesy: ESPN

Spring is one of the greatest times of the year for sports fans. The NHL and NBA are both headed into their respective playoffs. MLB is just getting started. The auto racing world is in high gear. And in the world of football, many universities are planning their annual spring football scrimmages ahead of the annual NFL draft. It also means one other thing for sports fans. It means the annual announcement by ESPN of the network’s pre-season football coverage. And make that announcement is exactly what the worldwide leader in sports did Thursday.

ESPN announced Thursday that it has two games on tap for its 2015 Monday Night Football schedule. The first of those games is a matchup of the Browns and Bills on Thursday, August 20^th in Cleveland. It will be the first chance for new Bills coach and former Jets coach Rex Ryan to put his team, which now features All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy, on display. On the other side of the ball, it is believed that Johnny Manziel will be fighting for his career as the Browns host the Bills in the AFC matchup.

The second matchup on ESPN’s Monday Night Football pre-season schedule will see Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, August 24th. The Bucs struggled mightily in the 2014- 2015 season and will have the #1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft as a result of those struggles.

The MNF broadcast team of Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden will have the call for both games. They will be joined once again by sideline reporter Lisa Salters. Both games are schedule for an 8pm ET start time and will be preceded by an hour-long edition of ESPN’s weekly NFL pre-game show Monday Night Countdown. ESPN’s Spanish-speaking audiences will be able to catch both games on television on ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s 24-hour Spanish-language domestic sports network. ESPN Deportes will also have coverage of every regular season MNF broadcast.

Along with coverage on television via ESPN and ESPN Deportes, every MNF broadcast can also be seen online through a number of outlets including: Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via WatchESPN. WatchESPN is available in more than 93 million households across the country to fans who get ESPN’s networks as part of their video subscription.

More information on ESPN’s upcoming MNF broadcast schedule is available online along with all of the latest NFL headlines at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/nfl.mnf

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

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.

Saints, Bears Face Off Tonight In Important NFC Match To Close Out Week Fifteen

Courtesy: ESPN

Week fifteen of the NFL’s 2014-2015 season closes tonight with what will be one of the season’s most important match ups.

Tonight on ESPN, The New Orleans Saints (5 – 8 – 0) take on the Chicago Bears (5 – 8 – 0) in an NFC conference face-off. A win tonight for the Saints would have major playoff implications. That’s because after Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Panthers are now also at 5 – 8 – 1. A Saints win would push New Orleans to 6 – 8 – 0 so far on the season. A win would be especially big for the Saints as right now the NFC South in whole is the league’s worst division. For Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears, a win tonight would tie Chicago with Minnesota in the NFC North at 6 – 8 – 0.  It’s not much, considering that Chicago has essentially been marked out of the playoff picture.  But a win would mean not being the worst team in its division. The Saints are only 1- 4 in their last five games while Chicago has struggled just as much going 2 – 3 in its last five games. However Chicago is in the midst of a two-game skid. So the Bears will be looking to snap that streak. And being at home, Chicago will be especially hungry for a win tonight.

Coverage of tonight’s game on ESPN kicks off at 6pm ET on Monday Night Countdown. Host Suzy Kolber will be joined by NFL analysts Trent Dilfer, Mike Ditka, Ray Lewis, and Steve Young. Chris Berman will be live in studio from ESPN’s headquarters for the broadcast. He will be joined by analysts Cris Carter, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson alongside ESPN NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter. Mike Tirico will have the call for tonight’s game. He will be joined in the booth by analyst Jon Gruden. Lisa Salters will have all of the latest reports throughout the game from the sidelines.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15pm ET. ESPN’s Spanish-speaking viewers can catch the game on television via ESPN Deportes. And fans on the go can watch the game online via WatchESPN as long as they have subscriptions from affiliated providers. More information on tonight’s game and all things NFL is available online at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/nfl/mnf
http://espn.go.com/nfl

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

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.

ESPN Releases 2014 NFL Draft Broadcast Schedule

Courtesy: ESPN

Officials with ESPN have announced the full schedule for its networks’ coverage of this year’s NFL Draft.

Coverage of the 2014 NFL Draft begins next Thursday, May 8^th on ESPN at 8pm ET. The broadcast will come live from New York’s Radio City Music Hall and will be simulcast on ESPN Radio beginning at 7pm ET. ESPN Radio’s broadcast of the NFL Draft will be anchored by Dari Nowkhah. Nowkhah will be joined by ESPN analysts Louis Riddick, Mark Schlereth, and ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton. Freddie Coleman will host a post-first round broadcast beginning at 11:30pm ET. He will be joined by ESPN Insider Adam Caplan. Nowkhah and company will be back on the air the next morning, May 9^th. The post-show broadcast that evening will come live at 11pm. It will be hosted by Kevin Winter. Winter will be joined by Adam Caplan for the broadcast. ESPN Radio’s draft coverage will also be available online at ESPNRadio.com.

ESPN will carry coverage of Round 1 live with limited commercial interruption in the broadcast’s first hour for the third straight year this year. Baltimore Ravens great and NFL veteran Ray Lewis will join NFL Draft host Chris Berman as part of ESPN’s NFL Draft commentator team for the first round of the draft. Berman, who is now in his thirty-fourth year of covering the NFL Draft, will also be joined by ESPN NFL analysts Jon Gruden and Mel Kiper, Jr. Kiper is himself in his thirty-first year of covering the draft’s first round. Suzy Kolber will be on the floor, bringing viewers live interviews with draftees throughout Round 1 while NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter will have reports from an additional set.

Trey Wingo will anchor the second through seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Rounds two through seven will be carried on television on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU. He will be joined by ESPN NFL analysts Trent Dilfer, Mel Kiper, Jr., and Todd McShay as well as NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen, and Adam Schefter and ESPN Front Office Insider Bill Polian.

As an added bonus for viewers, ESPN will have a number of reporters imbedded with various teams throughout the networks’ coverage of the draft. Ed Werder will have live reports from the Houston Texans’ camp while Josina Anderson and Britt McHenry will have reports from the Rams and Jaguars respectively. Sal Paolantonio will be embedded with the Browns and Michele Steele with the Buccaneers. Bob Holtzman will have all the latest from the Minnesota Vikings camp.

The complete broadcast schedule for the ESPN family of networks’ draft coverage is available below.

ESPN NFL Draft TV schedule (May 8-11):

Date	Time (ET)	Show	Network
Thurs., May 8	2-3 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock	ESPN
	3-4 p.m.	NFL Insiders (from Radio City Music Hall)	ESPN
	4-5 p.m.	NFL Live presented by Experian	ESPN
	6-7:30 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock	ESPN
	7:30-8 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown presented by Oberto	ESPN
	8-11:30 p.m.	NFL Draftpresented by Bud Light (Round 1)	ESPN
	11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.	ESPNU Draft Recap: Day 1	ESPNU
Fri., May 9	2-3 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock	ESPN
	3-4 p.m.	NFL Insiders (from Radio City Music Hall)	ESPN
	4-5 p.m.	NFL Live presented by Experian	ESPN
	6-7 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown presented by Oberto	ESPN
	7-11:30 p.m.	NFL Draftpresented by Bud Light (Rounds 2-3)	ESPN/ ESPN2
	11 p.m.-12 a.m.	ESPNU Draft Recap: Day 2	ESPNU
Sat., May 10	10-11:30 a.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock	ESPN
	11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown presented by Oberto	ESPN
	12-8 p.m.	NFL Draftpresented by Bud Light (Rounds 4-7)	ESPN
Sun., May 11	12-1 a.m.	SportsCenterU	ESPNU
	1-3 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: NFL Draft Grades presented by Snickers	ESPN

*Schedule subject to change.

More information on the NFL Draft and the ESPN family of networks’ NFL coverage overall is available online at http://www.facebook.com/NFLonESPN. 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.

Former Bucs GM ESPN’s Newest NFL Insider

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has added another new name to its NFL Insiders staff.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik has joined the staff of ESPN’s NFL Insiders.  Dominik served as Tampa Bay’s General Manager for five seasons from 2009 – 2013.  He joins ESPN’s NFL talk show as a Front Office Insider.  He is scheduled to make his debut next Thursday, March 27^th.

As per the terms of his agreement, Dominik’s appearances won’t be limited to NFL Insiders.  He will also contribute to NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio and ESPN Insider on ESPN.com.  Seth Markman, Senior Coordinating Producer for ESPN’s NFL Studio programs noted Dominik’s extensive experience in NFL’s front offices in discussing with reporters why he was brought on board.  “Mark has almost two decades of experience moving up the ranks in an NFL organization, so he’s well-versed in scouting, free agency, player development and so many of the issues we delve into each day on NFL Insiders,” he said.  “He adds another credible voice to our team and will make us even better.”

Dominik shared his own thoughts on joining NFL Insiders, noting how his experience will benefit the show.  He said of his new job, “I am excited to join ESPN and look forward to sharing my perspective on the kinds of issues and decisions general managers face daily within their organizations.”

Dominik is a native of St. Cloud, Minnesota.  He holds a Bachelor of Sport Management from the University of Kansas.  He spent nineteen years with Tampa Bay beginning as a Pro Personnel Assistant in 1995.  He was promoted to Pro Scout in 1998, then to Coordinator in 2000 and Director shortly thereafter.  He served in that position for nine years before being named the team’s General Manager in January 2009.

More information on ESPN’s NFL programming is available online at http://espn.go.com/nfl and http://www.facebook.com/NFLonESPN.  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.