ESPN Provides A Rundown Of What A Weekday Live Sports Center Could Look Like Come Monday
Thursday, August 07, 2008
I'm sure those involved with this changeover have been in rehearsals and meeting for what seems like forever, so I'm sure this didn't take too long for them to come up with. It's still an interesting look at presumably what the new Sports Center format will look like come Monday.
Alternate Headline: "ESPN Sports Center: The Play"
Your players for this afternoon's production of the "July 31st MLB Trade Deadline" are: Anchors Josh Elliott and Hannah Storm, Jason Stark, Ed Werder, Trey Wingo, Wendi Nix, John Kruk and various reporters throughout the country.
9 AM:I think I could do without the First and 10 segment, but the rest of the timeline looks pretty on target. The bullet point where they would be updating people on the current Team USA game is a perfect example of what will draw people in and it's also perfect for this Summer's Olympics and events like the World Cup. Also, whoever came up with the idea to add live fan commentary via an ESPN Radio simulcast is a damn genius. Loooooking good ESPN....there's still time to mess this up though (I kid, I kid)!
- Elliott presents latest on the Ken Griffey, Jr. possible trade to the White Sox. -ESPN MLB Insider Jason Stark presents his insight into Girffey-to-White Sox, and updates the Manny Ramirez out-of-Boston possibility.
- Storm updates the Team USA basketball game being played during SportsCenter.
- Storm presents the latest on the Brett Favre/Packers situation.
- ESPN NFL Insider Ed Werder presents his insight into Favre’s possible reinstatement.
- Storm and Elliott voice-over re-packaged highlights from the previous night, and present analysis of the previous day's events and news.
- Storm and Elliott read e-mails sent to the SportsCenter inbox reacting to the Manny trade rumors.
10 AM:
- Elliott updates the Griffey trade possibility.
- Chicago Tribune White Sox beat writer provides insight and the Chicago take on the possible Griffey trade.
- Trey Wingo, hosting ESPN’s coverage of Saturday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, reports live from Canton, Ohio.
- SportsCenter simulcasts Chicago’s ESPN 1000 (WMVP) to present live fan/listener reaction to the White Sox apparent acquisition of Griffey.
- Storm updates the Ramirez trade possibilities.
- SportsCenter.com poll: “Should the Red Sox Trade Manny” Yes/No
- Pirates reporter from ESPN Radio 1250 WEAE in Pittsburgh provides insight on the possible three-way trade involving the Pirates and gives Pittsburgh’s perspective.
- Elliott and Storm present news and analysis from the previous day, voice-over re-packaged highlights from the previous night, and preview the day’s key upcoming games.
11 AM:
- Storm updates Favre situation.
- ESPN reporter Wendi Nix, in Green Bay, presents latest Favre news and the city’s perspective. - Storm voices-over highlights from just concluded Team USA basketball game.
- Elliott updates Ramirez out-of-Boston possibility with news Los Angeles could be part of a three-way deal.
- Dodgers’ reporter from ESPN Radio 710 KSPN in Los Angeles provides insight on the possible three-way trade involving the Dodgers, and gives Los Angeles perspective.
- ESPN Baseball Tonight analysts provide insight into the swirling trade activity.
Elliott and Storm present the play-off implications of the afternoon’s MLB games.
- ESPN’s John Kruk gives his analysis on the afternoon’s big MLB games.
- Storm reports that Griffey has approved his trade to the White Sox.
- Storm interviews Cincinnati Enquirer Reds reporter who confirms the Reds will pay the $4 million remaining on Griffey’s 2008 contract.
- Piece on Griffey’s career and legacy is followed by debate by ESPN2’s First Take “First and 10” panelists.
- Elliott and Storm present news and analysis from the previous day, voice-over re-packaged highlights from the previous night, and preview the day’s key upcoming games.
- During the final break, Elliott makes a few notes preparing for his afternoon blog on SportsCenter.com.
Noon:
- Chris McKendry and Robert Flores enter the studio to co-anchor three all-new hours of SportsCenter (noon-3 p.m.).
Oh and hey, lookie right there....last item at 11am....a Josh Elliott blog! Welcome to the 'Sphere my friend. Leave your journalistic credibility and grammar at the door on your way in!!!
(Via ESPN PR)
11 Comments:
I don't really understand why this is SUCH a big deal. Isn't the 6pm SC live? And isn't the 11pm SC live? And the 2am show?
I know they are trying to fill SIX straight hours of non-event programming, but it's not like they don't already have three hours of live SportsCenter every day, right?
Not to mention their only real form of competition (live sports programming) at that time of day is THEIR OWN SHOW in First Pizza.
They are promoting the hell out of this, but to who? The Today Show 10am crowd? Who other than bloggers will be watching this? Housewives?
The problem is, this is an example of what would happen on the busiest day of the sports summer... and it feels like they're STILL struggling to find things to plug in. What do you do on a slow news day? There's no radio feed to pick up then. There's no Trey Wingo covering the HOF.
By the time this starts, Favre getting traded will be over a week old. I'm sure they'll get plenty of mileage out of it still, but that's been THE focus. What do you do with that no longer being a truly timely topic?
They better hope another NFL super-storyline presents itself.
Josh Elliott is awful. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard when he stammers around trying to think of something clever to say.
Failure is on the horizon.
Does anybody really watch the 6 pm Sportscenter? That's an unbelievably atrocious product with errors abundant, frozen frames, stammering, etc.
Glad to see ESPN's PR staff managed to misspell Jayson Stark's first name throughout the entire press release.
Something a little more realistic would be:
9am
- Wendi Nix reports from New York on how the house search is coming for Brett Favre.
- Josh Elliott talks with Stu Rosenshue, head of the New York Real Estate Commission
- John Clayton is at Jets camp as they await Favre's arrival
- Sal Palantonio is in Green Bay where the Packers will have practice without Favre
- Career highlight package on Favre
- Hannah Storm does four minutes of baseball highlights
- Josh Elliott talks with Mike Levin, FAA spokesman, on the current location of Favre's private Jet
- Rachel Nichols reports from a Manhattan Deli that will be putting the "Brett Jet Fil-et" sandwich on their menu. It was that or the "Packer Snub Club"
- Jeremy Schaap does a three minute Olympic recap
- Interview with Favre's college coach
- Interview with John Madden on his grandson -- I mean Favre
10am
- Lather, rinse, repeat
11am
- Hannah Storm opens with a recap of the last week of Favre news
- Elliott interviews CBS President Sean McManus about the CBS ratings boost they expect with Favre in the AFC
- Sal Palantonio reports Packer season ticket sales have dropped a quarter percent in the past two days.
- Rachel Nichols finds a man hawking T-shirts in Times Square that say "Hey Green Bay! Thanks for the Fav-re"
- Career highlight package of Favre
- Four minute recap of the previous night's baseball
- Ed Werder reports from Cowboys camp and asks players what they think of the trade
- Erin Andrews scores the first live ESPN interview of Favre. "What were you thinking when the trade happened, Brettsie?"
Noon
- Bristol, Connecticut implodes into a ball of dust in a matter of seconds
- Ron Jaworski asks God if being a Bears fan has it's perks.
+1, Scott
I'm interested in the increased usage of local beat reporters and/or talk radio blowhards to the mix. It's certainly been noticeable in the Favre coverage, especially the talk radio guy from Milwaukee. I'm wondering how receptive newspapers will be to allowing the beat guys to go on, whether they will value the "publicity" or not like having their people give it away on ESPN.
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"I'm interested in the increased usage of local beat reporters and/or talk radio blowhards to the mix."
Unfortunately, it will just be a collection of ESPN Radio affiliate troglodytes. Yeah, because the world at large definitely needs more of Brandon Tierney and Aaron Goldhammer on TV.
Pass.
I think that I would actually watch this. I kind of like them actually acknowledging local reporters and getting their take on situations.