I'm still not sure why ESPN chose to start their local website launch in Chicago, but obviously it was successful enough that they decided to expand. The "Leader" announced the addition of three new local sites in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. Via ESPN PR....

ESPN announced today that it will roll out three more city-specific sports sites in the months ahead, with Dallas, Los Angeles and New York joining the successful ESPNChicago.com. ESPNDallas.com is slated to launch this Fall, followed by ESPNNewYork.com and ESPNLosAngeles.com in the first half of 2010. Like ESPNChicago.com, each site will feature an integrated home for ESPN’s news and information, online video and digital audio powered by the flagship ESPN Radio station in each market, giving local fans a destination for their sports on-air, online, on-site and on mobile devices.

“Our commitment to expand ESPN’s network of localized sites is a testament to our dedication to serve sports fans and their passions,” said Marc Horine, vice president digital partnerships and sales development, ESPN Digital Media. “We understand that local sports interests ignite strong passions, and Dallas, New York and Los Angeles have some of the most storied franchises and fan bases in history. We’re excited by the early success we’ve had with ESPNChicago.com and the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Like ESPNChicago.com, each site will have its own short-form SportsCenter, hosted by SC anchors and providing an original 3-6 minute roundup of the city’s sports news, teams and figures each day.

According to the figures, ESPN Chicago is the city's most popular website by attracting almost 600K worth of traffic. Obviously if other local sites by ESPN could put the same amount of a dent in the market, then this is another death blow to the flailing newspaper industry. You can look for ESPN Dallas this fall, and NY and LA to launch shortly after that.

If you haven't been watching ESPN LA, you've missed some very interesting cameos during the 1am version of Sports Center. While Snoop Dogg was highly entertaining, nothing says knowing your demographic like having Justin Timberlake grace the airwaves for a night. The pop singer even tried his hand at answering a few questions from anchors, Stan Verrett and Neil Everett. Here's the clip....

Not a bad Top Ten, if you ask me. I could have done without the Lakers' homerism, mainly because you absolutely have to pick Lebron or Dwight Howard if you're starting an NBA team, but the rest of the answers were pretty good. Again, I'm not exactly sure he's in the demographic of folks that watch Sports Center, but he knows his Sports.

Oh, and lose the Michael Douglas glasses from "Falling Down"....they're creeping me out.

Nothing is really going to change with the way Sports Center is presented, but ESPN LA will officially hop on-air tonight at 1am EST (10pm PT). The complex itself is what's really impressive. The over 12,000 square foot studio will be home to 80 employees, and according to the LA Times, it contains "three production control rooms, two master control rooms, a newsroom-screening area, eight editing suites, a music room, a radio control room and studio, a voice-over room and two studios."

The other extremely impressive thing about the new LA digs, is that it is the only studio in the world that can broadcast in 1080P high definition production. It's no small undertaking and that certainly has the powers that be a little nervous....

"I'm very excited, very nervous," Cordray [ESPN LA's VP and GM] said Sunday. "Somebody asked me early last week if I was nervous and I said no. But now I'm getting first-day butterflies. The energy level is rising."

Cordray said that like any Hollywood production, the last few days have been spent rehearsing. She was unwilling to talk about how different the future of "SportsCenter" and ESPN might look with the new Los Angeles facility.

"Really all I can think of is getting this first 'SportsCenter' launched," she said. "What will things look like in the future? We'll think about that after we get through" the opening.

Everyone on the Left Coast thinks ESPN has a pretty prominent East Coast Bias, and while the network has always denied such a thing, this new building will certainly give the network more access to USC....er, ummm....the West Coast. Stan Verrett and Neil Everett will be your hosts tonight, and you can expect multiple cameos from Stu Scott.

Oh and one more thing. The first featured interview for the LA studio will be Magic Johnson sitting down with Larry Bird to talk about the 30th anniversary of their NCAA title clash.

ESPN's studio in L.A. debuts (LA Times)

I don't think they've been with the current look for that long, but the folks at ESPN are sending Sports Center to a stylist and she's coming back looking more dapper than ever! To coincide with the network's new LA digs, ESPN will be changing up the graphics for the show and it will even have a new intro. Here's your first look....

Rock! I don't know how I feel about that song to tell you the truth, but whatever works. The graphics however, look as fancy as ever, and here are a few more screenshots....

ESPN has been planning for a little over a year now, to move a team out to Los Angeles, and have them do the late night Sports Center from a fabulous new facility. Well, that facility is just about complete, and today ESPN announced who was leaving the beautiful state of Connecticut and heading to La La Land.

ESPN’s anchor team for the 1 a.m. ET (10 p.m. PT) edition of SportsCenter, which will originate live five days a week from the network’s new, state-of-the-art production facility in Los Angeles beginning in April, will feature longtime SportsCenter anchors Neil Everett and Stan Verrett. They will relocate to California from Connecticut to serve as co-hosts of the show. In addition, Stuart Scott, who has been one of ESPN’s most prominent studio anchors for 15 years with roles on SportsCenter, and the network’s NBA and NFL coverage, will also be hosting a select number of shows throughout the year from Los Angeles, including the premiere on Monday, April 6.

Steve Anderson, ESPN executive vice president, news, talent & content operations said, “One of ESPN's strengths is the breadth and depth of our lineup of commentators, and we're fortunate that Stan and Neil, longtime SportsCenter veterans, were interested in making the move to Los Angeles. Both are terrific writers with an energetic and entertaining approach. We’re very pleased to have them as our late SportsCenter team and to lead this new, important effort.”

ESPN’s new facility will feature three production control rooms, two master control rooms; eight craft edit suites, a music room, a voiceover room and two studios totaling more than 12,300 square feet. ESPN’s owned & operated L.A.-based radio station will be relocating to the new facility in an adjacent building. Additional ESPN content will originate from this facility over time. This facility is held by ESPN subsidiary Los Angeles Cable Sports Productions, LLC.

Great. Stuart Scott has even more access to crappy West Coast Rappers. I fully expected Snoop Dogg to be an anchor by mid-August.

Well that's one of the odder headlines I've ever written, but it's true. TMZ is saying that ESPN owes the city of Los Angeles over $40,000 business license for X Games, and they're suing the WW"L".

Kaleeeefornia and parts thereof are broke-ass broke -- and ESPN may be partly to blame.

It all boils down to this: ESPN allegedly stiffed the City of LA out of $43,159.50 in back taxes from 2004-2006. Details are a bit sketchy, but the taxes were assessed as part of production on the X Games.

In the lawsuit against ESPN filed Friday, the City claims it mailed the bill to network offices in Bristol, but nobody ever sent a check.

ESPN has since told TMZ that the "check is in the mail", but it'll be interesting to see how this one plays out. It's certainly not the time to be messing with someone's money, let alone an entire city.

Update: I mistakenly said $40 million when first posting, and after getting word from ESPN, have changed it to the correct total of $40K. That seems like a total that should be easily taken care of, and is ultimately just a miscommunication.

ESPN Accused of Screwing Los Angeles (TMZ)

You may remember that ESPN is planning on dividing its operations with a new HQ out west in the near future. While those plans are still moving forward, Sports by Brooks uncovered a possible added bonus that could come with the new digs. That bonus is Pat O'Brien. Yes....the Pat O'Brien. The ex-CBS Basketball reporter/ex-Access Hollywood host/ex-Entertainment Tonight host/drunken and drugged voicemailer.

SbB got a hold of ESPN to comment on the possibility of the hire....

A source recently revealed that O’Brien may be under consideration for an on-air position at ESPN Radio. I have no more details than that. These sorts of things can sometimes be agent propaganda, but from what I gathered from my source, that isn’t the case here.

From a sports broadcast perspective, an O’Brien hire would make perfect sense for ESPN. But of course, based on numerous, ugly off-air indiscretions by the former “Insider” host, ESPN bringing him on would be a considerable risk to the network.

UPDATE: ESPN Media Relations Director Josh Krulewitz responds to SbB about the prospect of ESPN hiring O’Brien. “Our radio content is both national and local as we (ESPN) own five radio stations including one in Los Angeles. There have been no discussions about considering him (O’Brien) for a job.”

Speaking of Los Angeles, I’ve since heard that O’Brien may have specific interest in an on-air position with the aforementioned ESPN-owned L.A. radio station, KSPN-AM. I’m also hearing that an official at that station may have been contacted by an O’Brien representative about the prospect of O’Brien hosting a show on the station.

Obviously this is all speculation and rumor, but it could be time to get Pat O'Brien back into Sports. Everyone deserves a second chance, and as far as reporters go, O'Brien was one of the better ones in the 80s and 90s.

ESPN Ready To Take A Chance On Pat O’Brien? (Sports by Brooks)

Seems like forever ago that we first touched on ESPN expanding out West, but after months of planning and building, the "L.A. Team" is ready to start work from their new digs on November 1st. Via Sports Video Group....

In a few weeks’ time, ESPN’s national presence will expand dramatically, when the network opens the doors to its brand-new production center in downtown Los Angeles. Leading the charge as VP of the 12,300-square-foot facility is a sports outsider, Judi Cordray, formerly VP, BO&E West Coast operations for Disney/ABC’s Media Networks Group. Shifting her sights from news to sports is one of many challenges Cordray must overcome in taking the helm of this cutting-edge 1080p facility.

Having managed ABC News’ technical-network facility in Los Angeles for 2½ years, Cordray is very comfortable with her management role, overseeing day-to-day operations of the new ESPN facility, and making the move from news to sports is not as big a leap as one might expect.

“I think that news and sports are similar in many ways,” she says. “I think there’s an immediacy with sports as there is with news. With breaking news, there are no planned events, where sports are very planned events. But, in terms of the fan base and the coverage, the two are somewhat similar. Sports seem to have a little more fun with it.”

Currently the only confirmed show to be produced out of the new facility is the 1am version of Sports Center, but that has to be a relief to some of the anchors that have to stay in Bristol over night. Also, while some of the workers move in on November 1st, production won't be going live until probably April.

ESPN Goes West (SVG)