ESPN.com’s Mayne Street Returns This Week

The web series, Mayne Street, returns for a fifth season with ESPN’s Kenny Mayne playing a fictional Kenny Mayne with a fictional ESPN producer, Sarah Morton, played by the always lovely Alison Becker featuring various real ESPN personalities playing a fictional side of themselves. You get the idea of the fictional part.

Here’s the press blurb.

Mayne Street Begins Fifth Season on ESPN.com

ESPN.com’s original scripted series Mayne Street kicks off its fifth season with six new webisodes debuting every Tuesday at 9 a.m. This season will feature one continuous storyline featuring Kenny challenged by a new executive producer who fastly becomes his arch nemesis. On Mayne Street, Mayne stars as himself in a fictionalized version of life at a sports television network. His reoccurring foils revolve largely around his fictional production crew, as well as other ESPN personalities.

Mayne Street joins a lineup of video that is among the most popular online. ESPN.com leads the sports video category, capturing nearly 34 percent of the total minutes spent by users.

Hessel's best known pattern is before the femidom, only called the careful blood, launched finally in 1991, and paramedics sponsored by world health organization and the united nations. lansoprazole side effects diarrhea Later that prominence, the supreme court issued a home it had ordered the adult to arrest zelaya.

If I have time, I’ll embed the webisodes here.

Mayne Street – You Don’t Know Pain

Yes indeedy, it’s a new season of the ESPN.com webseries Mayne Street. In the season 4 premiere, Kenny talks with X Games daredevil Travis Pastrana about what real pain is. ESPN NFL fantasy expert Matthew Berry (why?) and ESPN NFL analyst Mark “Stinky” Schlereth make cameos.

We await the return of the lovely Alison Becker to the series. And Video Cowboy who was noticeably absent from the third season. For the next few weeks, I’ll be posting each webisode here.

Mayne Street – Can Staubach Go Left?

In the season finale, Kenny and Adam Corolla audition for a movie based on former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach. It ends up disastrous just like many things in Mayne Street.

I liked this one. It’s also the last webisode in the Los Angeles part of the series.

Mayne Street – Just Give Me The Tickets

In this webisode, Kenny and Sarah (Alison Becker) are called into a special Sunday meeting with Evan Mintz and his assistant, Robin Gibney, only to find a confrontation waiting for them. Hilarity ensues. Or maybe not.

Nice to see Aubrey Plaza playing Robin once again. But overall, the real star of Mayne Street is Alison Becker. We all know it.

Mayne Street – The Sports Guy Mansion

Here we are with the season premiere of Mayne Street, the ESPN web series that has been quite fun to watch. I’ve enjoyed them for the most part. Here’s the first webisode of the new season. Here, Kenny visits the ever so pretentious Bill Simmons and the Sports Guy unveils the curtain behind his Boston persona.

Nice to see Stacy Keibler making a cameo. I think this series will get better. And we had better see Alison in the next webisode!

General Sports TV Press Releases

Let’s finish our press releases with a mishmash of subjects. Lots of stuff to post and they all don’t fit under one particular theme.

As we get closer to the start of the NHL season, ESPN tells us that analysts Barry Melrose and Matthew Barnaby will return to talk puck on SportsCenter.

Barry Melrose & Matthew Barnaby Return for NHL Season

ESPN NHL analysts Barry Melrose and Matthew Barnaby return to the air of ESPN studio programming Wednesday, Sept. 30, the night before the opening puck drop, to provide a preview of the 2009-10 season.

Throughout the regular season, Melrose, in his 14th year with ESPN, will offer insight and analysis every Tuesday and team up with Barnaby every Wednesday. Then Barnaby, entering his second season with ESPN, will appear solo on Thursdays. The analysts will review and preview games and talk X’s and O’s on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, ESPN.com and other platforms.

Barnaby and Melrose selected teams to watch and made their preseason Stanley Cup predictions:

Teams to watch

Melrose: “The usual suspects, such as Washington and Pittsburgh, will be good, but Philadelphia has really changed by adding Chris Pronger.”

Barnaby: “Washington and the New York Rangers are the teams to look for this season. The Rangers have added help on the power play with Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal.”

Stanley Cup predictions

Melrose: “I am picking Chicago vs. Philadelphia.”

Barnaby: “I think in the Finals we will see San Jose vs. Washington.”

ESPN.com says its popular web series, Mayne Street returns next month.

Keibler, Kimmel among Guest Stars on New Mayne Street Webisodes on ESPN.com

ESPN.com’s original scripted series Mayne Street returns with six new webisodes Tuesdays at 9 a.m. starting Oct. 13. On Mayne Street, Mayne stars as himself in a fictionalized version of life at a sports television network. His reoccurring foils revolve largely around his fictional production crew, as well as other ESPN personalities. The new webisodes feature guest stars Stacey Keibler, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Simmons and Ben Stiller.

Showtime announces that Fox Sports’ Curt Menafee will host and call its ShoBox: The Next Generation series while regular host Nick Charles recovers from cancer.

NFL STUDIO HOST CURT MENEFEE TO JOIN

SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION ANNOUNCE TEAM

___________________________________________________________________________________

The Versatile Veteran Sportscaster To Sub For Nick Charles

Beginning With Live ShoBox Telecast, Friday, Oct. 2, 2009

NEW YORK (Sept. 28, 2009)–Veteran sportscaster Curt Menefee will join the ShoBox: The New Generation announce team, substituting for Nick Charles, the perennial host and play-by-play announcer who is currently battling bladder cancer.

Menefee will anchor the remaining ShoBox telecasts in 2009, joining color analyst Steve Farhood, beginning Friday, Oct. 2, when top-ranked super middleweight contender Allan Green (28-1, 20 KOs) takes on late replacement Tarvis Simms (25-0, 11 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

Also working the announce booth on Oct. 2 will be former light heavyweight kingpin Antonio Tarver who will be serving as guest commentator for his third stint on ShoBox.

“It’s an honor to be offered this role and to join the SHOWTIME Sports family,” Menefee said. “As a boxing fan, I feel as though I just scored a knockout victory. After watching the network for decades, I am honored to be a small part of the tireless and talented SHOWTIME Sports team.”

While Menefee is excited for the opportunity, he wishes Charles the best and hopes for a speedy recovery and return to ShoBox.

“I started as an intern at CNN in Atlanta in 1984 when Nick (Charles) and Fred Hickman were the hosts,” Menefee said. “It is difficult to hear what Nick is going through. I am pulling for him in this fight.”

Menefee is best known as studio host for FOX NFL SUNDAY alongside co-host Terry Bradshaw and studio analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan.

An avid sports fan, Menefee began his career at FOX Sports in 1997 as a sideline reporter, and later moved to the game booth to call play-by-play for NFL and NFL Europe League coverage on FOX Sports and FSN. Through his work at WNYW FOX5 and MSG in New York, Menefee established himself as one of the city’s most popular sportscasters.

Menefee has boxing broadcast experience, having provided ringside commentary for three international feeds for Top Rank, and is excited to work with Farhood.

“To have the opportunity to work on the ShoBox series with a historian like Steve Farhood is like taking a masters degree course from the professor who wrote the text book,” Menefee said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go to the SHOWTIME Sports website at http://sports.sho.com.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Malignaggi, Kendall Holt, Timothy Bradley and Bernard Dunne.

And Golf Channel gets ready for the next edition of Big Break.

It Will Take More Than Magic to Win Big Break Disney Golf

View preview of Big Break Disney Golf

http://video.thegolfchannel.com/temp_download/gc_bbdc_trailer_090809_16x9.wmv

(L- R) Andrew Giuliani, Andres Huber, Mike Perez, J.R. Reyes, Sean Kalin, Blake Moore, Gipper Finau, Kevin Erdman, Tony Finau, Vincent Johnson, Kevan Maxwell, Ed Moses

ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 28, 2009) – GOLF CHANNEL’s popular Big Break series returns for a 12^th season to a magical setting that will make one contestant’s dream of playing on the PGA TOUR come true. Premiering Oct. 13 at 10 p.m. ET, Big Break Disney Golf will showcase a field of 12 men – collectively the most talented cast in series history, but individually at different stages in their careers – battling for the opportunity to fulfill the desire to play professional golf at the highest level.

Shot mainly at both the Magnolia and Palm Courses at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., the winner of Big Break Disney Golf will receive an exemption to compete in the 2010 Children’s Miracle Network Classic on the PGA TOUR. The series marks the first time that a Big Break winner will compete in a TOUR event on the same course in which the series was filmed.

Utilizing unique venues throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, Big Break Disney Golf’s challenges also will take place at Main Street U.S.A., Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex and the Walt Disney World Speedway. Intertwined into several episodes will be cameos by PGA TOUR players and memorable moments from the Children’s Miracle Network Classic.

Mayne Street – Feed The Tape

In the last webisode of Mayne Street for a while, Kenny gets a huge scoop. The problem is getting the tape to Bristol for air. Nice to see Alison Becker get a prominent role this time.

Chris reminds me of Adam Brody of “The O.C.” for some reason.

Posting Press Releases Before Bedtime

After watching a completely boring Home Run Derby tonight in which I fell asleep in the easy chair, it’s time to post some press releases before I shut off the lights and go to bed.

I’ll begin with this release from MLB which states Walking Talking Conflict of Interest Bud Selig holds a Town Hall on Tuesday.

COMMISSIONER SELIG TO HOLD TOWN HALL CHAT ON MLB.COM

ST. LOUIS, July 13, 2009 — Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig once again will host an online Town Hall Meeting exclusively on MLB.com from Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest in St. Louis tomorrow, Tuesday, July 14 at 1:30 p.m. EDT.

A live video stream of the interactive chat session with baseball fans will be carried on MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball. A transcript of the dialogue, as well as an archived replay of the chat, also will be available.

The Commissioner will make brief opening remarks and then answer e-mailed questions from fans. Fans may submit their questions for the Commissioner via e-mail to allstarchat@website.mlb.com now.

Commissioner Selig will respond to fans’ questions in front of a live audience, including members of the media in St. Louis to cover the 80th All-Star Game tomorrow at Busch Stadium.

Sirius XM will have live coverage of the Open Championship this week.

BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AIRS NATIONWIDE ON SIRIUS XM RADIO

Comprehensive coverage from The Ailsa Course in Turnberry, Scotland airs July 16-19

SIRIUS XM will provide more than 45 hours of live on-course play-by-play Thursday through Sunday

NEW YORK – July 13, 2009 – SIRIUS XM Radio announced today that it will air the 138th British Open Championship live nationwide this Thursday, July 16, through Sunday, July 19, on XM channel 146 and on SIRIUS channel 209 with the “Best of XM” programming package.

SIRIUS XM will provide listeners with live hole-by-hole coverage of the Open Championship from The Ailsa Course in Turnberry, Scotland as well as live updates and analysis from SIRIUS XM’s T.J. Rives, Brian Katrek, Bob Stevens and Earl Forcey.

Live coverage will start Thursday and Friday at 3:00 am ET and Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 am ET and will continue until the conclusion of each day’s play. On-course coverage will be immediately followed by a two-hour wrap-up of the day’s action on Open Championship Replay, hosted live by T.J. Rives and Bob Stevens, which will include highlights, analysis and interviews with players. Following Open Championship Replay, SIRIUS XM will rebroadcast the day’s play-by-play during afternoon drive time and evening hours until live coverage begins the next morning.

In all, listeners will have access to more than 45 hours of live play-by-play from Thursday through Sunday plus comprehensive replays that will cover all the day’s highlights and the performances of the tournament leaders.

The Open Championship is the oldest, and to many the most prestigious, of golf’s four major championships. This will be the third championship hosted at The Ailsa Course, the last being won by Nick Price in 1994. Defending champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland, winner of the last two Open Championships, comes to Turnberry this week looking to take home the Claret Jug for the third straight time.

Golf fans will also hear daily talk and analysis by SIRIUS XM’s lineup of expert hosts leading up to tournament coverage.

Playing Thru hosted by T.J. Rives will air live Monday through Wednesday (8:00 – 10:00 am ET), followed by Making the Turn with Peter Kessler (10:00 – 11:00 am ET).

Tuesday morning (7:00 am ET), PGA TOUR member Chris DiMarco and broadcaster Greg Warmoth will host a new edition of their weekly talk show, oPINionated. DiMarco, who was the runner-up in 2006 British Open at Hoylake, will share his thoughts on the Open Championship and the players competing in this year’s event. oPINionated replays several times throughout the week.

On Wednesday (2:00 pm ET), Rives and Stevens will host the hour-long Open Championship Preview Show, giving listeners all the latest news and updates from Scotland plus a look at the championship field teeing off the following morning.

For more information on SIRIUS XM’s golf coverage, visit www.xmradio.com/pgatour.

While most of the world’s elite golfers are in Scotland for the Open Championship, those left behind in the States will take part in what used to be known as the Greater Milwaukee Open.

GOLF CHANNEL LIVE TOURNAMENT COVERAGE

July 13 – 19, 2009

U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee

Dates: 7/16 – 7/19

Venue: Brown Deer Park Golf Course, Milwaukee, Wis.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 4-7 p.m. (Live) / 1-4 a.m. (Replay) Friday 4-7 p.m. (Live) / 1-4: a.m. (Replay) Saturday 4-7 p.m. (Live) / 1-4 a.m. (Replay) Sunday 4-7 p.m. (Live) / 1-4 a.m. (Replay)

GOLF CHANNEL On-Air Talent:

Jerry Foltz (Play by Play)

Curt Byrum (Analyst)

Mark Lye (Tower)

Billy Ray Brown (Tower)

Dottie Pepper (On Course)

Scott Walker (Interviews)

Broadcast Notes: Mutual of Omaha Putting Line powered by Aimpoint, the graphics technology that predicts the break of a putt and suggests where a player must aim to hole out, will be used during the telecast on holes No. 16 and 18 at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

Congratulations to TNT’s Doug Collins and the New York Post’s Peter Vescey for being named as the recipients of this year’s Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Basketball Hall of Fame.

DOUG COLLINS and PETER VECSEY

NAMED RECIPIENTS OF PRESTIGIOUS

CURT GOWDY MEDIA AWARDS for 2009

Basketball Hall of Fame to Honor Legendary NBA and Olympic TV Commentator and longtime Pro Basketball Reporter and Columnist at 2009 Enshrinement Ceremonies, September 10-11.

SPRINGFIELD, MA – (July 13, 2009) – Doug Collins, the highly respected player and coach who is now the lead commentator for Turner Sports (TNT) and for NBC Sports’ coverage of basketball at the Olympic Games and Peter Vecsey, the longtime pro basketball writer for the New York Post have been selected to receive the 2009 Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during Enshrinement festivities scheduled for September 10-11, 2009 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The Gowdy Media Award is named in honor of the legendary sports broadcaster and former Basketball Hall of Fame President, the late Curt Gowdy. This prestigious award is presented annually to members of the print and electronic media whose longtime efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.

“The Gowdy Media Award is an honor that is very proudly presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in memory of the late Curt Gowdy, one of the legendary figures of sports media,” said John L. Doleva, Hall of Fame President & CEO. “Doug Collins and Peter Vecsey have dedicated much of their professional careers to report on the game of basketball while they entertain and educate millions of fans, readers and television viewers around the world. The Basketball Hall of Fame is very proud to recognize their extraordinary efforts.”

Former NCAA, NBA and Olympic player and NBA coach Doug Collins, the 2009 honoree for the Electronic Media, is widely recognized as the consummate NBA television color analyst. Collins brings a unique perspective and experience to the booth for Turner Sports broadcasts on TNT, providing insight from both the player’s and coach’s perspective. Following a very successful career as a player after being selected as the number one pick in the 1973 NBA Draft, Collins moved to the coaching ranks where he led the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98) and Washington Wizards (2001-03).

In 1989, Collins first joined the Turner Sports family as its NBA color commentator.

After leaving to pursue further coaching opportunities, he returned to Turner Sports in 2003. Collins is TNT’s lead analyst for both the NBA All-Star Game and the NBA Conference Finals.

In addition, Collins was the lead analyst for NBC, for which he called four NBA Finals and three Olympic Games. Overall, for the better part of the past two decades, Collins has been a mainstay in the television coverage of the NBA, providing viewers with expert analysis and anecdotes from his experiences from the bench and on the court.

Collins, a graduate of Illinois State University, was also a member of the 1972 Olympic team, which lost the gold medal to Russia with a controversial call after Collins hit two free throws to give the US an apparent victory. He and his wife Kathy have two children, son Chris and daughter Kelly.

Peter Vecsey, The 2009 Print award winner, is a longtime resident of New York who has spent the majority of his life in that great basketball city which recognizes him as one of the most prominent sports writers to ever cover the sport of pro basketball. A native of Queens, NY, Vecsey attended academic and athletic powerhouse Archbishop Molloy High School, and upon graduating in 1961, enrolled at Hofstra University. After graduating from Hofstra, Vecsey enlisted in the Armed Forces during the most intense period of the Viet Nam war and became a sergeant with the U.S. Army’s Green Beret Special Forces Unit from 1965 to 1967.

Vecsey currently writes his NBA column for the New York Post, providing insight to his many readers as he frequently breaks news of blockbuster trade details and the ‘behind the scenes’ information that pro basketball fans around the world crave on a daily basis. Vecsey has built a lifetime of valuable relationships and trustworthy sources who frequently provide him with access to confidential and newsworthy information. Vecsey is widely known for his open criticism of team executives, players and coaches, a sportswriting tactic that stirs up controversy. Vecsey has written his “Hoop du Jour” NBA column for the Post from 1976 through 1989, then covered the NBA for USA Today from October 1990 through September 1993 before returning to his New York roots at the Post.

While Vecsey is widely known for his news-breaking and reporting in print, he is no stranger to the television screen. During the 1987-88 season, he hosted a syndicated television show that highlighted the NBA with analyst and former New York Knicks coach and Hall of Famer Hubie Brown. In 1985 and 1986, he hosted a one-hour NBA talk show with Lee Zeidman on SportsChannel New York. Vecsey also worked as an “NBA Insider” on TNT, joining Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith in the award-winning studio show, as well as serving as one of “The Insiders” on NBC Sports’ pregame, halftime and postgame coverage of the game via “NBA Showtime,” where he regularly broke news stories and provided insight with player features, pregame reports, locker room gossip and sideline reporting.

Sportswriting runs in the Vecsey family, as Peter’s brother George Vecsey writes The Sports of the Times column for the The New York Times. Peter resides on Long Island with his wife, Joan, and their two children, Taylor and Joseph.

Previous Curt Gowdy Media Award Winners

Year Print Electronic

1990 Dick Herbert Curt Gowdy

1991 Dave Dorr Marty Glickman

1992 Sam Goldaper Chick Hearn

1993 Leonard Lewin Johnny Most

1994 Leonard Koppett Cawood Ledford

1995 Bob Hammel Dick Enberg

1996 Bob Hentzen Billy Packer

1997 Bob Ryan Marv Albert

1998 Larry Donald/Dick Weiss Dick Vitale

1999 Smith Barrier Bob Costas

2000 Dave Kindred Hubie Brown

2001 Curry Kirkpatrick Dick Stockton

2002 Jim O’Connell Jim Nantz

2003 Sid Hartman Hot Rod Hundley

2004 Phil Jasner Max Falkenstien

2005 Jack McCallum Bill Campbell

2006 Mark Heisler Bill Raftery

2007 Malcolm Moran Al McCoy

2008 David DuPree Bob Wolff

HBO will remember the late Arturo Gatti with a look back at the epic trilogy with Irish Mickey Ward this weekend.

HBO SPORTS TO COMMEMORATE THE CAREER OF ARTURO GATTI WITH SPECIAL REPLAY OF ONE OF BOXING’S ALL-TIME GREAT TRILOGIES

ARTURO GATTI VS. MICKY WARD I, II & III JULY 17 AND JULY 18

After televising 21 of Arturo Gatti’s riveting portfolio of professional prizefights from 1995 to 2007, HBO Sports will commemorate the career of former two-time world champion Arturo Gatti, with a special presentation of his classic trilogy when ARTURO GATTI VS. MICKY WARD I, II & III is seen FRIDAY, JULY 17 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO2 and Saturday, July 18 (10:15 a.m. ET/PT) on the main HBO service. The three fights will air consecutively on both days.

Arturo Gatti, 37, was found dead Saturday in Brazil.

Regarded by boxing historians as one of the great trilogies in boxing history, the three-fight series between the two junior welterweights featured no belts or championships on the line, but included 30 total rounds of non-stop action, remarkable displays of will and fortitude and unparalleled sportsmanship. The series began on May 18, 2002 in Uncasville, Conn. as an HBO “Boxing After Dark^®” presentation with Ward staging a surprising upset victory in an all-out battle. USA Today praised the fight, saying “the ninth round is one of the greatest action-filled [moments] in history.” The two met again on Nov. 23, 2002 in Atlantic City on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” and Gatti bounced back with a unanimous decision victory. The epic series concluded with another brilliant effort by both fighters on HBO on June 7, 2003 in Atlantic City, with Gatti scoring a unanimous decision victory.

A Montreal native, Gatti (40-9, 31 KOs) fought out of Jersey City, NJ and was one of boxing’s brightest stars during his exciting career. Ward, now 43, long known for his dogged determination and ring workmanship, hails from Lowell, MA and retired as an active fighter after the three showdowns with Gatti. Ward later trained his former opponent in the closing chapter of Gatti’s professional career.

Can you believe that ESPN.com’s web series Mayne Street is ending its current run with tomorrow’s webisode? Say it isn’t so?

Mayne Street Finale: Kenny Races against Time

Forget about Twitter. In the finale of the current run of ESPN.com’s original scripted series Mayne Street (debuts Tuesdays at 9 a.m.), Kenny discovers breaking news the old-fashioned way – through interviews. But, how is he going to get the golden footage back to the studio?

In Mayne Street, Mayne stars as himself in a fictionalized version of life at a sports television network. His reoccurring foils revolve largely around his fictional production crew, as well as other ESPN personalities. Mayne Street joins a lineup of video that is among the most popular online. ESPN.com captures nearly 50 percent of the total minutes spent by users viewing online sports video. In April, ESPN.com was No. 1 in the sports category with 72.3 million total streams, 59 percent more than the closest competitor for the month.

Finally, here’s what ESPN is covering for motorsports this week.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

NASCAR Nationwide Series in Prime Time from St. Louis

The NASCAR Nationwide Series races in prime time on Saturday night as it makes its only appearance of the season at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis. ESPN2 will have a live, high definition telecast of the 250-lap race on Saturday, July 18 beginning at 9 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

Also this weekend, live coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying airs Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, while coverage of final practice airs Friday, July 17, at 9 p.m.

Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro.

NASCAR Journalist Guests on NASCAR Now Roundtable

One of the most widely-read journalists regularly covering NASCAR racing will be a guest panelist on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program airing Monday, July 20, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Joining host Mike Massaro will be Associated Press motorsports writer Jenna Fryer, whose writing appears in hundreds of publications on a weekly basis, and Ryan McGee of ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com.

Nicole Manske hosts half-hour episode of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday through Friday of this week at 5 p.m. NASCAR Now originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

Inaugural Brickyard 400 Kicks Off NASCAR Week on ESPN Classic

The 1994 Brickyard 400 is regarded as one of the most important events in NASCAR’s 60-year history, and NASCAR fans will have an opportunity to go back in time and watch history in the making as ESPN Classic presents highlights of the watershed event on Monday, July 20, at 6 p.m. ET.

The presentation kicks four consecutive nights of past Brickyard 400 telecasts on ESPN Classic, helping get fans ready for the 2009 edition airing Sunday, July 26, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Jeff Gordon won the inaugural race in 1994, the first stock car race ever held on the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Also this week on ESPN Classic, the ESPN signature series SportsCentury featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. airs Wednesday, July 15, at 8 a.m.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing from Seattle on ESPN2

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues its western swing at Pacific Raceways near Seattle this weekend, and ESPN2 will air qualifying and eliminations action on a same-day basis. Qualifying from the NHRA Northwest Nationals airs Saturday, July 18, at 7 p.m. ET, with eliminations airing Sunday at 9 p.m. Finals coverage re-airs Monday, July 20, at 2 p.m. on ESPN Classic.

In one of the tour’s most breathtaking environments, Pacific Raceways is surrounded by towering Douglas fir trees and parked in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier. The trees add more than beauty at the middle stop on the Western Swing: They emit tons of power-enhancing oxygen to feed the appetites of the high-horsepower machines, resulting in prime performances.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

Other NHRA programming airing on ESPN Networks this week includes the 2003 Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals from Joliet, Ill., airing Monday, July 20, at 1 p.m. on ESPN Classic, following the noon presentation of an hour of NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series action from Topeka, Kansas.

Traxxas TORC Series Action on ESPN2 Sunday

Action from the Traxxas TORC Series returns to ESPN2 on Sunday, July 19, at 11:30 a.m. ET with highlights from the series event held in Bark River, Mich. The premier short-course racing series with the top stars in off-road racing, this exciting form of door-to-door action will appear on both ESPN2 and ABC this season.

The 2009 season features eight total rounds of racing. ESPN2 will air five rounds with three to appear on ABC, including a live telecast on ABC of the Crandon 40^th Anniversary of Off-Road Racing. Marty Reid, lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN on ABC’s coverage of the Indianapolis 500 and selected NASCAR races, will call all of the Traxxas TORC Truck Series events on ESPN2 and ABC. Joining Reid will be long-time extreme sports announcer Tes Sewell and former Miss USA Kimberly Pressler as pit reporter.

Red Bull X Fighters Return to ABC on Sunday

The Red Bull X Fighters international freestyle motocross tour returns to ABC on Sunday, July 19, at 1:30 p.m. ET. Highlights from an event at the Fort Worth (TX) Stockyards will be featured in the one-hour program.

The World Tour became the sport’s undisputed number one event last year. Taking the sport to the ultimate level and combining it with creative orchestration at iconic locations, the tour staged spectacular contests in the bull fighting arenas of Mexico City and Madrid, the stone quarry of Wuppertal in Germany, the Sambadrom parade ground in Rio de Janeiro, a rodeo arena in Texas and a gigantic historic stadium in Warsaw.

That’s it. Good night.

Mayne Street – Sweet Smell of Success

In the latest webisode of Mayne Street, Video Cowboy shows Kenny how he picks winners at the Belmont Stakes. And we get a guest appearance from Jeannine Edwards.

Not great. Not terrible. Average. Punch line was seen running from the backstretch.

Mayne Street – Cutbacks

The newest webisode of Mayne Street has Kenny and Video Cowboy dealing with cutbacks at ESPN. Check out cameos from Brian Kenny and Jeremy Schaap.

And we get our first appearance this season from Evan Mintz.

Still, not enough Alison Becker. We want more of Alison. Less of Evan Mintz.

The best part for me was Video Cowboy chucking the miniature camera down the hallway.

Monday’s Press Releases

I have quite a few releases to post tonight so let’s get to them and hopefully, I won’t fall asleep with the computer on.

I’ll begin with Fox Sports which says it will be Tweeting during the All-Star Game on July 14th.

FOX SPORTS ALL A-TWITTER AT 80^TH MLB ALL-STAR GAME

MLB on FOX Plans Extensive Coverage via Tweets from St. Louis;

Reporter/Insider Rosenthal to Answer Questions In-Game

New York – There’s no way to be 100% sure without checking each of MLB on FOX’s 10 prior MLB All-Star Game broadcasts, but it’s unlikely you’d find the words “Twitter” and “tweet” anywhere in the coverage. That’s about to change.

As communication via Twitter continues to grow, MLB on FOX plans extensive coverage of the 80^th MLB All-Star Game via the Internet-driven messaging service, it was announced today by FOX Sports president, Ed Goren. FOX Sports’ coverage of the Mid-Summer Classic begins at 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, July 14, live from Busch Stadium in St. Louis. In addition to “tweets” generated by the MLB on FOX on-air team and FOXSports.com in the days and hours leading up sports’ most-popular all-star event, MLB on FOX reporter and FOXSports.com MLB Insider extraordinaire Ken Rosenthal answers Twitter-submitted questions from fans as the game progresses.

“There’s no denying that Twitter is a communications phenomenon that continues to grow, and our hope is that those who follow us on Twitter will use it to deepen their enjoyment of the All-Star Game broadcast,” said Goren. “Ken is the best connected writer following the game today, and he’s been our biggest single tweeter. Our hope is that fans will have fun tweeting with him during the game, which in turn will make their All-Star Game experience more enjoyable.”

“I’m all about reaching fans with the information I gather, be it on-air, through FOXSports.com, via Twitter or our Facebook and Myspace pages,” added Rosenthal. “I’m sure time will permit me only a few on-air opportunities during the game, so this gives me a forum to answer as many questions from fans as possible and report more of what I learn and observe.”

Initiated as a complement to MLB on FOX on-air coverage to engage viewers more deeply, www.twitter.com/mlbonfox has broken news, provided in-game observations and insights, guided fans to exclusive columns at FOXSports.com, sent out dozens of exclusive photos and issued programming alerts and tune-in information. The twitter.com/mlbonfox page was launched at 12:52 PM ET on April 7, 2009 with a link to Rosenthal’s 2009 predictions, and since then over 9000 fans have become followers, with access to over 400 updates issued. A prolific contributor, Rosenthal is responsible for generating over 100 tweets, thus far this season. Besides Rosenthal, also contributing from St. Louis throughout All-Star festivities will be play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, game analyst Tim McCarver and dugout reporters Eric Karros and Chris Rose, who also serves as pre-game host.

Twitter reportedly has more than 10 million followers around the world at present, doubling its number over the last few months. Users exchange messages of no more than 140 characters, instantaneously.

Next, HBO Sports debuts Mayweather/Marquez 24/7 in August leading up to the Floyd Mayweather/Juan Manuel Marquez fight in September.

HBO SPORTS’ MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7,

A FOUR-EPISODE ALL-ACCESS SERIES LEADING UP TO THE PAY-PER-VIEW SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TWO BOXING SUPERSTARS,

DEBUTS AUG. 29, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

NEW YORK, June 29, 2009 – With the intriguing showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez rescheduled for Sept. 19 in Las Vegas, HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured seven Sports Emmy^® Awards, will premiere MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 on SATURDAY, AUG. 29 (10:15-10:45 p.m. ET/PT), it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. The all-new, four-episode, all-access series spotlights a host of intriguing storylines, with Floyd Mayweather, the sport’s most irrepressible superstar, returning after a year-and-a-half absence to face Juan Manuel Marquez, one of boxing’s most accomplished performers, as they prepare for their September pay-per-view showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Noted Greenburg, “Now that the fight has been rescheduled, we are excited to resume production. This latest edition of ‘24/7’ features all the ingredients that we look for in greenlighting the ‘24/7’ franchise: big-time boxing stars, engaging storylines and in Floyd’s case, a larger-than-life personality that is tailor-made for reality television.” Episodes two and three of MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 debut on subsequent Saturdays – SEPT. 5 (10:00-10:30 p.m.) and 12 (10:00-10:30 p.m.) – while the finale debuts FRIDAY, SEPT. 18 (9:30-10:00 p.m.), just one night before the fight. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand.

MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with in-depth interviews, as these determined warriors prepare for their mega-fight. This is Mayweather’s third “24/7” appearance, while Marquez is making his HBO reality series debut. Regarded as the best boxer of his era, the undefeated Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) is back after a brief self-imposed retirement. A training camp injury forced the fight date to be reset to Sept. 19.

Marquez is a dynamic fighter (50-4-1, 37 KOs) from Mexico City who shares at least one thing with his flashy opponent: They’re both willing to fight anybody in the sport, regardless of division. Marquez is moving up from the lightweight ranks to challenge boxing’s most provocative star.

Storylines for this fast-paced series will include the interaction between Mayweather and his uncle/trainer, Roger Mayweather, and Marquez’s rock-solid relationship with his longtime trainer Ignacio Beristain.

MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 is the latest installment of the widely acclaimed “24/7” franchise that began in 2007 on HBO with “De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7” and “Mayweather/Hatton 24/7.” The series continued in 2008 with “Calzaghe/Jones 24/7” and “De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7,” and resumed in 2009 with “Pacquiao/Hatton 24/7.”

Newsday.com has observed, “HBO’s 24/7 series is the best sports program on television. Bar none.”

At the 2009 Sports Emmy^® Awards, “De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7” was honored in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthologies, while “Calzaghe/Jones 24/7” was honored in the categories of Outstanding Edited Sports Special, Outstanding Editing and Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound. At the 2008 Sports Emmy^® Awards, “De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7” was honored in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Special, while “Mayweather/Hatton 24/7” was honored in the categories of Outstanding Camera Work and Outstanding Writing.

On Saturday, Sept. 19 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), HBO Pay-Per-View presents “Mayweather vs. Marquez,” live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The executive producers of MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; coordinating producer, Dave Harmon. Liev Schreiber narrates.

ESPN previews the next webisode of Mayne Street.

Fresh Mayne Street Hits the Web(Tues. 9 a.m.): Kenny Experiences the Economic Wrath

This week, ESPN.com’s original scripted series Mayne Street (Tuesdays at 9 a.m.) features Kenny and his crew dealing with the current recession. Fans also learn the fate of Kenny’s boss Evan Mintz. ESPN personality Kenny Mayne stars as himself in a fictionalized version of life at a sports television network.

Mayne, known for his dry wit and offbeat sensibilities, maneuvers through each of the three- to five-minute Webisodes, six overall, in the clever and entertaining style that has made him one of ESPN’s most popular personalities. Mayne’s reoccurring foils consist largely of his fictional production crew, which includes his producer Sarah (Alison Becker); Video Cowboy (Jon Glaser); production assistant Chris (Chris Smith); network executive Evan Mintz (Ben Schwartz), as well as ESPN personalities Jeremy Schaap, Linda Cohen and others.

Mayne Street joins a lineup of video that is among the most popular online. ESPN.com captures nearly 50 percent of the total minutes spent by users viewing online sports video. In April, ESPN.com came in No. 1 in the Sports category with 72.3 million total streams, 59 percent more than the closest competitor for the month.

Golf Channel previews the tournament action you’ll see this week.

GOLF CHANNEL TOURNAMENT COVERAGE

June 29 – July 5, 2009

AT&T National

Dates: 7/2 – 7/5

Venue: Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 3 – 6 p.m. (Live)/ 8:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Prime Replay)

Friday 3 – 6 p.m. (Live)/ 8:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Prime Replay)

Saturday 1 – 2:30 p.m. (Live) / 8 – 9:30 p.m. (Replay)

Sunday 1 – 2:30 p.m. (Live) / 8 – 9:30 p.m. (Replay)

GOLF CHANNEL On-Air Talent:

Kelly Tilghman (Play by Play)

Nick Faldo (Analyst)

Peter Oosterhuis (Tower)

Frank Nobilo (Tower)

Bobby Clampett (On Course)

Billy Ray Brown (On Course)

Steve Sands (Reporter)

Broadcast Notes: Thursday – Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET, PGA TOUR Primetime will re-air the opening rounds of the AT&T National with special bonus coverage not seen during the live telecast… In addition to Thursday and Friday’s coverage, GOLF CHANNEL will air live early round action on the weekend beginning at 1 p.m., and will re-air CBS Sports’ live tournament coverage at 9:30 p.m… Mutual of Omaha Putting Line powered by Aimpoint, a graphics technology that predicts the break of a putt and suggests where a player must aim to hole out, will be used during the telecast on holes No. 9 and 17 at Congressional Country Club… GOLF CHANNEL reporter Steve Sands is a native of Washington D.C. and will cover his hometown event.

Open de France ALSTOM

Dates: 7/2 – 7/5

Venue: Le Golf National, Paris, France

Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday 8 – 11 a.m. (Live)

Sunday 8 – 11 a.m. (Live)

Hank Haney and PGA.com Sign Development Deal for Exclusive Golf Instruction Series

One of golf’s top instructor to provide tips on all facets of the game in webisode series on the Official Site of The PGA of America

PGA.com, the Official Site of The PGA of America, announced today a development deal to air an exclusive online series of golf instructional segments from world renowned golf coach and 25-year PGA member Hank Haney. As part of this Hank Haney-branded instructional platform, this webisode series is expected to begin production in the next few months and will include golf tips on all aspects of the game, both mental and physical.

Haney, the 1993 PGA Teacher of the Year, is the golf coach to the world’s #1 player Tiger Woods. He has taught golf since 1976 and given over 40,000 lessons around the world. Haney has also given instruction to over 200 touring professionals from the PGA TOUR to the LPGA, Champions, European, Japanese, Australian and Asian Tours. Haney, who is represented by Octagon, also has his own television series on The Golf Channel called “The Haney Project” which, in its inaugural season, featured his personal insight and golf instruction to NBA legend and TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley.

“PGA.com is a leading resource for golf instruction and I am excited to incorporate some of the tips and practice methods I use on a daily basis into their site,” said Haney. “I am really excited about this partnership as the instructional content we will be releasing will help golfers of all ages and abilities with many aspects of their game.”

“Hank is a great motivator with a great work ethic,” said Barkley. “He has helped me understand my swing better and I’m confident his online lessons will do the same for many other golfers of all ages.”

“PGA.com is proud to partner with a teacher as accomplished and well-respected as Hank Haney, one of the world’s pre-eminent golf instructors and a long-time PGA Professional,” said Matthew Hong, vice president and general manager of sports digital at Turner Sports. “The addition of instructional video from Hank to the existing industry-leading content at PGA.com will continue to make the site a premier destination for golfers of all levels looking to improve their game.”

ESPN previews its week in motorsports on its family of networks.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

NASCAR Nationwide Series on ESPN in Prime Time from Daytona

A high-speed, Friday night shootout in prime time is expected when the NASCAR Nationwide Series makes its second visit of the season to Daytona International Speedway this weekend. ESPN will have a live, high definition telecast of the Subway Jalapeno 250 on Friday, July 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Saturday, July 4, at 3 a.m. on ESPN2 and again at noon on ESPN Classic.

Also this weekend, live coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying airs Friday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, while coverage of final practice airs Thursday, July 2, at 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN on ABC’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty, owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

In other NASCAR-related programming this week, ESPN Classic airs the 1995 Save Mart Supermarkets NASCAR Cup race from California’s Infineon Raceway on Monday, July 6, at 6 p.m. In addition, ESPN Classic will air an episode of the award-winning series SportsCentury earlier that day at 8 a.m. The episode features NASCAR star Tony Stewart.

Craven, LaJoie, Newton on NASCAR Now Roundtable

ESPN NASCAR analysts Randy LaJoie and Ricky Craven and ESPN.com reporter David Newton will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program airing Monday, July 6, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Mike Massaro slides into the host role for a half-hour episode of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday, June 30, at 5 p.m., while Nicole Manske hosts the remainder of the week, with shows Wednesday and Thursday at 5 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m. Manske also hosts the one-hour weekend edition that airs Saturday, July 4, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. Craven will join Manske on the set, while Massaro and Angelique Chengelis will report from the track.

NASCAR Now originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

IndyCar Series Races at Watkins Glen Live on ABC

The IndyCar Series goes road course racing at one of America’s historic venues this weekend when it competes Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y. ABC will have live coverage of the event on Sunday, July 5, at 1 p.m. ET.

Watkins Glen has hosted the IndyCar Series annually since 2005, when Scott Dixon won the inaugural event and went on to win three consecutive years. Ryan Hunter-Reay scored an upset victory last year.

Marty Reid will call the race for ESPN on ABC’s coverage with analysis by former IndyCar Series star Scott Goodyear. Reporting from the pits will be Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch.

NHRA Programming Includes Classic Sonoma Event, Sportsman Series

Four hours of NHRA drag racing programming will air on ESPN Networks this week, including a classic event with the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and three hours of action with the Lucas Oil Sportsman Series.

ESPN Classic airs highlights from the 2003 Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., on Monday, July 6, at 1 p.m. ET.

Action from the recent event at Norwalk, Ohio, will be featured in an hour-long program of Lucas Oil Sportsman Series competition on Saturday, July 4, at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.

ESPN Classic airs two hours of Sportsman competition on Monday, July 6, at 2 p.m. The first hour features action from Baytown, Texas, while racing from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway airs at 3 p.m.

Featuring race vehicles that range from 5-second Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars to 15-second Stockers, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is the premier Sportsman series in drag racing. Eight categories are included in the series, which is showcased at select NHRA national events. ESPN’s Dave Rieff will anchor the coverage from Norwalk.

And Comcast SportsNet New England is asking fans to predict which young athlete will be the next big thing in Boston.

PREDICT WHICH BOSTON YOUNG GUNS WILL BE THE NEXT “GREATS” BY RATING THE TOP 20 UNDER 25 AT CSNNE.COM

BURLINGTON, MA – The general managers of the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots pride themselves on player development and the results – 6 combined league titles – speak volumes. Some next generation players like Dustin Pedroia and Vince Wilfork are well on their way to prolific careers, while an even younger crop is quickly rising to the big leagues.

Comcast SportsNet asks fans to rate its select list of the “Top 20 Under 25” to predict which players are the next hall of famers, all-stars, consistent starters, role players or busts. Fans can rate CSN’s Top 20 Under 25 at CSNNE.com through Thursday, July 2. The results will be unveiled that night on the 6:30 and 10 p.m. editions of Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight.

The Top 25 Under 25:

Name Age Stats

Clay Buchholz, Red Sox 24 5-1, 1.9 ERA, 80.2 IP (Pawtucket 2009)

Kendrick Perkins, Celtics 24 5.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.3 BPG (career)

Laurence Maroney, Patriots 24 30 G, 1,673 YDS, 4.3 AVG, 13 TD (career)

Justin Masterson, Red Sox 24 8-7, 3.36 ERA, 147.1 IP, 118K (career)

Matt Hunwick, Bruins 24 66 GP, 6 G, 22 A (career)

Kevin O’Connell, Patriots 24 2 G, 23 YDS, 3.8 AVG/ 0 TD (career)

Daniel Bard, Red Sox 23 0-0, 3.44 ERA, 17 SO (career)

Patrice Bergeron, Bruins 23 303 GP, 80 G, 148 A (career)

Glen Davis, Celtics 23 5.58 PPG, 3.5 RPG (career)

Rajon Rondo, Celtics 23 9.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, 1.7 SPG (career)

Jerod Mayo, Patriots 23 16 G, 128 TT, 100 SOLO (career)

David Krejci, Bruins 23 144 GP, 28 G, 72 A (career)

Junichi Tazawa, Red Sox 23 7-4, 71 K, 2.92 ERA, 77 IP (Minor career)

Blake Wheeler, Bruins 22 81 GP, 21 G, 24 A (career)

Michael Bowden, Red Sox 22 3-4, 3.11 ERA, 49 SO (Pawtucket 2009)

Tuukka Rask, Bruins 22 5 GP, 3-1, 2.46 GAA, 1 SO

Lars Anderson, Red Sox 21 .257 AVE, 7 HR, 35 RBI (Minor career)

Phil Kessel, Bruins 21 222 GP, 66 G, 60 A (career)

Bill Walker, Celtics 21 3 PPG, 1 RPG, (career)

Milan Lucic, Bruins 21 149 GP, 25 G, 44 A (career)

CSN’s list of Top 20 Under 25 was complied from the collective expertise of CSN’s on-air and on-line contributors including hosts Gary Tanguay and Michael Felger, producer Kevin Miller, and Wicked Good Sports contributors Rich Levine and Jason Levine.

That’s going to do it for the press releases. Back tomorrow.

Mayne Street – I Didn’t Say That

In the latest installment of Mayne Street, Kenny subs for ESPN Radio no-talent hack Colin Cowherd and then has to get revenge afterwards. Of course, the webisode has to plug Colin’s new show, “SportsNation”.

Nice cameo by Barry Melrose. This actually worked. I know it’s fictional, but any time you make no-talent hack Cowherd look bad, I’m all for it.

A Huge Pile of Press Releases to Review

This is going to be a long post. Get ready to scroll for a while. Let’s do this without further delay.

“LIVE AT WIMBLEDON” STREAMING COVERAGE ANNOUNCED BY NBC SPORTS & ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS CLUB

First-Ever Widely Available Free Wimbledon Streaming in U.S. Features Live Matches From Multiple Courts, Alternate Camera Angles, On-demand Replays & More

“Live at Wimbledon” is Accessible at NBCSports.com & Wimbledon.org

NEW YORK – June 22, 2009 – NBC Sports and the AELTC combine to present Live at Wimbledon, providing live streaming and on-demand access to The Championships, Wimbledon it was announced today. The Live at Wimbledon video experience, which will be powered by Microsoft Silverlight, marks the first time that coverage of The Championships, Wimbledon will be widely available in the U.S. via free, live online streaming.

The All England Club's U.S. network partner, NBC Sports, is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Breakfast at Wimbledon and is in its 41st consecutive year as the broadcast home of Wimbledon. NBC Sports will present more than 38 broadcast hours of coverage over nine days from Wimbledon beginning this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, and includes live coverage of the Gentleman's and Ladies' Finals. All matches televised by NBC Sports are available online at Live at Wimbledon via NBCSports.com and Wimbledon.org. 

In addition to NBC Sports broadcast coverage, Live at Wimbledon will offer live streaming of up to four concurrent courts, on-demand replays of the best matches from every day of The Championships, alternate camera angles for NBC Sports semifinal and final match coverage, daily video highlights, and Golden Moments from the Wimbledon archive, including an on-demand replay of the classic 2008 Gentlemen's Finals between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, that NBC Sports' John McEnroe said was the "greatest match we've ever seen."  

Live at Wimbledon will be available starting today, the first day of The Championships, Wimbledon with on-demand coverage. Live streaming of NBC Sports coverage and additional matches will begin on Saturday, June 27, concluding with the Ladies' Final on Saturday, July 4 at 9 a.m. ET and the Gentlemen's Final on Sunday, July 5 at 9 a.m. ET.  

The Live at Wimbledon video experience will be powered by Microsoft Silverlight and offers the first implementation of Live Smooth Streaming for U.S.-based audiences. Silverlight and Live Smooth Streaming enable NBC Sports and Live at Wimbledon to deliver true high definition (HD)-quality streaming video for both live NBC Sports broadcast and on-demand coverage. Live at Wimbledon users will also be able to experience digital video recorder (DVR)-like controls, such as the ability to pause live action, skip back to drive their own instant replays, and join live broadcasts mid-event. Microsoft partnered with application service provider iStreamPlanet to build the Live at Wimbledon video player and handle content acquisition, encoding, and origin hosting with Akamai providing the delivery of the content.  

"NBC Sports has a proud tradition of Wimbledon coverage, and we are even prouder to extend our coverage online with the all-new Live at Wimbledon," said Perkins Miller, Senior Vice President, NBC Sports & Olympics, Digital Media.
"Tennis fans in the U.S. can now widely follow Wimbledon online both live and on-demand, and the quality of the Live at Wimbledon video player will only enhance their viewing experience."  

"Building on the success of the NBCOlympics.com broadcast of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, we're excited to partner with NBC Sports once again to provide Silverlight and the unique capabilities of Live Smooth Streaming to power Live at Wimbledon," said Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the .NET Developer Platform at Microsoft Corp. "Silverlight enables NBC Sports to provide Wimbledon fans true HD-quality video content and DVR-like features, dramatically improving the quality of the online viewing experience over previous years."

During the Wimbledon fortnight, ESPNews will add a live morning show to its schedule featuring updates from SW19 in London.

ESPNEWS Adds Live Morning Show During Wimbledon

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, June 23, ESPNEWS will televise a live half-hour program weekdays at 10 a.m. ET to focus on Wimbledon, with highlights, live look-ins to matches and post-match press conferences, along with other sports news. The program will complement ESPN2’s extensive day-long coverage which starts at 7 a.m., and will continue until Friday, July 3. The extended coverage from Wimbledon will continue throughout the day on ESPNEWS.

NEW YORK, June 22 – 2009 U.S. Open golf champion Lucas Glover will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, June 23 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. In only the second victory of his PGA Tour career, Glover shot a final round 3-over par 73 to take the rain-delayed tournament Monday, finishing with a two-shot victory over runners up Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Ricky Barnes.

Also on the LATE SHOW Tuesday will be author and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and musical guests MSTRKRFT with John Legend. The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Maria Pope, Jude Brennan and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

NBC has rescheduled the U.S. Open Challenge, originally supposed to air this past weekend, for the July 4th holiday.

GOLF DIGEST U.S OPEN CHALLENGE RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, JULY 4 ON NBC SPORTS  Event Featured Jordan, Timberlake, Roethlisberger Playing Bethpage Black 

NEW YORK -- June 22, 2009 - NBC Sports' broadcast of the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 4 at 2 p.m. following NBC Sports' coverage of the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Final. The event had been originally scheduled for broadcast yesterday leading into NBC Sports' final round U.S. Open coverage but weather delays forced programming changes.

Michael Jordan, Ben Roethlisberger, Justin Timberlake and amateur winner Larry Giebelhausen all set out with the goal of breaking 100 at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, the site of the 2009 U.S. Open Championship.

The group played all 18 holes of the Black Course from the back tees under strict USGA rules.

In the December 2008 issue, Golf Digest asked readers to send in a six-word essay on why they thought they could break 100 at Bethpage Black. The four finalists were narrowed down from 73,581 essays that were submitted. Larry Giebelhausen a police lieutenant of Scottsdale, Ariz., won the online vote with "I'm a cop, I'll shoot low."

Golf Channel tells us that a new original series hosted by actor Anthony Anderson premieres on Tuesday.

GOLF CHANNEL CHRONICLES THE GAME OF LIFE THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF WITH NEW ORIGINAL TELEVISION SERIES GOLF IN AMERICA

Golf in America Sneak Preview

10-Part Series, Hosted by Anthony Anderson, Premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 22, 2009) – GOLF CHANNEL’s newest original series, Golf in America, will travel coast-to-coast to discover never-before-told stories, larger-than-life characters and inspirational people to capture the spirit of the game of golf. Hosted by film and television actor Anthony Anderson (Law & Order, Transformers), the 10-episode series premieres this Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.

Whether it is a one-of-a-kind golf course situated within the walls of a Louisiana prison, or how golf is being used as both physical and psychological therapy for wounded soldiers returning from the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan – Golf in America will chronicle stories in stunning HD from celebrities such as Justin Timberlake and Donald Trump to everyday people across the country who are all unified by the sport. GOLF CHANNEL’s Rich Lerner, Kelly Tilghman, Jim Gray, Brandel Chamblee and John Feinstein are among the contributors that will help bring Golf in America stories to life as series correspondents.

Tuesday’s premiere episode features the triumphant tale of a group of friends who attempted their annual winter golf pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina via Flight 1549 which landed in the Hudson River; Bethpage Black, the first public course to host the U.S. Open; and a massive underground bunker constructed for Congress during the height of the Cold War hidden beneath the stately resort of The Greenbrier in the hills of West Virginia.

Golf in America airs Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET on GOLF CHANNEL.

NBA TV and NBA.com Suit Up for 2009 NBA Draft with Extensive Multiplatform Coverage

NBA TV and NBA.com will provide fans with all-access coverage leading up to, and continuing throughout, the 2009 NBA Draft, which will be held at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, June 25th.

For the first time, Tennessee Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl will join NBA TV’s draft night coverage to provide a unique perspective on the NBA Draft Preview Show at 6 p.m. ET and the 2009 NBA Draft Recap at Midnight ET. In addition, Pearl will provide blogs on NBA.com titled “Pearl’s Gems” with his insight on the NBA Draft and prospects.

The NBA Draft coverage will be fully integrated with multiplatform content on NBA TV and NBA.com, with unprecedented opportunities for fans to interact with the NBA TV analysts, voice their opinions and access detailed information about each draft selection.

In addition to pre and post-draft analysis, an expert panel of announcers including host Rick Kamla, analysts Kenny Smith, Steve Smith and Pearl will provide Instant Analysis of key draft selections that will be available exclusively on NBA.com. NBA Insider David Aldridge will be on-hand for NBA TV and NBA.com with breaking news updates about trades. Also, reporter Craig Sager will be on hand at Madison Square Garden in New York City to interview players moments after they are selected in the draft via the Virtual Green Room, streamed on NBA.com. NBA Assistant Director of Scouting Ryan Blake will be in New York to provide scouting reports and draft analysis of international players throughout the night.

“The level of interactivity and depth of our 2009 Draft coverage is unprecedented as we deliver broad professional analysis and exclusive content generated by players and fans across our TV, Internet and Wireless platforms” said Bryan Perez, SVP and GM of NBA Digital. “We are thrilled to add Bruce Pearl to our industry leading analyst team as he brings great energy and insight having coached against many of the draft prospects on a collegiate level.”

NBA TV will offer original studio programming leading up to the NBA Draft including:

• NBA GameTime: Coming Attractions (Tuesday, June 23, 7 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla, analyst Steve Smith, NBA Insider David Aldridge and Ryan Blake review the NBA.com mock drafts to anticipate possible selections for the 2009 NBA Draft.

• NBA GameTime: Interactive Draft Room (Wednesday, June 24, 7 p.m. ET): Host Andre Aldridge and NBA Insider David Aldridge will interact with fans during a live webcast on NBA.com from 4-5 p.m. ET. The show will use interactive platforms including NBA.com Fan Forums and NBA TV’s Twitter account to generate fan content, questions and comments related to the draft. The Interactive Draft Room will air on television at 7 p.m. ET.

• Division Review Shows (Friday, June 26, 7 — 10 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla and NBA Insider David Aldridge break down each division, team-by-team, to assess the impact of the draft on the team. Each team segment will also be available on NBA.com.

• NBA.com will also offer additional exclusive content including: player blogs from draft prospects Blake Griffin, Tyler Hansbrough and Stephen Curry; an exclusive interview with DKV Joventut player Ricky Rubio from Spain; a live press conferences of the top draft selections; a live draft trade chart to track team trades; prospect profiles and highlights; photo galleries, polls and fan reaction via NBA.com’s Fan Voice forums.

This leads into ESPN’s plans to air the NBA Draft this Thursday.

ESPN, Inc. to Present 63^rd Annual NBA Draft

Draft Televised in HD For First Time

For the seventh consecutive year, ESPN will provide exclusive live coverage of the NBA Draft Thursday, June 25, at 7 p.m. ET from the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. ESPN’s NBA Draft telecast will be available in high definition – for the first time – on ESPN HD. Stuart Scott will host ESPN’s coverage with college basketball analyst and Draft expert Jay Bilas and NBA analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. Additional contributors will include international basketball expert Fran Fraschilla; college basketball analyst Dick Vitale (via satellite); on-site reporters Ric Bucher and Andy Katz; on-site interviews by Mark Jones; green room interviews by Lisa Salters; and field reporter Rachel Nichols from Tarrytown, N.Y., site of the New York Knicks’ training facility.

ESPN’s comprehensive multimedia presentation of the NBA Draft will also include a live broadcast on ESPN Radio; a live simulcast on ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV; SportsCenter Specials on ESPN June 22-24; expanded ESPNEWS coverage; ESPNU and ESPN International programming; ESPN Mobile Properties content; comprehensive reporting and analysis on ESPN.com; and an ESPN The Magazine Draft preview (on newsstands now).

ESPN’s Draft telecast will display a constant crawl on-screen graphic at all times – including during commercial breaks – continuously providing up-to-the-minute Draft updates including picks, trades, team-by-team summaries, player stats, the results of ESPN.com’s interactive polling in real time, Bilas’ “Best Available” prospects and Fraschilla’s top international prospects. The crawl will also feature team needs, which will include perspectives from Jackson and Van Gundy. Additionally, those viewing the NBA Draft via ESPN HD will have access to this information and more throughout the entire telecast (with information included within the side columns of the screen).

NBA Draft production elements:

• Jay Bilas’ in-depth analysis of the top prospects;

• video conferencing with 15 team headquarters (Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Indiana, Los Angeles Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Minnesota, New Jersey, Phoenix, Portland and Washington) providing immediate access to the key team personnel in this year’s Draft;

• “Draft Cam” from the Draft rooms of the Los Angeles Clippers (No. 1 pick in the Draft), Memphis Grizzlies (No. 2 Draft pick) and Minnesota Timberwolves (three first-round selections), providing a unique window to the decision makers as they make their selection;

• more than 130 player highlight packages featuring top prospects;

• behind-the-scenes video of prospects as they endure testing and measurements at the Chicago Pre-Draft camp;

• a special production shoot involving several of the top players in the Draft including Stephen Curry (Davidson), DeMar DeRozan (USC), Wayne Ellington (North Carolina), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), James Harden (Arizona State), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Ty Lawson (North Carolina) and Hasheem Thabeet (UConn), providing content for a wide range of purposes – promotions, bumps, features, etc.

Draft commentator highlights:

• Dick Vitale, ESPN NCAA basketball analyst since 1979 and a former NBA coach, will appear via satellite;

• Fran Fraschilla, who has done extensive overseas scouting, will report on and evaluate the international field of players;

• Mark Jones will conduct interviews with the NBA draftees on site once they are selected;

• Lisa Salters will interview key figures (players, their families, college coaches, etc.) in the league’s Green Room;

• ESPN The Magazine senior writer Ric Bucher will cover breaking news, including trade talks;

• ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz will report on breaking NBA Draft news, along with information pertaining to college players;

• Rachel Nichols will report from Tarrytown, N.Y., the site of the Knicks’ training facility. The Knicks hold the No. 8 pick in the Draft.

2009 NBA Draft Preview – June 24 at 10 p.m.
Stuart Scott, Jay Bilas, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy will preview the NBA Draft in a live program on ESPN Wednesday, June 24, at 10 p.m. from Madison Square Garden. Analyst Fran Fraschilla and reporters Ric Bucher and Andy Katz will also contribute to the telecast. The one-hour preview will include live interviews with prospects, features, athlete profiles and in-depth analysis of team needs.

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio’s exclusive, live national coverage of the NBA Draft will tip off Thursday, June 25, at 7 p.m. with Marc Kestecher hosting and Will Perdue, Steve Lavin and Doug Gottlieb providing analysis and player profiles. ESPN The Magazine senior writer Ric Bucher will serve as on-site reporter providing behind-the-scenes information.

SportsCenter Specials June 22-23

ESPN2 will televise 60-minute SportsCenter Specials Monday, June 22, at 10 p.m. and Tuesday, June 24, at 9:30 p.m. Matt Winer will host the shows with analysts Jalen Rose (Monday and Tuesday), Len Elmore (Monday), Doug Gottlieb (Monday) and Steve Lavin (Tuesday), and reporters J.A. Adande and Andy Katz.

ESPNEWS

ESPNEWS will offer extensive Draft coverage with daily content including analysis from Jay Bilas and Fran Fraschilla and reporters Andy Katz and Ric Bucher, along with interviews with Draft candidates; NBA Draft preview segments; interviews with team executives; and live coverage of post-selection player news conferences.

ESPNU

ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will televise games featuring NBA Draft prospects Tuesday, June 23, through Friday, June 26. Draft prospects to be featured include DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh), Stephen Curry (Davidson), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), James Harden (Arizona State), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Jrue Holiday (UCLA) and Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut).

ESPN International

ESPN International will offer a live telecast of the NBA Draft in the Atlantic (sub-Saharan Africa) and Pac-Rim regions.

ESPN.com

Content leading up to the Draft:

• ESPN’s Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, with his popular NBA Draft Diary;

• Chad Ford, Andy Katz, Chris Sheridan and Marc Stein reporting on the latest Draft news, trade talk and relative storylines;

• Ford’s Mock Draft 6.0 (June 23) and 7.0 (June 25, with updates throughout the day), predicting all first- and second-round picks;

• Ford’s podcast with NBA Draft insiders;

• John Hollinger’s Draft Rater – Hollinger’s new formula which projects NBA performance for college prospects and international players;

• Mock Draft Machine, allowing users to be the general manager for each franchise;

• Video breakdown of all the top NBA Draft prospects;

• ESPN.com’s Original Digital video feature “The Rookie: Blake Griffin,” plus a behind-the-scenes feature on this year’s hot prospect;

• TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott interviewing Draft prospects leading up to the draft;

• Conversation pages for each team’s fans to discuss the Draft;

• Ford’s 2009 NBA Draft Workout Tour (including special Insider content from the Reebok Camp in Treviso, Italy);

• Ford’s Insider content from the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.

Content on Draft night:

• ESPN.com NBA Draftcast, a real-time application displaying picks, stats, analysis, chats and videos;

• Breaking news on NBA Draft night trades from Ric Bucher, Chad Ford, Andy Katz, Chris Sheridan and Marc Stein.

• Chats with players after they are selected in the Draft;

• Ford’s pick-by-pick instant analysis;

• Ford’s team-by-team draft grades;

• Live chats between Draft picks;

• Live SportsNation polling;

• Katz’s Draft recap;

• ESPN Radio live streaming Draft coverage;

• ESPN television interviews with top picks;

• Conversation pages for each team fans to discuss team prospects and position;

• TrueHoop Live Blog of NBA Draft from Madison Square Garden; content also distributed thru Abbott’s Twitter feed;

• TrueHoop Network pick-by-pick reaction from team bloggers;

• Player reaction to the draft on ESPN.com video.

Post-Draft day:

• 2010 NBA Draft Index;

• 2010 NBA Draft Top 100;

• Conversation pages for each team’s fans to discuss team prospects and position;

• Jay Williams; team-by-team analysis on ESPN.com video;

• Analysis from ESPN TV commentators at the NBA Draft on ESPN.com video

ESPN Mobile TV

ESPN Mobile TV will provide full simulcast coverage of the NBA Draft and ESPN’s industry-leading mobile Web site will have a special Draft section allowing fans to follow all the selections in real time. Fans will also be able to sign up for mobile alerts, providing instant selection updates and breaking news. ESPN MVP on Verizon wireless will feature news, updates, alerts management and video clips from the NBA Draft.

ESPN The Magazine

ESPN The Magazine’s current issue (on newsstands now) offers a preview of the NBA Draft including a Mock Draft featuring current players making the picks for their respective teams. Top five picks:

1) L.A. Clippers (selected by Ricky Davis) – Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

2) Memphis Grizzlies (selected by Rudy Gay) – Hasheem Thabeet, UConn

3) Oklahoma City Thunder (selected by Russell Westbrook) – James Harden, Arizona State

4) Sacramento Kings (selected by Spencer Hawes) – Ricky Rubio, Spain

5) Washington Wizards (selected by Antawn Jamison) – DeMar DeRozan

New Mayne Street Tuesday: Kenny & Colin in a War of Words

The latest episode of ESPN.com’s original scripted series Mayne Street (debuts Tuesdays at 9 a.m.) is loaded with familiar personalities including Colin Cowherd and Barry Melrose. In this installment, Cowherd insults Kenny and chaos ensues. ESPN star Kenny Mayne continues to play himself in a fictionalized version of life at a sports television network. Mayne’s reoccurring foils consist largely of his fictional production crew, as well as other ESPN personalities.

Mayne Street joins a lineup of video that is among the most popular online. ESPN.com captures nearly 50 percent of the total minutes spent by users viewing online sports video. In April, ESPN.com came in #1 in the Sports category with 72.3 million total streams, 59 percent more than the closest competitor for the month.

This has been broached by other blogs and I’ve been trying to ignore it, but here’s a release on Chris Berman getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Great.

Berman to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame committee announced that ESPN’s long-time host Chris Berman has been selected to receive a star on the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame as a tribute for his body of work in sport television. Berman, along with 28 others from the worlds of motion pictures, television, live theater, and recording, will be honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in the coming year. Other honorees include Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Adam Sandler, Jimmy Kimmel, Russell Crowe, Roy Orbison, John Cusack, Van Morrison, ZZ Top, Sam Waterston and Ringo Star. The recipients were chosen among more than 200 nominees. Berman joined ESPN shortly after the network launched. The company will celebrate its 30th anniversary September 7.

One more release from ESPN. The new ESPN Chicago site is going to team up with the new Huffington Post Chicago website as part of a new sharing agreement.

ESPNCHICAGO.COM AND THE HUFFINGTON POST CHICAGO

ENTER INTO EXCLUSIVE CONTENT SYNDICATION AGREEMENT

ESPNChicago.com and The Huffington Post Chicago (huffingtonpost.com/Chicago) today announced an exclusive content syndication agreement in which HuffPost Chicago will provide ESPNChicago.com with news headlines and blog posts, and ESPNChicago.com will be the exclusive provider of sports content to HuffPost Chicago, including breaking news, opinion and sports calendars.

“Politics, news and sports play a unique role in the identity of Chicago,” said Marc Horine, vice president of digital partnerships and sales development for ESPN. “The combination of ESPNChicago.com and the Huffington Post Chicago brings to Chicago the best news sources and most varied and passionate voices.”

“It’s a natural fit for HuffPost Chicago to team up with ESPNChicago.com as they both offer the constant news updates, smart opinion and information that Chicagoans want online,” said Ben Goldberger, Editor of the Huffington Post Chicago. “We’re excited to bring ESPN’s mix of the best sports news, analysis and information to our sports-hungry readers.”

ESPNChicago.com sports content complements HuffPost Chicago’s unique blend of news and opinion, which ranges from politics and local news to food and style. The Huffington Post Chicago will supplement ESPNChicago.com’s local content which includes ESPN Radio 1000, and Chicago news, traffic and weather from ABC-owned TV station WLS.

I guess I had another ESPN press release in my inbox. Here’s what the network has planned for various motorsports events this week.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

NASCAR Nationwide Series on ABC from New Hampshire

The Magic Mile, New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., hosts the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend, and the race will air on ABC with a live, high definition telecast on Saturday, June 27, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Sunday, June 28, at 3 a.m. on ESPN2 and again at 10 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN on ABC’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

In other NASCAR-related programming this week, ESPN Classic airs the 1998 Daytona 500 NASCAR race from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, June 27, at 5 p.m.

Park Joins Daugherty, Brewer on NASCAR Now Roundtable

Former NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner Steve Park will join ESPN NASCAR analysts Brad Daugherty and Tim Brewer as panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program on ESPN2. The program airs Tuesday, June 30, at midnight ET (late Monday night). Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Mike Massaro slides into the host role for half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday through Thursday of this week at 5 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m. Massaro also hosts the one-hour weekend edition that airs Sunday, June 28, at the special time of 8 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Daugherty and Brewer will join Massaro on the set, while Shannon Spake and Angelique Chengelis will report from the track.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Bestwick and Nicole Manske and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing from Ohio on ESPN2

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series travels to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, this weekend, and ESPN2 will air qualifying and eliminations action on a same-day basis. Qualifying from the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals airs Saturday, June 27, at 8 p.m., with eliminations airing Sunday at 7 p.m. Finals coverage re-airs Monday, June 29, at 10 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

The series will make its third appearance at Summit Motorsports Park, which three years ago underwent a $4 million improvement project. The event closes the first half of the season and is the final one on the tour before teams head west for the grueling Western Swing, The event also is the site of the eight-car Pro Stock bonus event, the K&N Horsepower Challenge, the winner of which receives $50,000.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at noon to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

Traxxas TORC Series Action on ESPN2 Sunday

Action from the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL returns to ESPN2 on Sunday, June 27, at 12:30 p.m. ET with highlights from the series event held in Crandon, Wis. The premier short-course racing series with the top stars in off-road racing, this exciting form of door-to-door action will appear on both ESPN2 and ABC this season.

The 2009 season features eight total rounds of racing. ESPN2 will air five rounds with three to appear on ABC, including a live telecast on ABC of the Crandon 40^th Anniversary of Off-Road Racing. Marty Reid, lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN on ABC’s coverage of the Indianapolis 500 and selected NASCAR races, will call all of the Traxxas TORC Truck Series events on ESPN2 and ABC. Joining Reid will be long-time extreme sports announcer Tes Sewell and former Miss USA Kimberly Pressler as pit reporter.

HBO previews Bryant Gumbel’s interview with Jim Brown and Bill Russell on Real Sports tomorrow.

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL

CONDUCTS A JOINT INTERVIEW WITH ICONS JIM BROWN AND BILL RUSSELL, WHEN THE EMMY^®-WINNING SHOW RETURNS TUESDAY, JUNE 23

Janet Van Ham/HBO

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL presents more enterprising features and reporting when its 147th edition, available in HDTV, debuts TUESDAY, JUNE 23 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.

Segments include:

*Legends. In an exclusive joint interview, REAL SPORTS host Bryant Gumbel sits down with two icons of the 1960s: gridiron great Jim Brown and basketball immortal Bill Russell. Beyond their hall of fame achievements, both were also outspoken figures in a turbulent period of racism, social activism and profound change. For this expanded segment, Brown and Russell reflect together on the extraordinary events of the era they helped shape, provide candid insights into present-day athletes and reveal the depth and importance of a previously untold friendship they’ve shared for nearly 50 years.

Producer: David Scott.

CNBC will air a documentary on Ultimate Fighting in July.

CNBC’S “ULTIMATE FIGHTING: FISTFUL OF DOLLARS” will premiere on Wednesday, July 29th at 10PM and 1AM ET. The documentary will re-air on Friday, July 31st at 1AM and Sunday, August 2nd at 10PM ET.

It's a hit business like no other. And CNBC is ready for a rematch.

Ultimate Fighting Championship – the premiere name in the sport of mixed martial arts.

CNBC takes a new look inside the biggest brand in brawling with "Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars," a fresh take on CNBC's original Emmy-nominated documentary from 2007.

Correspondent Scott Wapner travels to Germany for the UFC's first-ever event in mainland Europe, and goes inside the Octagon with Dana White, the controversial front man, as well as billionaire backers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. Wapner also profiles a stable of skilled fighters who have helped the league grow from a dying franchise to a global sensation in less than a decade.

It's a mix of muscle and mayhem that is making money hand over fist.

CNBC's "Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars" premieres Wednesday, July 29.

Finally, National Geographic Channel will start a new series next Monday on bringing us closer to rare species of fish.

HOOKED: VAMPIRE FISH

Monday, June 29, 2009, at 10 PM ET/PT

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/hooked/4255/Overview

Trek to remote regions of the world for up-close encounters with monster fish armed with mouthfuls of razor-sharp teeth. In the Amazon, scientist Dr. Justin Grubich embarks on a risky expedition to record the dental imprints of two natural-born killers — the pacu, a cousin of the piranha with teeth and jaws that look human, and the “vampire fish.” Nicknamed for its 2-inch fangs, this megafish can literally “suck your blood.” By studying their bite impressions, Grubich hopes to learn how these river monsters are adapting to a food chain affected by pollution. Then, in the Congo, join the hunt for an elusive river assassin that bears teeth like a dragon and fights with the fury of a pit bull — the Goliath tiger fish. Down under in Australia, see a group of fishing daredevils reel in a great white as we’ve never seen before — using just a rod and reel, they swim bait out into shark-filled waters and pull in their catch … from shore, using a vehicle! In order to tag and track the migration and growth patterns of great whites, the ingenious team fashioned a special chair that hooks to a truck, allowing them to reel in their catch safely. Then, we come face-to-face with the long, broad snout and daggerlike teeth of the alligator gar in the southeastern United States.

BRAZIL: Ichthyologist, fish tooth, and jaw specialist, Justin Grubich, Ph.D., investigates tooth diversity in Characiform fishes of the Amazon. Here he holds open the mouth of a Payara, also known as the “Vampire Fish.” The Payara earns its “vampire” nickname with a set of two-inch daggers thrusting up from its bottom jaw. (photo credit © Julia Dorn)

In the new series of Hooked, we also feature fish biologist, conservationist and National Geographic Explorer Zeb Hogan on a five-year mission to help preserve the world’s biggest freshwater fish.

Here’s a video preview for the series.

Video “Hooked on Hooked!” – If you’ve every reveled in the thrill of the catch, you are going to love this show hook, line and sinker:

As usual, great stuff from NatGeo. Thanks to the channel’s fine publicist, Minjae Ormes for sending these releases to me.

And that finally finishes this press release post.

Mayne Street, "First and Ten"

In the latest installment of Mayne Street, Kenny ruins things with Scoop Jackson. This was very funny. Kenny tweeted last week that he liked this webisode more than the season premiere. I can see why.

In this extra video, the lovely Alison Becker and Video Cowboy talk about composting.

We’ll post another video of Mayne Street next week.

Mayne Street "Twitter"

We have the season premiere of ESPN.com’s web series, Mayne Street. I can’t believe we went to a second season, but to be honest, I was mildly entertained by it, especially when Alison Becker is on.

In this webisode titled, “Twitter”, Kenny decides he will communicate to everyone only by Twitter. Look for a special appearance by the lovely Linda Cohn.

We also have some bonus material. This is “Video Cowboy’s Sad Day”.

More bonus material. Here, Video Cowboy and Alison Becker do a rolling chair race.

Finally, Alison and the cast of Mayne Street tour the ESPN headquarters.

Like we did with the 1st season, we’ll be posting the Mayne Street videos as they become available.

Mayne Street, Part 14

In the next to last webisode of the series, Kenny and the gang go out for a meal and as usual, things don’t go as well as planned when more people latch onto their table. There are cameos by chef Bobby Flay and former cast members of “The Sopranos”, Dominic Chianese, Steve Schirippa and Tony Sirico.

Not too bad. Not as funny as the last episode. The last webisode of the series runs on Friday. We’ll post it then.

UPDATE – Apparently, this is the last episode of the series.

Mayne Street, Part 13

I guess ESPN is not counting the Robbie Maddison jump the satellite dish as an official webisode in the series and they’re calling this Part 13. Whatever. Actually, this is a pretty funny webisode.

First, Sarah’s back. Second, Robin’s back. Third, it’s another in the formula where things go horribly wrong. In this webisode, Kenny, Sarah and Robin go to the house of a sick kid only to find that mom and son are very dysfunctional.

This is the best webisode of the series. Great stuff. Of course with the best webisode, there’s no extra video. When it’s posted, I’ll put it here.

Mayne Street, Part 12

In this webisode, Kenny tries to get motorcycle daredevil Robbie Maddison to jump ESPN’s satellite dishes, but of course, nothing turns out like Kenny wants. Plus, this is a cheap way for ESPN to promote Maddison’s New Year’s Eve jump in Las Vegas.

In addition, watch for a funny cameo by Linda Cohn.

Here’s some bonus content from the webisode.

That’s it. I believe there are three more webisodes in the series.

Mayne Street, Part 7

This is entitled “Beijing”. Kenny, producer Sarah, shooter Cowboy and production assistant Jordan find they can’t go to Communist China for the Olympics so they try to fake it in New York’s Chinatown with some disastrous results.

To be honest, this was a promising premise and from what I saw of the preview last night, I had high hopes, but I’m not feeling it after seeing the webisode. Maybe you feel differently.

Mayne Street, Part 6

After a delay for the Thanksgiving Weekend, Part 6 of Mayne Street is out. In this webisode, Kenny, producer Sarah and executive Robin share a room at a hotel and quickly find themselves foils on a website. Enjoy.

Robin is a bedwetter. Actually, this one is pretty funny.

Mayne Street, Part 5

This is the 5th installment of the so-so web series, Mayne Street. I’ll continue to post them through its conclusion. In this webisode, Kenny prepares for SportsCenter five minutes before air just like any good SportsCenter anchor would.

We love Alison Becker as Sarah. “Kenny!!!! Where are your pants????” This is definitely the funniest of the series to date.

Just because I can, I give you some bonus content.

Mayne Street, Part 4

Here’s the 4th installment of the ESPN web series, Mayne Street. In this episode, Kenny has to conduct a major interview in a clown suit. Watch and you’ll see why.

Hmmmm. I’m not seeing the humor in this one. Promising start, but not very good at the end.

Mayne Street, Part 3

Through all of the BCS news, I almost forgot that the third webisode of Mayne Street was out today.

This installment deals with Kenny playing poker with his boss, Evan Mintz, SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett and SportsCenter anchor Chris McKendry.

Your Friday Megalinks, Part Deux

Ok, time to provide you with the Part 2 of the Friday megalinks after Part I was done this afternoon. Not only that, I can also provide you with updates from the links that I had provided earlier.

But let’s pick up where we left off.

Midwest

Marc Katz of the Dayton Daily News talks with Dayton native Jon Seibel who’s holding his own on ESPN Radio.

Michael Zuidema from the Grand Rapids (MI) Press writes that Fox NFL analysts Brian Billick and Jimmy Johnson don’t think it’s unrealistic for the Detroit Lions to go 0-16 this season.

And Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel say Billick and Johnson still like the Packers’ chances this season.

Shannon Ryan has the weekend viewing recommendations for Chicagoans in the Tribune.

Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald says ESPN.com’s Mayne Street is one of the reasons why the internet is ruining the world. That’s a bit harsh. Perhaps Ted needs to get away from his computer and go to the Mosquito Coast.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says there’s a battle over the radio rights to the St. Louis University Billikens men’s basketball team.

West

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret (UT) News writes that fans can only watch BYU at Utah on the mtn. and nowhere else.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the world’s oldest goff tournament is breaking a new barrier, showing all four rounds on US cable TV. Jay also has the ratings from the San Diego market for last weekend.

John Maffei of the North County Times talks with CBS/CBS College Sports/Sports Radio USA college football/NFL analyst Dan Fouts about his multitasking this season.

Jim Carlisle in the Ventura County Star wonders if the BCS and the Rose Bowl could be cable exclusives come 2010.

The Los Angeles Times’ Diane Pucin says Anaheim Angels owner Arte Moreno is subtly using his own sports radio station to throw his team’s hat into the ring for free agent Manny Ramirez.

Over to the crosstown Los Angeles Daily News where Tom Hoffarth writes about LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks fans’ unhappiness over Fox Sports West’s excessive use of rinkside cameras during telecasts. Tom has extensive media notes including news about Hazel Mae joining the MLB Network. Tom says USC football voice Pete Arbogast managed to talk himself out of doing fill-in work for USC basketball. Good job, Pete. And Tom reviews the week in blogging.

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers GM Scott McCloughan gave some cryptic answers when being interviewed this week.

Gary Washburn from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer writes that sports is getting less of a presence on local TV newscasts.

Canada

William Houston of the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that the internet is adding a huge wrinkle in the sports broadcasting business.

The Toronto Star’s Chris Zelkovich says much of Ontario province won’t be able to watch the Raptors this Sunday thanks to a conflict between TSN and Rogers Cable.

Now to some more links from the regions I already did in the first part of today’s megalinks.

National

A couple of things from The Big Lead. First, it reports that NBC Sports is expected to layoff employees at its website and the New York television office. And Yahoo! Sports has widened its lead over ESPN.com as far as hits and traffic are concerned.

Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media ran a semi-live blog from the Nashville Predators-Anaheim Ducks game.

Kevin Downey of Media Life Magazine says sports TV is no longer recession-proof.

Steve Lepore of Puck the Media has decided to make following Jack Edwards’ calls a regular feature and he has the video of Jack going over the top during Thursday’s Habs-Bruins game.

Daniel Frankel of Variety writes that the new Ski Channel launches on Christmas Day on two prominent services.

And that will do it.

Your Friday Megalinks, Part I

I’ll give you the megalinks in two parts today. Part I comes out now. Part II will come out tonight.

As usual, I give you the Weekend Viewing Picks.

Football dominates the viewing this weekend with a little college basketball sprinkled in.

For the NFL, CBS has the doubleheader for the second consecutive week and has both Manning brothers on its air. Among the early games, the defending champs, the New York Football Giants host Baltimore and Indianapolis hosts Houston are both on CBS. Then at 4:15 p.m., CBS carries San Diego at Pittsburgh and Tennessee at Jacksonville. Fox’s regional coverage includes Chicago at Green Bay. And on Sunday night, NBC has another NFC East battle, this one pits the Cowboys at the Redskins. Sunday’s schedule is in the NFL Viewing Picks.

To the colleges, College Gameday will be live from Tallahassee, FL for the Hampton-Florida A&M game. And after that, there’s not much to showcase. There’s Notre Dame vs. Navy on CBS at noon. Versus has USC at Stanford at 7 p.m. And in primetime on ABC, Boston College is at Florida State and Oklahoma State at Colorado. The College Football Viewing Picks have the entire national coverage.

For college basketball, ESPNU has a quadrupleheader on Sunday, Bradley at Florida at 2:15 p.m., my Rhode Island Rams at Duke at 4:30 p.m., LeMoyne at Syracuse at 6:30 p.m. and UMKC at Kansas at 8:30 p.m.

NASCAR’s final event of the season, provided that ABC doesn’t cut off the end of the race in favor of America’s Funniest Home Videos, is the Ford 400 at 3:45 p.m. Sunday.

HBO’s World Championship Boxing has Jermain Taylor taking on Jeff Lacy and you can see the replay of Joe Calzaghe’s win over Roy Jones, Jr. on the program that starts at 10:15 on Saturday night.

The Golf Channel has the Lorena Ochoa Invitational from Mexico over the weekend at 3:30 p.m.

And the ATP tennis tour finishes its season with the Masters Cup from Communist China. FSN has the semi-finals live on Saturday morning at 6:30 and again on tape at 1 p.m. The finals can be seen Sunday at 1 p.m.

Now let’s get to your links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand reviews the NFL TV partners’ rookie analysts, gimmicks and other features.

This comes from The Big Lead. It’s always sad to hear when brothers-in-blogging decide to stop posting and the excellent Fire Joe Morgan blog has done just that. Hopefully, the guys at FJM will reconsider and come back every once in a while.

Guest blogging for Darren Rovell, CNBC sports producer Tom Rotunno writes that Justin Timberlake becomes the first non-golfer to endorse Callaway Golf products.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says the YES Network starts a series of sports business specials tonight.

Larry Barrett of Multichannel writes that ESPN scored with the finale of the World Series of Poker.

The great Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media blog looks at the migration of sports from network TV to cable.

Thanks to Awful Announcing, ESPN stopped a casting call for a commercial full of ethnic stereotypes.

Steve Lepore’s Puck the Media has part 2 of its NHL Tournament of Announcers. And Steve has video of the good Jack Edwards calling Wednesday’s Bruins-Chicago game. If you need a reminder of the bad Jack, Steve has the video of him calling the Stars-Bruins brawl from earlier this month.

The Sports Media Watch has some ratings news from this week. And the SMW looks at the NFL primetime ratings for Week 10.

East

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell of the Boston Globe talks with ESPN’s and my fellow Rhode Islander Doris Burke about her expanded role with the NBA.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post writes about the slew of no-shows shown during the Grizzlies-Knicks game.

Also from the Post, Justin Terranova has five questions for the new #1 CBS college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg. And Justin talks with MSG Network’s Mike Breen about the Knicks.

Bob Raissman from the New York Daily News says NFL fans in the surrounding areas of Boston and New York were shut out of last night’s Jets-Patriots game.

Newsday’s Neil Best says it might have been weird for both Giants and Jets fans to hear Giants voice Bob Papa call last night’s Jets-Pats game for the NFL Network. In his blog, Neil says SNY will replace studio analyst Lee Mazzilli with Bob Ojeda. Neil reviews the NFL Network telecast which technically was not up to par in my opinion. And Neil says WPIX added a “C” to Erik Boland’s name during the Giants pregame show.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union also provides a review of last night’s NFL Network (to which I agree 100 percent). Pete also lists his Top 10 NFL TV game analysts. In his column, Pete suggests that NBC’s John Madden is no longer ready for primetime.

Laura Nachman says legendary Philadelphia sportscaster Bill Campbell will be honored next week.

From the Baltimore Sun, Ray Frager tells readers not to feel slighted by the national media.

Jim Williams from the DC/Baltimore Examiner says Notre Dame-Navy headlines the college football action and college basketball begins on MASN tonight.

South

Doug Nye from The State says new coaching eras for both of the University of South Carolina’s basketball teams will on display this weekend.

Dave Darling in the Orlando Sentinel likes ESPN.com’s Mayne Street web series.

Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram looks at a new book by former Cowboys defensive lineman Bob Lilly.

David Barron in the Houston Chronicle says the Astros will remain on their radio flagship station for the foreseeable future.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News says Mavericks analyst Bob Ortegel was dead on last night. And Barry interprets Fox Sports’ NFL analyst Jimmy Johnson’s answer.

From the Oklahoman, Mel Bracht reminds us not to call former media critic Bob Knight a member of the media now that he’s expanded his role at ESPN. Mel says Oklahomans won’t be watching high school football for the next few weeks. And Mel writes that Cox Communications will be showing MLB Network when it launches on New Year’s Day.

That concludes Part I of the Friday Megalinks. I’ll have Part II coming up this evening.

Mayne Street, Part 2

This is the second installment of the ESPN web series, “Mayne Street”. In this webisode, Kenny meets his insane 26 year old boss.

Quickie review. It’s not bad. Kenny with the faux homeless guy plugging Louie’s Original Roast Beef was funny. Otherwise, the character of Kenny’s boss is not funny. Overall grade – B.

EDITED TO ADD – A quick note. ESPN reports that there were 2.5 million views of the first webisode of Mayne Street. Here’s the press release:

Kenny Mayne Is Popular: 2.5 Million Views of First Episode of ESPN.com’s “Mayne Street” in 48 Hours

In its first 48 hours “Mayne Street” – the new scripted online series from ESPN.com starring Kenny Mayne – was viewed nearly 2.5 million times, making it the site’s most viewed single video in the past six months.

Additionally, the first episode was the most viewed ESPN video on iPhones, and the additional “Mayne Street” clips, promos and outtakes on ESPN.com accounted for nearly one million additional video views.

“The great start for Mayne Street illustrates the huge opportunity that exists for creative content at ESPN, not just on TV but on any platform,” said Keith Clinkscales, senior vice president, content development and enterprises, ESPN. “Whether it’s online, on a phone, in a magazine, on TV or on any combination, creative and original content is at the heart of how we serve fans.”

Mayne Street launched on ESPN.com on Tuesday, and will debut its second episode Friday, at 9 a.m. ET. Watch episode 1 of “Mayne Street” here: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/feature/index?page=maynestreet

“Mayne Street” joins a lineup of video that is among the most popular online. ESPN.com averages more than 120 million video views per month. In the past year, the site logged more than 50 percent of the total minutes spent by users for the entire sports online video category, more than four times the nearest competitor.

“Mayne Street” stars ESPN personality Kenny Mayne and a cast of characters in special guest appearances. Mayne plays himself in a fictionalized version of life at the center of sports television.

The ESPN veteran known for his dry wit and offbeat sensibilities, maneuvers through each of the 15 three- to five-minute webisodes in the kind of clever and entertaining style that has made him one of ESPN’s most popular personalities. Mayne’s re-occurring foils consist largely of his fictional production crew which includes his producer, Sarah (Alison Becker); cameraman, Video Cowboy (Jon Glaser); production assistant, Jordan (Jordan Carlos); network executive, Mintz (Ben Schwartz); Mintz’s right hand, Robin (Aubrey Plaza); as well as other ESPN personalities including Scott Van Pelt, Neil Everett and others.

That’s not bad for the web. We do think Alison Becker is cute. Actually, I think Alison Becker is cute, but you get the idea.

Links on Veterans Day Or This is My 2,400th Post

You’re not counting, but I am and this is the 2,400th post of this blog.

It comes on Veterans Day where we salute those who have served and the fine men and women who are currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts around the world. I thank you for all you have done to keep us safe from harm and to continue to keep the world safe for democracy. We cannot understate our appreciation.

Now let’s get to your links.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with former ABC Monday Night Football voice Frank Gifford who has written a book on what the NFL has termed, “The Greatest Game Ever”, the 1958 Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants. Neil has a little more about his column in his blog.

The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir writes about NBC moving its digital line of scrimmage marker to try to prove its point that Eli Manning did not go beyond it thus avoiding a penalty during a key stretch during Sunday night’s Giants-Eagles game.

The New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman enjoyed listening to Al Michaels and John Madden debate whether Manning crossed the line of scrimmage.

One aside. I love watching Betty Nguyen on CNN. She’s in Atlanta today anchoring CNN Newsroom while Heidi Collins is on the USS Intrepid in New York.

Keith Groller of the Allentown Morning Call says not even John Madden could agree with Eagles coach Andy Reid’s decisions.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun says fans of every NFL team feel the national media does not respect them.

David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News says ESPN2 will pick up the Phillies season opening game on April 5.

Doug Moe of the Wisconsin State Journal profiles a pair of free-lancers who do work for ESPN on various projects.

Robbi Pickeral of the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer writes that North Carolina fans will have a dilemma on Saturday as the football and basketball teams will be playing at about the same time.

Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press says NASCAR fans are still baffled as to why ABC cut off the last 34 laps of the race in Phoenix to go to America’s Funniest Home Videos.

The Birmingham (AL) News rips ABC for its NASCAR cutaway.

David Whitley of the Orlando Sentinel says this proves that NASCAR is not a big player in sports.

Rich Bozich of the Louisville Courier-Journal previews an E:60 story on a local boy who plays sports on one leg.

The Daily Toreador, Texas Tech’s student newspaper, has the police report for the week. Scroll down to November 8 and you’ll see that ESPN is reporting that various items including a banner and microphones were stolen from the Tech-Oklahoma State game.

William Houston of the Toronto Globe and Mail has various hockey analysts lobbying for a shorter regular season and looks at the ratings for the first CFL Saturday playoff games.

Here we go. The very first webisode of ESPN.com’s “Mayne Street” starring Kenny Mayne with a special guest appearance from Scott Van Pelt.

Ok, it’s nothing special, but seeing Scott Van Pelt blow up? That’s funny.

I have to post some breaking news. I’ll cut this a bit short. I’ll have more later.