Mike Tirico: Ben Hogan of golf announcers with his majors schedule

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I know Mike Tirico is going to love that headline.

After Ben Hogan’s car accident, he limited his schedule to playing mainly in the majors, with a few exceptions here and there. In 1953, he played in only six tournaments. He won five, including the Masters, U.S. and British Opens.

Tirico now is pulling a Hogan. At least as far as his golf schedule is concerned.

ESPN’s current golf deal has Tirico working as the network’s point man for the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open this year. In 2014, he also will host the first day of ESPN’s Ryder Cup coverage.

Only the biggies for Tirico. Not bad work if you can get it.

I know Tirico, who once served as ABC’s lead golf announcer, would love to cover more golf if he could. But I’m fairly sure he is pleased with his current rotation.

Tirico gets a bonus this week. Unlike the Masters and U.S. Open, ESPN will handle all four rounds of the British Open in their entirety. The marathon coverage will give Tirico a healthy workout. It’s a treat for us too, since he is one of the best in the business.

Also want to give some props to Scott Van Pelt, who does a nice job with his role on ESPN’s golf coverage.

Like me and virtually everyone else who has been there, Tirico says the British Open is his favorite tournament. He told Andy Hall for ESPN’s Front Row:

It brings us back to the birthplace of golf, and there are so few sports that truly touch roots and origin the way golf does. So to come back whether it’s England, or especially like this year, Scotland, after two years in a row in England, it just really brings up the history in the game. For all of us who love the game, to be here with this major championship is a lot of fun for all of us to cover and see. Plus, this is the one major not in the U.S. We’re spoiled. We have three majors, three of the best golf championships in our own backyard, so this is the one that involves the rest of the world.

 

Hawk Harrelson night on MLB Network: New documentary chronicles most interesting life

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My latest Chicago Tribune column focuses on tonight’s new documentary: Hawk: The Colorful Life of Ken Harrelson. You can access here via my Twitter feed.

The White Sox announcer truly has led a remarkable life, hanging with a who’s-who of sports and beyond. He tells tales about Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Jack Nicklaus, Vince Lombardi, Rocky Marciano, Howard Cosell and more. And those are only the stories that made it into the film.

From the column:

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For one, maybe two generations, Ken Harrelson is known strictly as the voice of the White Sox, the team’s most passionate fan behind the microphone.

Yet there is much, much more to “Hawk.” He was a flamboyant, trend-setting player during a time of great change for baseball in the 1960s. He hung with everyone and anyone in sports and beyond. Heck, Harrelson says he was with Joe Namath the night before Super Bowl III.

And it wasn’t just baseball. Harrelson was a good enough golfer to qualify for the 1972 British Open at Muirfield. Naturally, it was Jack Nicklaus who persuaded him to make the trip to Scotland.

It’s all there in “Hawk: The Colorful Life of Ken Harrelson.” The documentary debuts at 6 p.m. Thursday on MLB Network.

Harrelson said he was flattered that MLB Network wanted to do a film about him.

“They asked me some questions that I hadn’t been asked in years about things that I hadn’t thought about in years,” Harrelson said. “It was really interesting. They brought some things out of me that I just hadn’t thought about.”

Narrator Bob Costas sets the stage early on.

“Baseball has had its share of characters, but few are as colorful and more enduring than Ken ‘Hawk’ Harrelson,” Costas said.

The portion about Harrelson’s broadcasting style will be familiar territory to Chicago baseball fans. Costas jokes, “Above all, (Harrelson is) an objective, down-the-middle broadcaster.”

Yet the heart of the documentary is Harrelson telling one story after another about his experiences in and out of the game. MLB Network interviewed him in the Sox broadcast booth and at his home, where he was wearing a Blackhawks cap.

“I wasn’t interested in doing a five-minute piece on him,” producer Bruce Cornblatt said. “He’s an incredible storyteller. The details are so engaging. We just wanted to turn on the camera and let it go.”

 

An inspired idea: Now up to Olbermann to make it work

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It really couldn’t have worked out better for ESPN. The network needed to diffuse some of the hype being generated by the pending launch of Fox Sports 1.

Also with some hints that ratings are eroding in certain places, the network had to create a program that will get people talking.

Welcome back, Keith OIbermann.

I think it’s a terrific idea with massive upside potential. Olbermann is a unique talent with unique views. He remains passionate about sports. Don’t get him started talking about “Merkle’s Boner.”

Plus, Olbermann is a big name with a proven track record on ESPN. Who are you going to watch at 11 p.m.: A couple of unknown guys from Canada on Fox Sports 1 or Olbermann’s new show of ESPN2?

In my mind, his hiring makes more sense than counting on an 81-year-old Regis Philbin to drive a sports talk show. No offense, Regis.

Besides, what’s the risk for ESPN President John Skipper? He is inserting Olbermann in a ESPN2 slot that is basically virgin territory. And if Olbermann proves difficult to work with again? OK, been there, done that.

It all is on Olbermann’s shoulders to make this work. There’s a good reason why he sounded somewhat contrite during a teleconference Wednesday. At 54, he realizes opportunities like this aren’t going to come around again.

“I’ve been gone for 16 years and not one day in that time has passed without someone connecting me to the network,” Olbermann said. “Our histories are indelibly intertwined and frankly I have long wished that I had the chance to make sure the totality of that story would be a completely positive one. I’m grateful to friends and bosses — old and new — who have permitted that opportunity to come to pass. I’m not going to waste it.”

 

Welcome back to the wide world of sports, Keith. If the stories aren’t about you, Olbermann could be a big hit for ESPN2.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s official: Olbermann’s new show starts Aug. 26

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ESPN isn’t wasting any time. Question: Did the specter of Fox Sports 1, which debuts Aug. 17, hasten Olbermann’s return to ESPN?

Here’s the official release from ESPN. More to come.

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Keith Olbermann, who worked for ESPN from 1992-1997, will return to the company with a late-night program Monday-Friday on ESPN2, starting Monday, Aug. 26, it was announced by ESPN President John Skipper. Titled Olbermann, the show will generally be presented at 11 p.m. ET from ABC’s Times Square studios in New York City.

The program will focus on the day’s relevant sports topics through a mix of perspective and commentary, interviews, contributors, panel discussions and highlights.

“Keith is a one-of-a-kind personality and these shows will be appointment viewing for that very reason,” Skipper said. “Keith brings a blend of editorial sophistication and unpredictability — you can never be sure what you’ll get. Olbermann on ESPN2 gives viewers the quality late-night complement to ESPN’s SportsCenter in the same way we’ve developed distinct show options across our networks the rest of the day.”

Olbermann noted: “Apart from the opportunity to try to create a nightly hour of sports television that no fan can afford to miss, I’m overwhelmed by the chance to begin anew with ESPN. I’ve been gone for 16 years and not one day in that time has passed without someone connecting me to the network. Our histories are indelibly intertwined and frankly I have long wished that I had the chance to make sure the totality of that story would be a completely positive one. I’m grateful to friends and bosses – old and new – who have permitted that opportunity to come to pass. I’m not going to waste it.”

Keith Olbermann to return to ESPN: Guess bridges that have been ‘napalmed’ can be fixed

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My old pal, Mike Soltys, is going to get some pub today.

Back in 2001, the ESPN PR man, one of the best in the business, issued a famous quote about Keith Olbermann’s relationship with the network: “”He didn’t burn bridges here. He napalmed them.”

Well, it turns out that even bridges that have been napalmed can be rebuilt.

James Andrew Miller of the New York Times reported late last night ESPN is expected to announce today that Olbermann will host late-night sports talk show on ESPN2. The show will begin later this year.

Miller writes:

On his new show, Olbermann will be free to discuss matters other than sports, including pop culture and current events, but not politics, the two-year pact specifies.

While some ESPN insiders reportedly voiced the opinion that Olbermann was part of the network’s past, not its future, his star quality is almost unmatched in the sports television arena; he seems to draw a crowd. Rumors had been bubbling for weeks that ESPN would put aside the difficulties of the past and invite Olbermann back.

Indeed, this is a logical move for ESPN. It comes at a time when the publicity machine for the new Fox Sports 1 network is in high gear. Olbermann’s return gives ESPN a chance to to steal some of the headlines, along with rolling out a major new vehicle to compete with Fox Sports 1’s new late-night version of SportsCenter.

By the way, Olbermann also will go up against ESPN’s version of SportsCenter, creating an interesting ratings dynamic.

Technically, Olbermann actually had a limited return to the network in 2005 when he did a weekly one-hour spot on ESPN Radio.

Obviously, this is much, much bigger. One thing is certain: When Olbermann is involved, you know it won’t be dull.

 

 

 

Jon Hamm takes swing at hosting ESPYs; ‘Never had a problem making a fool of myself’

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It’s Don Draper, er, Jon Hamm’s turn to host the ESPYs tonight.

Hamm isn’t a stand-up comedian in the mode of previous host Seth Meyers. However, he does have some comic chops as evidenced by work on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock.

Also, Hamm’s presence on the ESPYs is likely to attract more female viewers than Norm Macdonald.

Variety has some excerpts on Hamm talking about his big sports night.

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“It’s not something I’ve necessarily done before. Hosting an awards show is not like hosting ‘Saturday Night Live.’ It’s a whole different skill set. Hopefully, I’m up to the task. I’ve never had a problem standing up in front of a crowd and making a fool of myself.”

“It’s certainly not going to be ‘The Jon Hamm Show,’ nor should it be. I know Seth (Meyers) and Rob (Riggle), who hosted the past couple of years, and what both of those guys have that I hope to bring to it is innate charisma. Those guys happen to be professional comedians and I am not, so that’s a little daunting.”

“‘SNL’ is obviously an institution that has been going 37, 38 years, and it is an impressive (show). The ESPYs are an award show, and first and foremost they’re to celebrate the achievements of the athletes in attendance. Ideally if it can be entertaining and funny and lighthearted, that can be a plus. … I think the ESPYs does a pretty good job, more so than most, of having a good time and celebrating.”

“It’s been my experience through various deals with ESPN through the years as well as ‘Saturday Night Live’ that athletes are desperate to crack each other up and make fools of themselves at any time … in a positive way.”

“My competitive athletic days are pretty far behind me, though I play baseball still and tennis. I was a fairly good competitive high school athlete, (though) I was never in any danger of progressing into a professional career. I hate working out, and I still do, so (playing sports) provides a way of getting exercise without doing something dull and repetitive.”

“I do love professional hockey. It would kind of be cool to play someone like Gordie Howe. I mean, I can’t skate a lick, but old-time hockey is fascinating. … Or basically, just to play Paul Newman’s character in ‘Slap Shot.’”

 

 

What you’ll see tonight: Setting stage for Fox Sports 1 with Joe Flacco, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Tyson

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Here’s the big 1:30 promo for Fox Sports 1 that will be airing during tonight’s All-Star Game on Fox.

Does it get you pumped up to watch the new sports network?

Here’s the rundown from Fox:

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hat do you get when you are preparing for the biggest sports network launch in history and you’re televising what likely will be the most-watched sports event of the summer?  A golden opportunity.

That’s what FOX Sports Co-Presidents and COOs Randy Freer and Eric Shanks saw when they commissioned FOX Sports marketing chief Robert Gottlieb to create a rare 90-second promotional spot that would define for America the essence of FOX Sports 1, the nation’s new sports network, launching on August 17.  The spot airs in-game during FOX Sports’ coverage of the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 16.  The MLB All-Star Game is traditionally the highest-rated, most-watched television program in July and August in non-Olympic years.  Pregame coverage on FOX begins at 7:30 PM ET.

Enlisting the help of powerhouse HSI Productions and highly sought director Joseph Kahn (http://josephkahn.com/bio), a Grammy Award-winner who has worked with dozens of A-list artists from Lady Gaga to Eminem, as well as directing award-winning commercials, a concept was designed with one solitary goal — define FOX Sports 1.

“This spot really is about introducing FOX Sports 1 to America, and letting fans know what they can expect come August 17,” Gottlieb said. “We recognize that sports ultimately is about the fun of loving your team and hating your rival. It’s about the fun of buzzer beaters, comebacks and huge hits. That is what we, as fans, look for in our favorite sports. Because fourth-and-goal with the game on the line may just be the most fun you have all year. So, this spot is about celebrating what only sports provides. The fun of anticipation … the fun of competition … the fun of celebration.”

Building a production team that includes two-time Academy Award nominee Jeff Cronenweth (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as director of photography, sports choreographer Mike Fisher (http://www.mikefisheronline.com/), editor Adam Petrofsky (Rock Paper Scissors), veteran visual effects supervisor  Patrick Murphy from A52 and renowned commercial music house Elias Arts (http://eliasarts.com/), the production scale far exceeds any previous FOX Sports commercial effort.

Major facilities — Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Gillette Stadium, Los Angeles Sports Arena, The Galen Center and Comerica Park — provide the backdrop.

Star athletes and sports personalities who have agreed to participate include Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco; former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson; four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon; U.S. Women’s Soccer Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan; UFC champion Georges St. Pierre; boxing champ Canelo Alvarez; NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis; USC head football coach Lane Kiffin; Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson III, St. John’s basketball coach Steve Lavin, NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne; and reigning American League MVP Miguel Cabrera.

“Using any measure, this is the most ambitious commercial project we have taken on,” Gottlieb said. “This spot sets the tone for everything.”

The shoot, set to an energized version of the classic tune Happy Days are Here Again, opened in Charlotte, N.C., where Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kasey Kahne, worked with a 150-person production crew, dozens of extras and a few high-tech toys to re-create the intense on-track action of a 200-mph NASCAR race.

“You never know what to expect when doing something like this,” Gordon said of the shoot. “Things come together fast and they can change at the last second … it definitely takes you out of your element. You’ve got to be open-minded to what the director or the script may call for and have fun with it.”

Trailed by a tricked-out black Mercedes SUV equipped with the Ultimate Arm (http://www.ultimatearm.com/) and filmed from above by a high-speed, drone helicopter equipped with a Blackmagic cinema camera, racing action is captured from angles never before seen on race day.

Two days later, the entire production team moved nearly 900 miles north, setting up a shoot at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., with Morgan, who scored the game-winning goal in the 123rd minute against Canada, sending the U.S. team to the gold medal game against Japan at the 2012 London Olympics.

Following Foxboro, production moved to Los Angeles for several days before wrapping in Detroit.

“I’m putting on a different hat today … from being the guy giving the orders, to being the guy receiving the orders,” Thompson said.  “I haven’t worn that hat in a while but [Joseph Khan] had control of the situation and it was much like a practice, where we had to run the same scene over and over and over again … he’s a perfectionist and that’s a good thing.”

Added Flacco: “It should be fun, and that’s what it’s all about out here … we’re having fun and we’ll see where it goes.”

 

 

If All-Star Game counts, why aren’t more viewers tuning in? Ratings boost never materialized

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By 2002, Fox Sports and Major League Baseball could sense the appeal of the All-Star Game was slipping.

The debacle in Milwaukee, with the game ending in a 7-7, saw ratings for the Mid-Summer Classic fall to 9.5, the first time ever below 10.

All the great minds came up with a solution: Make the game count. Tie home field advantage in the World Series to the winner of the All-Star Game.

Surely, if the game meant something more people would tune in. Right?

Not exactly.

In 2003, the game did a 9.5 rating, the same as 2002. In fact, it never got as high as that mark again, holding steady between 8.1 and 9.3 from ’04 through ’08.

You could counter that having the game count might have held off possible ratings erosion after the ’02 game. But it definitely didn’t spark a ratings windfall and it hasn’t prevented the recent slide to an all-time low of 6.8 last year.

Even though there is a prize at the end, the game still feels like an exhibition in the eyes of many viewers. Starters come out early; pitchers don’t go more than inning. No matter how hard they try, the intensity level isn’t the same.

On comments board, John weighed in:

“They say it counts, but the game is run w idea of getting everyone into game – can’t serve two masters – no one is satisfied – plus too many dumb people in America – smart people like baseball.”

It’ll be interesting to see what happens tonight. Having the All-Star Game in New York should spark an increase in the ratings. More viewers from the nation’s No. 1 market are likely to tune in to see the big event taking place in their backyard.

But MLB shouldn’t get its expectations up too high. It will be hard-pressed to hit that 9.5 rating in 2002 again, back when the outcome of the game didn’t matter.

 

 

 

 

No thanks: Lisa Olson declines to be interviewed for ESPN film on women sportswriters

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Lisa Olson declined to be interviewed in the definitive film about women sportswriters.

The directors of Let Them Wear Towels, which airs tonight on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, used archive interviews with Olson (left in photo) to help tell the story of the infamous locker room incident involving the New England Patriots.

Olson passed when approached by directors Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern.

You can understand why. The backlash was so harsh again Olson, she eventually went to Australia to try to escape some of the madness. Clearly, she isn’t eager to revisit an extremely painful part of her life.

Last month, Olson was given the Association for Women in Sports Media’s Mary Garber Pioneer Award. Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic did a column on Olson.

Boivin writes:

They broke into her apartment. Slashed her tires. Spit on her at games. The torment was incessant. When her employer, News Corp., offered her an opportunity to work overseas, she jumped at the chance. She intended to remain in Australia for six months. She stayed for six years.

The incident was a watershed moment for women in sports journalism. Even though the NFL had enacted an equal-access policy five years earlier, women in the business were still scrutinized, chastised and ridiculed. The story prompted conversation and inspired teams to take a closer look at the behavior of players.

Australia, meanwhile, suited her well.

“I used to hate the ‘things happen for a reason’ (saying), but … they did,” she said. “I left Boston very sad, not knowing what my career was going to be like. It took me a month there to realize you make of it what you want to make of it, and that there was a whole other world than covering sports in Boston.”

AWSM has the write-up on Olson’s acceptance speech (that’s AWSM’s Meri-Jo Borzilleri on right).

In her acceptance speech, Olson covered highlights — and lowlights — of her career, from being a high school sports editor to her first job and to her time as the first female sports columnist in Australia.

“Live like someone is watching but don’t compromise yourself,” Olson said. “Be kind to each other. Lift each other up. Treat your critics with kindness and remember all who came before you.

“I was so blessed to have this incredible army of women behind me — they’re still behind me.”