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ESPN The Weekend
presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods is a one-of-a-kind
experience for sports fans of all ages. Visit Disney’s
Hollywood Studios and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to
get up-close and personal with star athletes and ESPN
personalities. Take your best shot at the Interactive Sports
Zone and catch live telecasts of Mike & Mike in the
Morning, NFL Live, Baseball Tonight
and more. For a schedule of events please visit www.espntheweekend.com.
All-Pro NFL kicker Adam
Vinatieri gives a young fan tips on how to kick during the
2007 edition of
ESPN The Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios. More than 50
sports celebrities are scheduled to appear
at this year's event, Feb. 25-28, 2010. Sports stars and ESPN
sportscasters
will appear in live TV telecasts, celebrity game shows, star
conversations with fans and Hollywood-style motorcades.
ESPN and the Walt Disney
World Resort are again offering fans the opportunity to see
and hear many ESPN personalities, including “Mike & Mike
in the Morning” co-hosts Mike Golic and Mike
Greenberg, who are celebrating their 10years together next
week. In addition, current and legendary athletes on
hand include Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad
Ochocinco, New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and
former Heisman Trophy winner and current University of South
Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier. ESPN The
Weekend presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods, Feb. 25-28, is a
one-of-a-kind sports-themed special event at Disney’s
Hollywood Studios theme park and the newly re-imagined ESPN
Wide World of Sports Complex.
Additionally, ESPN
personalities John Anderson, Tedy Bruschi, Colin
Cowherd, Ron Jaworski, Karl Ravech, Sage Steele, Dick
Vitale and Trey Wingo are scheduled to participate,
along with more than 30 athletes, including running back Maurice
Jones-Drew, tight end Jason Witten, kicker Adam
Vinatieri and safety Brian Dawkins; New York
Yankees CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain; MLB
legends Curt Schilling, Bernie Williams and Hall
of Famers Andre Dawson and Jim Palmer; NFL Hall
of Famers Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Darrell
Green; former LPGA golfer Annika Sorenstam; and
U.S. Olympic gold medalists Shawn Johnson and Brandi
Chastain, among many others. The ESPN personalities
and sports celebrities expected to attend the sixth annual
event are listed at www.espntheweekend.com.
ESPN
The Weekend will feature on-site telecasts of popular ESPN
programs (beginning Thursday, Feb. 25), including “Baseball
Tonight,” “First Take,” “Mike & Mike in the
Morning,” “NFL Live” and interview segments on “SportsCenter”;
motorcades and Q&A sessions with athletes and ESPN
personalities; Inside ESPN sports shows with commentators and
athletes; live ESPN Radio broadcasts; and the ESPN Sports Zone
interactive area. Dick’s Sporting Goods will
serve as presenting sponsor of the event for the fourth
consecutive year.
This year, the event
branches out to the soon-to-be relaunched ESPN Wide World of
Sports Complex, formerly Disney’s Wide World of Sports, for
a special performance by the Harlem Globetrotters (Feb 25) and
two days of Major League soccer action, which help kick off
the grand opening of the 220-acre multi-sport venue.
Live On-Site ESPN
Telecasts
ESPN will present live telecasts – including
“First Take” and “NFL Live” from a set in
front of Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat on Hollywood Boulevard at
Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Park guests will have a
chance to appear on-air via crowd shots while watching the
programming on video screens. Popular ESPN Radio shows
“Mike & Mike in the
Morning” and “The
Herd” with Colin
Cowherd will be broadcast live from the ESPN Wide
World of Sports Complex Feb. 25-26.
As Major League Baseball
Spring Training games get underway in Florida, ESPN’s
on-site program lineup will feature a special two-hour “Baseball
Tonight” with host Karl Ravech
and analysts John Kruk, Bobby Valentine and Chris
Singleton from the theme park Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. ET as
ESPN’s popular baseball news, information and highlights
show kicks off its 21st season.
Mike
and Mike Celebrate 10 Years Together
ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning”will
celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary at the newly
re-imagined ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney
World Resort on Wednesday, Feb. 24 (6-10 a.m. ET). ESPN
Radio’s popular morning-drive show hosted by Mike Greenberg
and Mike Golic launched in January 2000. Today the show
is heard (and seen on ESPN2) by more than 12 million listeners
each week on more than 350 stations nationwide.
Inside
ESPN
Live stage shows will bring fans
and guests behind-the-scenes of some of the network’s most
popular programs, including “SportsCenter,”
“Baseball Tonight,”
“First Take,”
“NFL Live” and “Stump
the Schwab.” The shows will provide an inside
look at favorite athletes, teams and ESPN programs. Fans
can get into the action themselves by asking questions
directly to ESPN personalities and athletes.
Dream
Job--The Experience
Guests who think they have what it takes to be on
“SportsCenter”can experience what it’s like to audition
for ESPN. Select contestants will go through a series of
on-air tasks and the audience will select the best
sportscaster during each show. ESPN personalities and
sports celebrities will help mentor contestants as part of the
experience.
Motorcades
and Conversations
Periodically throughout each day, sports stars will motorcade
up Hollywood Boulevard to the stage at the base of Mickey’s
Sorcerer's Hat and join ESPN commentators for conversations
about their careers and Q&A sessions with park guests.
ESPN
Sports Zone Interactive Area
The ESPN Sports Zone will give guests of all ages the
opportunity to test their skills at a wide variety of sports. MLB-,
NBA-, NFL- and BASS-themed interactive areas within the Zone
will have fans swinging for the fences, shooting baskets and
throwing passes, as well as Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Sports
Caravan, a multi-sport interactive area.
ESPN
Wide World of Sports Re-Launch Event
ESPN innovation and entertainment joins the magic and
hospitality of Walt Disney World Resort when the gates open
with a special grand opening event at the newly re-imagined
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Feb. 25. Cincinnati
Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, Pittsburgh
Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, and a number
of other popular athletes and ESPN personalities are expected
to be in attendance, along with George Bodenheimer,
president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports and co-chairman Disney
Media Networks, Meg Crofton, president, Walt Disney
World Resort, and Ken Potrock, senior vice president,
Disney Sports Enterprises. From a state-of-the-art
digital center to professionally kept fields and courts, there
will be no other sports facility like this on Earth. Key
festivities include a special grand opening ceremony, live
ESPN Radio broadcasts and a variety of sports competitions. Opened
originally as Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in 1997,
the multi-sport complex annually hosts more than 300 events a
year, including Atlanta Braves Spring Training at Champion
Stadium.
Harlem
Globetrotters
The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters take center court to
help tip off the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex relaunch
Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. The clown princes of
basketball, including Globetrotter stars Special K Daley,
Flight Time Lang and Big Easy Lofton, have entertained fans
for more than 84 seasons and boast over 23,000 wins. This
special performance will feature Greenberg and Golic as
honorary coaches, along with a number of other popular
athletes and ESPN personalities joining in on the fun at The
Milk House. The game will air on ESPN2 the following day,
Friday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m., and ESPN’s Emerging Technology
Group will use the game as a test for the company’s planned
ESPN 3D network launch this summer.
5K
Road Race and Fun Run
The Champion 5K returns for its second year at
Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 7 a.m.,
challenging runners along the course with ESPN and sports
trivia and will feature athletes and ESPN personalities,
including John
Anderson, Dana Jacobson and Trey
Wingo. The 5K will benefit The V
Foundation for Cancer Research, and all participants will
receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. There will
also be a Fun Run for kids at 8 a.m. To register, visit www.disneyenduranceseries.com.
Major
League Soccer
Helping kick off the
relaunch at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, four
Major League Soccer clubs, FC Dallas,
Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC, will
compete in the inaugural Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic
Feb. 25 and 27. On Thursday, Feb. 25, the Houston
Dynamo faces the New York Red Bulls at 6 p.m., followed by FC
Dallas versus Toronto FC at 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, Feb.
27, the two losing teams will kick off at 6 p.m., with the two
winners playing in the championship game at 8:30 p.m.
Ticketing
and Admission
Event activities are included in regular admission to
Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Walt Disney World
innovative ticket pricing system, Magic Your Way, provides
guests with the opportunity to customize their vacations and
Florida residents can save on tickets all year long. Separate
tickets must be purchased for events at ESPN Wide World of
Sports Complex.
Two-Time
MLS Cup Champion Houston Dynamo Headline
Inaugural Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic
Four Major League Soccer
clubs, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo,
the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC, will compete in
the inaugural Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic
Feb. 25 and 27, 2010.
The Walt Disney World Pro
Soccer Classic kicks off the re-launch of the ESPN Wide
World of Sports Complex and is part of the 2010 ESPN
The Weekend presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
On Thursday, Feb. 25
the Houston Dynamo face the New York Red Bulls at 6 p.m.
followed by FC Dallas versus Toronto FC at 8:30 p.m. On
Saturday, Feb. 27, the two losing teams will kick off at 6
p.m. with the two winners playing in the championship game at
8:30 p.m.
FC Dallas finished the 2009 season as
one of the league's hottest teams, narrowly missing the
post-season under the direction of Coach Schellas Hyndman. The
FC Dallas squad was anchored by the MLS leading goal scorer,
Jeff Cunningham, who notched 17 goals in his second season
with the team. With key players from last season returning for
the 2010 season including David Ferreira, Heath Pearce and
Dax McCarty, FC Dallas are ready to start the MLS campaign and
their quest for a playoff berth.
In their first two seasons, the Houston
Dynamo won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in 2006-07.
Led by head coach Dominic Kinnear, the Dynamo have also
finished first (2008) and tied for first (2009) in the Western
Conference in the last two seasons and represented the United
States consistently in international competition.
The New York Red Bulls look to get off
to a flying start in 2010, opening their brand new stadium,
Red Bull Arena, in Harrison, N.J. this March. On the field,
the Red Bulls are led by 2007 MLS Most Valuable Player
finalist, Juan Pablo Angel, as well as new Coach Hans Backe.
The Red Bulls look to return to the MLS Cup Playoffs and
advance to the MLS Cup Final as they did in 2008.
Toronto FC begins their fourth season
in MLS with hopes of reaching the post-season for the first
time. Playing in the Eastern Conference, the League’s lone
Canadian club finished with 39 points in 2009 and 10 wins,
their best showing since their inception. With their new
Coach, Preki, a strong nucleus of players led by two-time MLS
Cup MVP Dwayne De Rosario, and a new grass pitch at their home
BMO Field, Toronto FC is hoping for big things in 2010.
"Bringing four Major League Soccer teams
to Central Florida to play in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer
Classic is very exciting and a big win for all of our local
soccer players, fans, parents and spectators,” said Disney
Sports Area Manager Patrick Dicks. “ESPN The Weekend is
serving as a major platform for these teams to prepare for the
upcoming season and we are proud to have them be a part of
this re-branding Weekend."
Disney Sports plays host to some of the top
youth soccer tournaments worldwide. Disney’s Soccer Showcase
is one of the largest and most elite recruiting tournaments in
the country, pulling in over 500 boys and girls youth soccer
teams that compete for both medals and collegiate
scholarships. The Disney Cup International is one of the
premier international youth soccer tournaments in the world
and since 1999 has brought in teams from more than 20
countries.
Opened in 1997, the ESPN Wide World of Sports
Complex is a premier multi-sport venue for amateur and
professional sports in the United States and has recently
undergone changes to incorporate signature ESPN elements,
ultimately taking the sports experience to the next level.
High-definition video cameras, along with high-definition
video screens and two Jumbotrons, have been added throughout
the complex. Game highlights and action will be broadcast
across the complex, in all Walt Disney World Resort rooms and
will also feed into a new state-of-the-art digital center with
a direct uplink to ESPN in Bristol, CT.
Daily tickets to the Disney Pro Soccer
Classic will include admission to the complex for both games
and entrance to ESPN The Weekend events that are taking place
at the complex. Tickets can be bought on-site at the complex
box office or through ticketmaster. For a full list of ESPN
The Weekend events and ticket packages, visit www.disneysports.com
and www.espntheweekend.com.
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