{{distinguish|Ray Alan|Allan Ray}}{{otherpeople2|Raymond Allen}}{{pp-semi-vandalism|expiry=April 17, 2010|small=yes}}{{distinguish|Ray Alan|Allan Ray}}{{otherpeople2|Raymond Allen}}{{pp-semi-vandalism|expiry=April 17, 2010|small=yes}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2009}}
This is
SportsCenter is the name of a series of comical television commercials run by ESPNESPN is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....
to promote their SportsCenterSportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally airing once per day, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
sports news show. A few are available free on
iTunesThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple Inc. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, it was as of April 2008 the number-one music vendor in the United States. As of January 2009, the store has sold 6 billion songs, accounting for 70% of...
. The ads are presented in a
deadpanDeadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or facial expression, usually speaking in a monotonous manner.-Etymology:...
mockumentaryMockumentary or mock documentary is a genre of film and television, or a single work of the genre. Although a mockumentary may be one of the comedy genres, serious mockumentaries also exist. The mockumentary is presented as a documentary recording real life, but is actually fictional. It is a...
style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting. The commercials debuted in
1994The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:...
. The advertising agency
Wieden+KennedyWieden+Kennedy is an independently owned American advertising agency best known for its work for Nike...
, based out of New York City, is responsible for the writing and production of the commercials.
Guest appearances by sports figures
A notable feature of the commercials is the seeming
ubiquityUbiquity may refer to:* Ubiquity , the ability to be present in every place* Ubiquity , a simple graphical live CD installer* Ubiquity Records, an American music label* Ubiquity , a universal RPG system...
of famous athletes on the ESPN campus. Some are even depicted doing menial, everyday tasks, usually while wearing their game
uniformsSports equipment is a general term for any object used for sport or exercise.Examples for sports include: DUBii Apparel-Sticks, Bats and Clubs:Sticks are used for sports such as hockey and lacrosse.Bats are used for sports such as baseball...
. Athletes often have their
idiosyncrasiesIdiosyncrasy, from Ancient Greek , idiosyngkrasía, "a peculiar temperament", "habit of body" is defined as an individualizing quality or characteristic of a person or group, and is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity. The term can also be applied to symbols...
parodied — for example, gymnast
Kerri StrugKerri Allyson Strug is an American gymnast from Tucson, Arizona. She was a member of the Magnificent Seven, the gymnastics team that represented the United States at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and is remembered for performing the vault despite having seriously injured her ankle, in order to...
being carried around ESPN headquarters because of her famous ankle injury.
Many famous athletes have been featured in the series, including
Andre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi is a former World No. 1 professional American tennis player who won eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. He is generally considered by critics and fellow players to be among the greatest tennis players of all time, and has been called the...
,
Ray Allen{{distinguish|Ray Alan|Allan Ray}}{{otherpeople2|Raymond Allen}}{{pp-semi-vandalism|expiry=April 17, 2010|small=yes}}{{distinguish|Ray Alan|Allan Ray}}{{otherpeople2|Raymond Allen}}{{pp-semi-vandalism|expiry=April 17, 2010|small=yes}}{{infobox NBA Player...
,
Michael AndrettiMichael Mario Andretti is an American retired CART and Formula One driver. He now co-owns the Andretti Green Racing team in the Indy Racing League...
,
Carmelo AnthonyCarmelo Kiyan Anthony is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets, of the National Basketball Association . He has also played with the United States national basketball team. He went to Towson Catholic for high school and decided to go to Syracuse for college...
,
Gilbert ArenasGilbert Jay Arenas Jr. is an Cuban-American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He currently plays for the Washington Wizards. Arenas plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
,
Lance ArmstrongLance Edward Armstrong is an American professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam . He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support....
, Paul Bearer,
Rich BeemRichard Michael Beem is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.Beem was born in Phoenix, Arizona, grew up in El Paso, Texas, and played golf at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico....
,
Drew BledsoeDrew McQueen Bledsoe is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s and early 2000s, he was perceived to be the face of the Patriots franchise...
,
King Kong BundyChris Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Career:...
,
Bill BradleyWilliam Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a small-town...
,
Drew BreesAndrew Christopher Brees is the American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
,
Kobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation...
,
Mark BuehrleMark Alan Buehrle is a left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the Chicago White Sox since 2000....
,
Jennifer CapriatiJennifer Marie Capriati is a former World No. 1 women's tennis player from the United States. She has won three Grand Slam singles titles and the women's singles gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games...
,
Brandi ChastainBrandi Denise Chastain is a professional American soccer defender and midfielder currently playing for FC Gold Pride of Women's Professional Soccer and is a former member of the United States women's national soccer team.Chastain has played for San Jose CyberRays of the WUSA and California Storm...
,
Chris CheliosChris Chelios is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Chelios has played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. He played in the NHL from the 1983–84 to 2008-09 seasons, and earned many awards during...
,
Roger ClemensWilliam Roger Clemens, aka "The Rocket" is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, two more than any other pitcher. He played for 13 consecutive seasons in Boston, more than half of his career. In , he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays...
(who was in 5 of them, the most of any athlete),
Sidney CrosbySidney Patrick Crosby
ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
,
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is a professional American race car driver who drives the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet Impala SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series for Hendrick Motorsports, and drives in the Nationwide Series part-time for the #5 car for his own team, JR Motorsports...
,
Carl EdwardsCarl Michael Edwards, II is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series driver for Roush Fenway Racing.In the Sprint Cup Series, Edwards Drives the #99 Aflac Ford Fusion...
,
Roger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player. As of October 2009, he is ranked world number 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals , having previously held the number one position for a record 237 consecutive weeks...
,
Kevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays at the power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After having a successful high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy, he decided to forgo college and entered...
,
Ozzie GuillénOswaldo José Guillén Barrios , well known as Ozzie Guillén , is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball and the current manager of the Chicago White Sox. He is the first Latin-born manager in the history of the game to have won a World Series...
,
Mia HammMariel Margaret Garciaparra , best known as Mia Hamm, is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom...
,
Jim HarbaughJames Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal football team. He is also a former quarterback who played for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and San Diego Chargers of the NFL...
,
Evander HolyfieldEvander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States and a multiple world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal". Holyfield won the bronze medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics after a...
,
Tim HudsonTimothy Adam Hudson is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Atlanta Braves. Hudson began his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and played his last two years of college eligibility at Auburn University.In a ten-season career, Hudson has compiled a 146-77...
,
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James," he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar...
,
Keyshawn JohnsonJoseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior deisgner and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
,
Roy Jones Jr.Roy Jones, Jr. is an American boxer and current NABO and IBC light heavyweight champion. As a professional he has captured IBF championships in the middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. He also won the WBA heavyweight title in his only fight in this weight class...
,
Jim KellyJames Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
,
Alexi LalasPanayotis Alexander "Alexi" Lalas is a retired American soccer player who played mostly as a defender for the United States National Soccer Team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup...
,
Bobby LabonteRobert Alan Labonte is an American race car driver in the Nascar Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #96 Ask.com/Texas Instruments DLP HDTV/Academy Sports + Outdoors Ford Fusion for Hall of Fame Racing, in an association with Yates Racing and the #71 TaxSlayer.com car for The Racer's Group....
,
Lennox LewisLennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and former undisputed World heavyweight champion. He won gold for Canada at the 1988 Olympic Games as an amateur....
,
Mark McGwireMark David McGwire is a former Major League Baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals....
,Shawn Micheals,
Gheorghe MuresanGheorghe Dumitru Mureşan, also known as Ghiţă and "George" , is a retired Romanian professional basketball player. At 7 ft 7 in , he is tied with Sudanese player Manute Bol as the tallest man to ever play in the NBA...
,
Steve NashStephen John Nash, OC, OBC , is a Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash, who was born in South Africa but grew up in Canada, enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a...
,Candace Parker,
Chris PaulChristopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association. He serves as team captain of the franchise....
,
Gaylord PerryGaylord Jackson Perry is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, Perry won 314 games over a 22-year career starting in ....
, Adrian Peterson,
Michael PhelpsMichael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer, frequently cited as the greatest swimmer and one of the greatest Olympians of all time. He has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympian...
,
Mary Lou RettonMary Lou Retton is an American gymnast. She was the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title.-Personal life:...
,
Ben RoethlisbergerBenjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He is concidered an uber quarterback. He was drafted by the Steelers 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
,
Tony RomoAntonio Ramiro Romo is an American football quarterback. He currently plays for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:...
,
Pete SamprasPete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former World No. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles, and had a 203–38 win-loss record over 52 Grand Slam singles tournament appearances....
,
Maria SharapovaMaria Yuryevna Sharapova is a former World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player and three time Grand Slam singles champion...
,
Andriy ShevchenkoAndriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian football striker who currently plays for Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine...
,
Jerry StackhouseJerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American professional basketball player who plays both shooting guard and small forward. He is currently a free agent in the NBA.-Early career:...
,
Kerri StrugKerri Allyson Strug is an American gymnast from Tucson, Arizona. She was a member of the Magnificent Seven, the gymnastics team that represented the United States at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and is remembered for performing the vault despite having seriously injured her ankle, in order to...
,
Fernando VargasFernando Vargas is a former Mexican American boxer and two-time world champion, who won a bronze medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. His nicknames include "Ferocious", "The Aztec Warrior" and "El Feroz".Some of Fernando's notable wins include victories over former...
, Adam Vinateri,
Shaun WhiteShaun Roger White has been a notable competitor in professional snowboarding since he was 9 years old, but is also known for being a professional skateboarder as well...
,
Serena WilliamsSerena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and current World No. 1. She has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association on four separate occasions...
,
Venus WilliamsVenus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate occasions; as of October 19, 2009, she is ranked World No. 4...
,
Tiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No...
,
David WrightDavid Allen Wright , is an American baseball player, who plays third base for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He was drafted by the Mets in 2001 and made his Major League debut in 2004...
,and The Undertaker.
- In one of the earliest "This is SportsCenter" commercials, Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens, aka "The Rocket" is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, two more than any other pitcher. He played for 13 consecutive seasons in Boston, more than half of his career. In , he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays...
and Cam NeelyCameron Michael "Cam" Neely is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League from 1983 to 1996...
drive around asking people, to no avail, where they can locate Sportscenter. After a very long search they finally arrive only to find out it has been closed for Chris BermanChristopher James "Chris" Berman also known by the nickname Boomer is an American sportscaster. He anchors SportsCenter, Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown, Baseball Tonight, U.S...
's birthday.
- At the ESPN offices, Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
bumps into Tiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No...
and asks about lunch, Scott replies for Tiger to meet him in the lobby at 12:30. Tiger walks away then followed by the huge crowd which usually follows him at any golf tournament he plays at.
- The power goes out late at night at the ESPN studios; Dan Patrick
Daniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster from Mason, Ohio. He currently hosts The Dan Patrick Show which is broadcast on radio on Premiere Radio Networks, and on television on The 101 Network, co-hosts NBC's Football Night in America, and serves as a...
goes backstage to find the cause of the power outage: apparently Lance ArmstrongLance Edward Armstrong is an American professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam . He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support....
has taken a break from riding his bicycleA bicycle, also known as a bike, push bike or cycle, is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist or a bicyclist....
(connected to a generator).
- In a 1995 commercial Dan Patrick
Daniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster from Mason, Ohio. He currently hosts The Dan Patrick Show which is broadcast on radio on Premiere Radio Networks, and on television on The 101 Network, co-hosts NBC's Football Night in America, and serves as a...
and Keith OlbermannKeith Theodore Olbermann is an American news anchor, sportscaster, writer, and political commentator. He hosts Countdown with Keith Olbermann, an hour-long nightly news and commentary program on MSNBC...
prepare to operate on Colts QB Jim HarbaughJames Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal football team. He is also a former quarterback who played for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and San Diego Chargers of the NFL...
, even though he is still awake; Harbaugh pointedly asks, "Shouldn't I be asleep for this?"
- In a 1996 commercial, an ESPN producer discusses a fictional trade between SportsCenter and the TV series Melrose Place, wherein Andrew Shue
Andrew Shue is an American actor, known for his role as Billy Campbell on the television series Melrose Place . He is currently on the Board of Directors for Do Something and is the co-founder of the social networking website CafeMom.-Early life:Shue was born in Wilmington, Delaware...
and Charley SteinerCharles Harris "Charley" Steiner is an American sportscaster and broadcast journalist. He is currently the main radio voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, paired with Rick Monday.-Early career:...
switch jobs; the ad features Shue at the SportsCenter desk discussing a working interview with NFL Commissioner Paul TagliabuePaul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the...
then cuts to the Melrose Place set where Steiner is cleaning the pool and enthusiastically asks one of the female cast members if she wants to rub suntan lotion on his back
- In a 1997 commercial Kenny Mayne
-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA. Kenny graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982, with a degree in Broadcasting, where he was the...
and Stuart ScottStuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
run a training camp for rookies to teach them about having (what turns out to be) an arrogant attitude, yelling at a young Kobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation...
and Keyshawn JohnsonJoseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior deisgner and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
to yell out "I'm the man." Both turn in poor efforts.
- In a 1999 commercial aired in the midst of the Y2K fears
The Year 2000 problem was a notable problem for both digital and non-digital documentation and data storage situations which resulted from the practice of abbreviating a four-digit year to two digits.In computer program design, the practice of representing the year...
, when the studio's electricity goes out (due to Y2K tests), amidst the ensuing mayhem—which includes Mark McGwireMark David McGwire is a former Major League Baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals....
smashing a computer with his bat—Charley SteinerCharles Harris "Charley" Steiner is an American sportscaster and broadcast journalist. He is currently the main radio voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, paired with Rick Monday.-Early career:...
walks away, wearing face paint and a necktie as a headband, holding a lantern and screaming, “Follow me! Follow me to freedom!!”
- In the SportsCenter studios, Rich Eisen
Rich Eisen is an American television journalist who works for the NFL Network. He is married to ESPN on ABC college football sideline reporter Suzy Shuster...
talks with Bobby LabonteRobert Alan Labonte is an American race car driver in the Nascar Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #96 Ask.com/Texas Instruments DLP HDTV/Academy Sports + Outdoors Ford Fusion for Hall of Fame Racing, in an association with Yates Racing and the #71 TaxSlayer.com car for The Racer's Group....
about his hair, when he sees someone doing donuts in his #18 Interstate Batteries PontiacPontiac is a brand of automobiles first produced in 1926, and sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by General Motors . Pontiac has been marketed as an "athletic" brand, specializing in mainstream performance vehicles....
. Labonte screams at him, then the driver, who's actually a mascot of some sort, gets paid the damages under his nose.
- The hot dog eating champion Takeru Kobayashi
is a Japanese competitive eater and a member of the International Federation of Competitive Eating . He held the world record for hot dog eating for nearly six years, and holds several other eating records, and is ranked second in the world for competitive eating according to the International...
was featured in an ad where he finishes his lunch in the ESPN cafeteria in the 30-second span of the commercial.
- A 2005 ad included Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are currently a member of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
Ben RoethlisbergerBenjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He is concidered an uber quarterback. He was drafted by the Steelers 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
saving people from the ESPN building while the fire alarm is ringing. Stuart ScottStuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
is talking outside the building with Scott Van PeltScott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
asking "Does he know this is a drill?"
- In 2006, a commercial aired which showed Danica Patrick
Danica Sue Patrick is an American auto racing driver, currently competing in the IndyCar Series, as well as a model and advertising spokeswoman. She was raised in Roscoe, Illinois. Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season...
's race car being towed from a parking spot, presumably outside SportsCenter studios, which was reserved for "D. Patrick." Shortly after, Danica runs outside after her car, only to run into Dan PatrickDaniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster from Mason, Ohio. He currently hosts The Dan Patrick Show which is broadcast on radio on Premiere Radio Networks, and on television on The 101 Network, co-hosts NBC's Football Night in America, and serves as a...
, one of SportsCenter's premier anchors. Some humorous debate over whose parking spot it really was follows.
- A 2006 ad features the Manning family taking a tour of the SportsCenter studio. John Anderson conducts the tour while Eli
Elisha Nelson "Eli" Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
and Peyton ManningPeyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. One of only two three-time NFL MVPs, he is statistically regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time...
engage in horseplay. When ArchieElisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the father of current Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Peyton Manning, current New York Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning, and former Ole Miss receiver, Cooper...
turns to look, the brothers stop and proceed to silently blame each other for the antics.
- Another 2006 ad features Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
manager Ozzie GuillénOswaldo José Guillén Barrios , well known as Ozzie Guillén , is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball and the current manager of the Chicago White Sox. He is the first Latin-born manager in the history of the game to have won a World Series...
trying to call to the bullpenIn baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
during a game, but instead reaching Neil EverettNeil Everett Morfitt, known professionally as Neil Everett, is a sportscaster for the ESPN cable network. He is co-anchor of the West Coast edition of SportsCenter.-Biography:...
at ESPN.
- Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Their first two seasons, 1968 and 1969, were as an American Football League franchise...
has a meeting with Stuart ScottStuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
, Steve LevySteve Levy is currently a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
, and John AndersonJohn Anderson is a sports journalist from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a host of the ESPN TV program SportsCenter since June 1999. He lives in Southington, Connecticut.-Biography:...
to get ideas for his next touchdown celebration. While Scott's "old school" is rejected (Johnson responds to his trademark Boo-yah with "Boo-no"), as well as Levy's "sizzling bacon action" idea (Johnson: "If I did that in public I'd fine myself"), Anderson's idea of making the football disappear like a magician is met with approval. Johnson wraps the ad by asking, "Can I get a puff of smoke with that?"
- A 2007 ad featuring Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
catcher Joe MauerJoseph Patrick Mauer is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins.Mauer is considered by many to be the best catcher in the sport and has been said by some, including Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., to have the best swing in baseball...
and Scott Van PeltScott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
having a conversation about MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
in the cafeteria.
- A 2007 ad featuring Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
DHIn baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
David OrtizDavid Ortiz is a Dominican Major League Baseball designated hitter who has played for the Boston Red Sox since . Previously, Ortiz played for the Minnesota Twins . Nicknamed "Big Papi," Ortiz is a five-time All-Star and holds the Red Sox single-season record for home runs with 54, set during the ...
is introduced to members of anchor John BuccigrossJohn Buccigross , is currently an anchor for ESPN, a job he has held since 1996. He is also an NHL columnist for ESPN.com.-Biography:...
's family. He greets each one by spitting into each of his batting gloves, slapping them together and shaking their hand, similar to his typical batting ritual.
- Another 2007 ad featuring David Ortiz
David Ortiz is a Dominican Major League Baseball designated hitter who has played for the Boston Red Sox since . Previously, Ortiz played for the Minnesota Twins . Nicknamed "Big Papi," Ortiz is a five-time All-Star and holds the Red Sox single-season record for home runs with 54, set during the ...
shows David, anchor Stan VerrettStan Verrett is an anchor on the ESPN and ESPNEWS networks in the United States. Most of Verrett's appearances are on SportsCenter at 11 p.m or 1 a.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday...
and Jorge PosadaJorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the New York Yankees. He is a switch hitter, and has been on five All-Star teams over his 15-year career....
of the New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
sitting at a conference table. The three are talking about hats, and David asks to see the Yankees' hat to bend the brim (to break it in). As he puts it on his head, Wally the Green MonsterWally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team. His name is derived from the Green Monster nickname of the 37-foot wall in left field at Fenway Park. Wally debuted in to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with...
(The Red Sox' Mascot) walks by, sees Ortiz in the Yankees hat, drops the video tapes he's carrying and is mortified - refusing to have anything to do with Ortiz, even though Ortiz pleads "it's not what you think!"
- A 2007 ad featuring Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team and won their first Eastern Conference Championship in 2007.-1970–1980: Expansion and early hope:The Cavaliers first...
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James," he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar...
arriving at ESPN offices and sits in his cubicle in a standard office chair. He realizes something is wrong so he goes to his neighbor Scott Van PeltScott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
cubicle and Van Pelt is sitting in a throne, (which he took from "King James" cubicle.) Getting Lebron to ask, "Scott, did you possibly switch chairs with me?" Scott in the commercial said no, but after James' performance in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Van Pelt during the SportsCenter he was on said, "LeBron, I really did take your chair."
- Another ad featuring James shows him struggling to fix an apparent paper jam in a copier. Stuart Scott walks by the room, sees James having trouble with such a menial task and says in a sarcastic tone "The chosen one, huh?"
- A 2007 ad features New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
catcher Jorge PosadaJorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the New York Yankees. He is a switch hitter, and has been on five All-Star teams over his 15-year career....
acknowledging cheers of "Hip, Hip, Jorge!" as he walks down the hall.
- A 2007 ad features Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , frequently referred to simply as "Shaq", is an American professional basketball player, rapper, and actor. He is widely perceived as one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA. Standing at 7 feet 1 inch, 325 pounds, he is one of the largest players to...
dressed as a cop as he rescues Mike the TigerMike the Tiger is the official mascot of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and serves as the graphic image of LSU sports. By tradition the tiger is a live Bengal tiger, although, the last two tigers were of mixed breeds...
from a tree (Shaq attended LSULouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 near Pineville, Louisiana, under the name Louisiana State...
). At the end Shaq asks Mike if he's all right and is handed a vitaminwater for his efforts.
- A 2007 ad features WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
superstar John CenaJohn Felix Anthony Cena is an American actor, hip hop musician, and professional wrestler currently employed by World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand....
and anchor Jay HarrisJay Harris is an American journalist who has worked for ESPN since February 2003. When he first joined ESPN, he worked primarily on ESPNEWS, but in August 2006, he was named the weekday co-host of the 6pm ET SportsCenter along with Brian Kenny...
having a conversation on why SportsCenter never airs pro wrestling highlights. Towards the end of the commercial, Harris believes that pro wrestling is not a real sport but Cena disagrees.
- A 2007 ad features New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints play in the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
running back Reggie BushReginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is a professional football player who plays for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He has played running back/tailback, wide receiver, and punt returner. Bush played college football at the University of Southern California from 2003-2005,...
sitting next to the air conditioner in the office (a take on NFL players cooling off near the fan).
- A 2007 ad features NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver Carl EdwardsCarl Michael Edwards, II is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series driver for Roush Fenway Racing.In the Sprint Cup Series, Edwards Drives the #99 Aflac Ford Fusion...
performing his trademark backflip, not once but twice in an attempt to cheer up a dejected Neil EverettNeil Everett Morfitt, known professionally as Neil Everett, is a sportscaster for the ESPN cable network. He is co-anchor of the West Coast edition of SportsCenter.-Biography:...
in the kitchen.
- A 2007 ad features Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
placekicker Adam VinatieriAdam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in four Super Bowls, three with the Patriots and one with the Colts, winning all four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2007 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2002, 2004, &...
passing through a metal detector multiple times, each time forgetting to remove one of his four Super Bowl rings from his person. Former Buffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the metropolitan area of Buffalo, New York. They play their home games in the suburb of Orchard Park, and beginning in 2008, one home game is played in Toronto. They are members of the Eastern Division of the American Football...
quarterback Jim KellyJames Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
is seen in line behind Vinatieri, clearly frustrated with the delay. (Kelly never won a Super Bowl with the Bills, losing four straight in the early 90's)
- A 2007 ad has Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
walking down the hallway only to discover Tony RomoAntonio Ramiro Romo is an American football quarterback. He currently plays for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:...
having a party complete with the Dallas Cowboys CheerleadersThe Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are the National Football League cheerleading squad for the Dallas Cowboys. - 1960's :Before the founding of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders , the football team's cheer squad was a male-female group called CowBelles & Beaux. The group made its sidelines debut in...
. Another ad features Romo answering phones at ESPN. He gives anchor Jay Harris his messages, reading them off his armband. (Similar to how NFL quarterbacks have their playbook written on their arms during games)
- A 2007 ad features the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball club based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team is owned by Wycliffe Grousbeck and coached by Doc Rivers, with Danny Ainge as the President of...
' new Big Three of Ray Allen{{distinguish|Ray Alan|Allan Ray}}{{otherpeople2|Raymond Allen}}{{pp-semi-vandalism|expiry=April 17, 2010|small=yes}}{{distinguish|Ray Alan|Allan Ray}}{{otherpeople2|Raymond Allen}}{{pp-semi-vandalism|expiry=April 17, 2010|small=yes}}{{infobox NBA Player...
, Kevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays at the power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After having a successful high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy, he decided to forgo college and entered...
, and Paul PiercePaul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
asking anchor Scott Van PeltScott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
for advice on selecting nicknames. (The name Van Pelt coined, the "Boston Three-Party", has actually been used in ESPN broadcasts.) A follow-up spot has Steve LevySteve Levy is currently a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
heckle the trio as they walk through the SportsCenter offices in their Celtic uniforms. Levy shouts, "Hey fellas, did you call each other last night and talk about what you're gonna wear today?"
- A 2007 ad has LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson is an American football running back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. Tomlinson was drafted in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft in which he was part of an infamous trade which sent him to the Chargers and the 1st overall pick, Michael Vick to...
sorting mail in the mailroom in his jersey and his helmet. Steve LevySteve Levy is currently a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
then comes to get his mail, and proceeds to tell LT that the mail isn't his (LT wears a black visor, which in this case is supposed to be detrimental to his vision).
- A 2007 ad has Richard Simmons
Milton Teagle Simmons , known professionally as Richard Simmons, is an American fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through his aerobics videos and eccentric personality...
hired as SportsCenter's "conditioning coach".
- A 2008 ad has Chris Chelios
Chris Chelios is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Chelios has played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. He played in the NHL from the 1983–84 to 2008-09 seasons, and earned many awards during...
and anchor John BuccigrossJohn Buccigross , is currently an anchor for ESPN, a job he has held since 1996. He is also an NHL columnist for ESPN.com.-Biography:...
having a conversation about fortysomething athletes in the studio hallway.
- A 2008 ad has ESPN employees being locked out of the studio as Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
can't seem to get the door open.
- A 2008 ad features Brian Kenny
Brian Kenny may refer to:*Brian Kenny , ESPN personality and journalist*Brian Kenny , Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick...
poking fun at NASCAR driver Matt KensethMatthew Roy Kenseth is an American stock car driver. Matt currently drives the #17 DeWalt Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing. He is currently the defending Daytona 500 champion, having won a rain-shortened race in 2009, the first Daytona 500 win for the Roush Fenway...
in the cafeteria simply because stock car racing has its roots in the southern United States (Kenseth is from Wisconsin).
- A 2008 ad has author Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American writer of contemporary horror fiction, science fiction, fantasy literature, and screenplays. An estimated 300–350 million copies of King's novels and short story collections have been sold, and many of his stories have been adapted for film, television, and...
helping out with John Anderson's script.
- A 2008 ad features Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993, the Rockies play in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains, which pass through Colorado, just west of Denver...
outfielder Matt HollidayMatthew Thomas Holliday , is a left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft....
cleaning the men's room, whistling a tune along the way while John Anderson tries to enter the restroom. Holliday emerges out of the men's room and then proceeding to do the ladies' room.
- A 2008 ad featured anchor Chris McKendry
Chris McKendry has been a journalist for ESPN since 1996. Currently, she primarily serves as co-anchor of the 12-3pm ET weekday block of live SportsCenter shows, alongside Robert Flores, which she started doing on August 11, 2008.-Biography:Prior to joining ESPN, McKendry had been at WJLA-TV, ABC...
thanking Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
shortstop Jimmy RollinsJames Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll," is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball....
for borrowing his necklace because had McKendry not worn the necklace, she would've had a bad show.
- A 2008 ad features anchors Kenny Mayne
-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA. Kenny graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982, with a degree in Broadcasting, where he was the...
and John BuccigrossJohn Buccigross , is currently an anchor for ESPN, a job he has held since 1996. He is also an NHL columnist for ESPN.com.-Biography:...
poking fun at University of TennesseeThe University of Tennessee , sometimes called the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville...
women's basketball coach Pat SummittPat Head Summitt is the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She has been coaching since 1974, all with the Lady Vols, winning 8 national championships. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, men or women in any division, and one of only two collegiate...
in the offices.
- A 2008 ad features anchor John Anderson recording a promo on ESPN's football demonstration field. However, he is interrupted by players from the Chicago Rush, who have scheduled the field for practice.
- A 2008 ad has LSU football coach Les Miles
Leslie Edwin "Les" Miles is an American college football coach and the current head coach of the Louisiana State University football team. Prior to holding that position, he was head coach at Oklahoma State...
giving a potential anchor a tour of the studio as if he was recruiting a high school player for a college team.
- A 2008 ad features Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson complaining to anchor Jay Harris
James William "Jay" Harris is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chester City.A product of the Everton F.C. Academy, he joined Accrington Stanley in the summer of 2006,...
about how his sophomore season won't match his rookie year (hence the so-called "Sophomore Jinx").
- A 2008 ad features Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, representing North Carolina and South Carolina in the National Football League. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
wide receiver Steve Smith displaying his "incendiary" speed to anchor Kenny Mayne-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA. Kenny graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982, with a degree in Broadcasting, where he was the...
.
- A 2009 ad has Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
center Dwight HowardDwight David Howard , nicknamed "Superman", is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
demonstrating his dunking ability by dunking anchor John Anderson-Science:* John H. D. Anderson , Scottish natural philosopher* John Anderson , Scottish zoologist* John August Anderson , American physicist and astronomer...
in the waste basket and being scored by the people in the conference room, including fellow anchor Neil EverettNeil Everett Morfitt, known professionally as Neil Everett, is a sportscaster for the ESPN cable network. He is co-anchor of the West Coast edition of SportsCenter.-Biography:...
.
- A 2009 ad has Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League and are the defending Stanley Cup champions. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first...
center Sidney CrosbySidney Patrick Crosby
ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
being used by anchor Stuart ScottStuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
as a slave.
- In a 2008 ad, Steve Levy
Steve Levy is currently a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
and Jay HarrisJames William "Jay" Harris is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chester City.A product of the Everton F.C. Academy, he joined Accrington Stanley in the summer of 2006,...
observe Manny Ramirez eating a snack in the break room, seemingly amazed by Ramirez's actions. Manny then picks up his cell phone and says, "Hola?", prompting Harris and Levy to burst out in laughter and marvel at "Manny being Manny!" This ad was never shown as part of a normal commercial cycle, as it did not come out before Ramirez was traded from the Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
to the Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The team is in the Western Division of the National League. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming the Brooklyn...
; ESPN instead showed it during a broadcast of SportsCenter on the night Ramirez was traded, with anchors John Buccigross and John Anderson providing "commentary" on Levy's performance.
- A 2008 ad shows Michael Phelps, apparently fresh from a race as he is soaking wet while in cap and suit, asking to use Stuart Scott's computer - which promptly shorts-out as Phelps drips water all over the console. A confused Phelps asks, "What is it with the computers in here?" A second spot shows Phelps at his cubicle, which is next to Jay Harris; Phelps notices Harris has taken one of his Olympic medals and promptly restores it to his own shelf. A disappointed Harris can be heard muttering, "It's just a bronze."
- A 2009 ad features anchor John Buccigross asking Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a professional baseball player who has played his entire career in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals...
to run some errands only to discover that Pujols is wearing a cockeyed shirt. Another ad featuring Pujols shows him at the photocopier when he is approached by John Anderson and Steve Levy. The anchors refer to Pujols by his nickname "The Machine." The scene is then shown through Pujols' eyes, his vision similar to a science fiction robot, scanning the room and displaying his responses ("Guys, I'm not a machine. I'm just Albert.") The anchors walk away, dejected, and the copy machine speaks to Pujols, asking why he did not eliminate them.
- A 2009 Commercial features anchor Scott Van Pelt and Philadelphia Phillies Shortstop Jimmy Rollins reviewing Van Pelt's videos in front of the camera. In the commercial, it is implied that just like baseball players, anchors also go through slumps, and like them, they also study their tapes to discover their flaws. In the commercial, a confused Van Pelt looks to Rollins for guidance in his "poor performances" which include talking to the camera with his head down on his desk, spinning on his chair, randomly flapping his arm, and elevating his head above the camera. The commercial ends with the phrase "The great ones always figure it out" with Jimmy Rollins clearly frustrated at Van Pelt's videos.
- In one ad Neil Everett is discussing with Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player. As of October 2009, he is ranked world number 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals , having previously held the number one position for a record 237 consecutive weeks...
where Everett would rank in the top 10 of SportsCenter anchors if there were such a thing. Federer states, "I'm not sure you'd be in the top ten."
- Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald appears in two spots: one has him playing the guitar in the middle of the night while anchor Stuart Scott is trying to get a report done and another has him asking anchor John Buccigross for his I.D.
- A 2009 ad has NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne offering anchor John Anderson a ride in his #9 Budweiser Dodge.
- A 2009 ad features Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan tossing yogurt to anchors Hannah Storm and Josh Elliott.
Sports practices
Many commercials in the series have derived their humor from parodying conventional professional sports practices, by applying them to working for SportsCenter:
- One ad has former anchor Rich Eisen
Rich Eisen is an American television journalist who works for the NFL Network. He is married to ESPN on ABC college football sideline reporter Suzy Shuster...
being "sent down to the minorsMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
" (in his case, working for a high-school TV service, where two students asked him to buy them some beer, a request he declined to honor).
- San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times.The Padres are one of four teams...
closerIn baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game...
Trevor HoffmanTrevor William Hoffman is a right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers. A long-time closer, he is currently the Major Leagues' all-time leader in saves with 591, having broken the previous record held by Lee Smith on September 24, 2006...
replaces anchor Kenny Mayne-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA. Kenny graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982, with a degree in Broadcasting, where he was the...
for the show's "Did You Know?" segment, similar to relieving the starting pitcherIn baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in a baseball game.
- The network drafting a can't-miss anchor prospect out of high school, only to see him flame out on the job ("Jimmy Key
James Edward "Jimmy" Key is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , and Baltimore Orioles...
, what is he 45? I could hit him!") and ESPN discovering that "he just wasn't ready", à la how baseball teams often rush their highly-touted prospects to the majors. Also it may reference the fiasco with former San Diego Chargers quarterback Ryan LeafRyan David Leaf is a former American football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Dallas Cowboys between 1998 and 2001. His brother Brady was a quarterback for the University of Oregon Ducks....
.
- John Buccigross wearing the "anchor-cam", a parody of MLB catchers wearing "catcher-cam" during ESPN and FOX's MLB telecasts.
- Charley Steiner being "traded" to Melrose Place in exchange for Andrew Shue
Andrew Shue is an American actor, known for his role as Billy Campbell on the television series Melrose Place . He is currently on the Board of Directors for Do Something and is the co-founder of the social networking website CafeMom.-Early life:Shue was born in Wilmington, Delaware...
.
- One rather infamous spot is the making of the SportsCenter swimsuit calendar, featuring Bill Pidto
Bill Pidto is a radio personality on Mad Dog Radio on the show The B-Team and an anchor for MSG Network's coverage of New York Rangers road games. He was formerly a journalist for ESPN from 1993 to 2008...
, Stuart ScottStuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
and Linda CohnLinda Cohn is a female American sportscaster. She periodically anchors ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and education:...
in various states of revealing swimwear.
- One ad featured Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
recalling various anchor's 'Perfect Shows' ("Bob Ley had his in '89, Steiner in '91"), and how Dan PatrickDaniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster from Mason, Ohio. He currently hosts The Dan Patrick Show which is broadcast on radio on Premiere Radio Networks, and on television on The 101 Network, co-hosts NBC's Football Night in America, and serves as a...
"had one going last season". It then cuts to the set to show the various crew members and co-anchor Kenny Mayne-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA. Kenny graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982, with a degree in Broadcasting, where he was the...
refusing to speak or even make eye-contact with Patrick during commercial breaks, similar to how in baseball it is considered bad luck to talk in the dugout to a pitcher who takes a no-hitterA no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
or perfect game into the late innings. Patrick ultimately slips up though, declaring on air "That of course is the kind of thing that can't never happen in a playoff race", and he is crushed as an "umpire" in the control booth declares he has used a double negative. Scott wraps up the spot by saying "In the end, he just let it get away from him."
- A parody of post-game interviewing finds a dejected Kenny Mayne
-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA. Kenny graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982, with a degree in Broadcasting, where he was the...
and an upbeat Dan PatrickDaniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster from Mason, Ohio. He currently hosts The Dan Patrick Show which is broadcast on radio on Premiere Radio Networks, and on television on The 101 Network, co-hosts NBC's Football Night in America, and serves as a...
asked about their performances in that evening's broadcast in "locker room" interviews.
- Another recent ad has the show going into a rain delay (it was a small pipe leaking above the desk), forcing anchors John Anderson
John Anderson is a sports journalist from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a host of the ESPN TV program SportsCenter since June 1999. He lives in Southington, Connecticut.-Biography:...
and Steve LevySteve Levy is currently a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
to wait it out in a dugoutIn baseball, the dugout is a team's bench area and is located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base. There are two dugouts, one for the home team and one for the visiting team. In general, the dugout is occupied by all players not prescribed to be on the field at that...
as a grounds crew covers the desk with a tarp.
- The carpet in the ESPN headquarters is replaced with grass to prevent injuries, a parody of the controversy over injuries sustained by football players
American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
competing on AstroTurfAstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Though the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf...
(in the ad, ESPN workers are shown tripping on the carpet). The anchors have to yell over the sound of the lawn mowerA lawn mower is a machine that uses revolving blades to cut a lawn at an even length.Lawn mowers employing a blade that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel mowers.Many...
cutting the grass in the studio.
- One spot from the mid-90s had SportsCenter being 'relocated', lampooning the trend of owners threatening city (and in some cases state) governments with relocation to get what they want. In the ad, Hair Club for Men founder Sy Sperling is depicted as the owner of SportsCenter, announcing at a press conference he is relocating to "the city of the future - Bristol, CT." He raves about free parking, more luxury boxes, and the availability of high-quality fruits and vegetables. Sperling wraps up the ad by saying, "I'd have loved to stay in California, but those bastards in Sacramento low-balled me", seeming to spoof the recent departure of both the Raiders and Rams from Los Angeles, both because of their unsatisfactory stadiums.
- In a 1997 ad, Dan Patrick and Kenny Mayne
-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA. Kenny graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982, with a degree in Broadcasting, where he was the...
are shown signing off a typical SportsCenter broadcast, and are then given sombreroThe English word sombrero, a loanword from Spanish, typically refers to a type of hat originating in Mexico.The Mexican sombrero is used for protection from the hot sun...
s, and they begin broadcasting the SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
version of SportsCenter (with a mariachiMariachi, in relation to the music of Mexico, may also be defined in relation to the conditions associated with its historical development. A mariachi ensemble is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the colonial era. Throughout the history of...
version of the show's theme). While Bob LeyBob Ley is a sportscaster for the ESPN cable-TV network.-Biography:Ley grew up in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where he attended Bloomfield High School. He got his start in broadcasting at WSOU at Seton Hall University...
explains that they redo the show for overseas markets ("Same highlights, same anchors, different dialects"), they are also shown giving RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
and GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
versions a try, replete with national costumes, and the SportsCenter theme redone for those cultures.
- In a recent ad, Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
asks spelling beeA spelling bee is a competition where contestants, usually children, are asked to spell English words. The concept is thought to have originated in the United States, and is usually perceived to be a solely English language practice....
champion David Tidmarsh to help him by spelling "PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a professional baseball player who has played his entire career in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals...
". In true spelling bee tradition, Tidmarsh asks for the team (St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball...
), country of origin (Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries...
), and for the word to be used in a sentence ("Pujols homered to win the game."), then slowly spells the word while Van Pelt cuts him off, saying "I found it online, got it."
- A 2006 features brothers Peyton
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. One of only two three-time NFL MVPs, he is statistically regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time...
and Eli ManningElisha Nelson "Eli" Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
teasing each other while their family is in a tour of the ESPN studio.
- A 2005 ad begins with John Anderson
-Science:* John H. D. Anderson , Scottish natural philosopher* John Anderson , Scottish zoologist* John August Anderson , American physicist and astronomer...
commenting that Scott Van PeltScott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
had been on a run of unbelievable shows, accompanied by footage of Van Pelt using numerous 'big-syllable' words ("A-Rod exhibits inordinate aptitude in spheriodical aviation!"); Anderson then sadly reveals that Scott had been using "performance enhancers", showing Van Pelt's cubicle being raided by FBI agents who discover a thesaurus. Van Pelt attempts to flee and is wrestled to the ground by the agents, shouting out, "unhand me rapscallions!" The ad spoofed the recent steroid controversy in baseball surrounding players such as Barry BondsBarry Lamar Bonds is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds. He debuted in the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 and joined the San Francisco Giants in 1993, where he stayed through 2007.Bonds has led a controversial...
and Jason GiambiJason Gilbert Giambi is a Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman currently with the Colorado Rockies....
, with a dejected Anderson concluding, "We gotta win back a lot of trust."
- A 2006 ad shows Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
and Stuart ScottStuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
jumping and stretching before a show, similar to what NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
players do before games. The ad ends with both men easily taking off their "warm-up suits" revealing their show suits underneath.
- In one ad Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
discusses "Rain Delays" and says that every so often there is one. Then they cut to a show where a leak from a pipe above the stage causes a grounds crew to come out and lay a tarp on the set. The anchors and grounds crew members are seen calling loved ones and chewing gum similarly to baseball players and fans. Scott says "You just hope it lets up."
- A 2007 ad has Steve Levy
Steve Levy is currently a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
getting suspended by Vince Doria because he said the F-wordFuck is an English word that is generally considered profane, that in its most literal meaning refers to the act of sexual intercourse. However, by extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed, and it is due to the convergence...
during a SportsCenterSportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally airing once per day, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
taping (this spot was never aired on the ESPN family of networks because it was deemed too inappropriate for television). {{Fact|date=January 2008}}
- A 2007 ad features how a SportsCenter video game is made (this ad is a take on the sports video game craze).
- A 2008 ad features a coin toss between anchors Jay Harris
Jay Harris is an American journalist who has worked for ESPN since February 2003. When he first joined ESPN, he worked primarily on ESPNEWS, but in August 2006, he was named the weekday co-host of the 6pm ET SportsCenter along with Brian Kenny...
and Brian KennyBrian Kenny may refer to:*Brian Kenny , ESPN personality and journalist*Brian Kenny , Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick...
to determine who will start the show.
- A 2008 ad features how Sportscenter viewers can decides which highlights to air via text messaging. They can choose one of the three options: have John Anderson
-Science:* John H. D. Anderson , Scottish natural philosopher* John Anderson , Scottish zoologist* John August Anderson , American physicist and astronomer...
read the highlights, have Jay HarrisJay Harris is an American journalist who has worked for ESPN since February 2003. When he first joined ESPN, he worked primarily on ESPNEWS, but in August 2006, he was named the weekday co-host of the 6pm ET SportsCenter along with Brian Kenny...
read the high lights or have a roller-skating parrot dunk a basketball. In the end, they chose the latter.
- A 2008 ad has anchors Steve Levy
Steve Levy is currently a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
and John Anderson-Science:* John H. D. Anderson , Scottish natural philosopher* John Anderson , Scottish zoologist* John August Anderson , American physicist and astronomer...
answering phone calls from viewers in a parody of sports call-in shows (including ESPNRadio).
- A 2008 ad has Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
and Neil EverettNeil Everett Morfitt, known professionally as Neil Everett, is a sportscaster for the ESPN cable network. He is co-anchor of the West Coast edition of SportsCenter.-Biography:...
being "represented" by Drew RosenhausDrew Rosenhaus is among the best known NFL sports agents. He owns the Miami-based sports agency, Rosenhaus Sports, and is known for aggressive representation of his National Football League clients, often generating highly lucrative contracts for them.Rosenhaus represents over 100 NFL players,...
at the cafeteria. Rosenhaus negotiates the cost of their lunches from $23.50 down to $15, using many familiar tactics of player contract negotiation (For example: "What if I guarantee we'll be back tomorrow and give you an option for Friday?") Rosenhaus also offers to throw in incentives for extra chocolate pudding, with Van Pelt quickly piping up, "I want sprinkles."
- Van Pelt appeared in another sports agent spoof alongside "megaagent" Scott Boras
Scott Boras is a prominent sports agent for professional baseball players. He is the president of Scott Boras Corporation, which has its headquarters in Newport Beach, California...
. In the ad, Boras (known throughout baseball for his hardline negotiating tactics) represents Van Pelt, demanding (among other things) that the company name a sandwich after him in the cafeteria since Scott "uses more five-syllable words than any other anchor". When Boras demands an incentive clause allowing Scott to wear a Snuggie on-air for a year should he win an Emmy AwardThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
, the ESPN execs agree to "everything but the Snuggie", to which a stone-faced Boras replies, "We're gonna need the Snuggie."
- A 2008 ad features the pit crews of Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael Gordon is a professional American race car driver. He was born in Vallejo, California, raised in Pittsboro, Indiana, and currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina...
and Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is a current NASCAR Sprint Cup race car driver who drives the #48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet Impala SS co-owned by Rick Hendrick and his teammate Jeff Gordon and operated by Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson is the reigning three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion...
helping anchors Scott Van PeltScott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
and Neil EverettNeil Everett Morfitt, known professionally as Neil Everett, is a sportscaster for the ESPN cable network. He is co-anchor of the West Coast edition of SportsCenter.-Biography:...
getting ready for the next segment during the commercial.
- A 2008 ad has anchor John Buccigross
John Buccigross , is currently an anchor for ESPN, a job he has held since 1996. He is also an NHL columnist for ESPN.com.-Biography:...
getting the ax and rallying for his job in a shopping center in a parody of coaches and managers getting fired.
- A 2007 add has NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson using a pick axe to slowly destroy a speed bump in the ESPN parking lot as you see his race car near him obviously too low to pass the bumps.
- A 2009 ad featured anchor John Anderson
-Science:* John H. D. Anderson , Scottish natural philosopher* John Anderson , Scottish zoologist* John August Anderson , American physicist and astronomer...
discussing that Sportscenter does do halftime shows, but unfortunately when the announcer introduces the hip-hop group the JabbawockeezJabbaWockeeZ is an all-male hip-hop dance crew from California who gained fame by appearing on the second season of America's Got Talent, and later becoming the inaugural winners of MTV's hip-hop dance competition America's Best Dance Crew. The group name is derived from the Jabberwocky...
, many ESPN employees including ancors Brian Kenny and John Buccigross get out of the studio believing that the dance team looked like ghosts.
- A 2009 ad has anchor Jay Harris giving fellow anchor Brian Kenny a pep talk in the digital center, telling him "to concentrate".
Sports mascots
Sports
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
s and cheerleaders are usually present in most ads, often seen casually milling around in the background, but occasionally they take on an active role:
- In a 2003 ad, when the show ends, everyone rushes out of the studio, creating a massive traffic jam. It then shows Mr. Met
Mr. Met is the official mascot of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. He is a man with a large baseball-shaped head. He can be seen at Citi Field during Mets home games, has appeared in several commercials as part of ESPN's This is SportsCenter campaign, and has been elected into the Mascot...
and Lady Met driving home on the freeway (with the Met children in the back), with Lady Met subtitled as saying they were glad to get out early. The New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. The Mets are a member of the East Division of Major League Baseball's National League....
theme song, "Meet the Mets"Meet the Mets" is the fight song of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball.The song first appeared in 1962, heralding the return of National League baseball to New York City. It was written in 1961 by Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz. A modernized version was recorded in 1984."Meet the Mets" has...
", is on their car radio. (A shorter version with just the Mets family has Lady Met accusing Mr. Met of making eyes at one of the female ESPN sportscasters.)
- Mr. Met subsequently would take a lead role in a 2009 ad in which he is talking with Stuart Scott at a microwave. When Josh Hamilton shows up to use the microwave, Mr. Met angrily gestures at him and walks away. Hamilton is confused until Scott reveals that some of the balls Hamilton hit in the 2008 Home Run Derby were actually relatives of the mascot.
- Boston University
Boston University is a private nonsectarian university located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Although chartered by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1869, Boston University traces its roots to the establishment of the Newbury Biblical Institute in Newbury, Vermont in 1839...
's mascot, RhettRhett is the official costumed mascot of the Boston University Terriers and has been the BU mascot since 1922. The often snarling, bi-pedal black and white Boston Terrier was named after the male lead in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, because "No one loves Scarlett more than Rhett"...
, appears in two "on-campus" spots in 2001. In one, he frustrates ESPN's doctor, who is trying to find his pulse. In the other, he joins Curt SchillingCurtis Montague Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and has won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox...
, Jesper ParnevikJesper Bo Parnevik is a Swedish professional golfer. He spent 38 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 2000 and 2001.Parnevik was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the son of the Swedish entertainer Bo Parnevik...
, Kenny Mayne-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA. Kenny graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982, with a degree in Broadcasting, where he was the...
, Stewart Scott, Linda CohnLinda Cohn is a female American sportscaster. She periodically anchors ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and education:...
, and others in spreading "the waveThe wave , is achieved in a packed stadium when successive groups of spectators briefly stand and raise their arms...
" around Bristol.
- Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state Capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
's mascot, The Demon DeaconOriginally, Wake Forest's athletic teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, due to its association with the Baptist Convention...
, appears in a commercial featuring David WrightDavid Allen Wright , is an American baseball player, who plays third base for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He was drafted by the Mets in 2001 and made his Major League debut in 2004...
of the New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. The Mets are a member of the East Division of Major League Baseball's National League....
, wherein Wright, John AndersonJohn Anderson is a sports journalist from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a host of the ESPN TV program SportsCenter since June 1999. He lives in Southington, Connecticut.-Biography:...
, and Neil EverettNeil Everett Morfitt, known professionally as Neil Everett, is a sportscaster for the ESPN cable network. He is co-anchor of the West Coast edition of SportsCenter.-Biography:...
lampoon the baseball practice of covering the mouth with the gloveA baseball glove or mitt is a large leather glove that baseball players on the defending team are allowed to wear to assist them in catching and fielding balls hit by a batter, or thrown by a teammate.-History:...
while speaking on the field so that the opposing team cannot read the speaker's lips — they discuss where they are to meet for a party later that evening while covering their mouths, Wright with his glove, the anchors with folders.
- Billy the Marlin, the Florida Marlins
The Florida Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
' mascot, which always has an open mouth, is startled to find his "girlfriend," Andrea KremerAndrea Kremer is an American sportscaster and currently works for NBC Sports as the sideline reporter for NBC Sunday Night Football and a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. She was previously a reporter for ESPN for 17 years...
, kissing another SportsCenter anchor.
- The San Diego Chicken
The San Diego Chicken, also known as the The Famous Chicken, the KGB Chicken or just The Chicken, is an advertising mascot played by Ted Giannoulas, which originated as an animated TV commercial for KGB-FM Radio in San Diego...
, who is seen pulling practical jokes all over the ESPN building; it is revealed at the end of the commercial that inside the costume was Pete SamprasPete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former World No. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles, and had a 203–38 win-loss record over 52 Grand Slam singles tournament appearances....
, playing against his image as being humorless and robotic.
- Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, U.S.A.. It was founded as a university in 1870, but its roots can be traced back to a seminary founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832 which eventually became Genesee College...
's Otto the OrangeOtto the Orange is the mascot for the Syracuse Orange, the athletic teams of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, USA. Otto is an anthropomorphic orange, wearing a large blue hat and blue pants. Traditionally regarded as gender-neutral, Otto can usually be seen at Syracuse sporting and other...
, who gets punched by Charley SteinerCharles Harris "Charley" Steiner is an American sportscaster and broadcast journalist. He is currently the main radio voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, paired with Rick Monday.-Early career:...
after Steiner is described as being a boxing enthusiast.
- Sparty
Sparty is the mascot of Michigan State University. Sparty is usually depicted as a muscular male Spartan warrior/athlete dressed in stylized Greek costume. After changing the team name from "Aggies" to "Spartans" in 1925, various incarnations of a Spartan warrior with a prominent chin appeared at...
, the Michigan State SpartansThe Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
' mascot, receives the final handoff of gymnast Kerri StrugKerri Allyson Strug is an American gymnast from Tucson, Arizona. She was a member of the Magnificent Seven, the gymnastics team that represented the United States at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and is remembered for performing the vault despite having seriously injured her ankle, in order to...
as she is carried around the studio. The image is an obvious allusion to US gymnastics coach Béla KárolyiBéla Károlyi is a world-renowned gymnastics coach. Born in Kolozsvár, Hungary to an ethnic Hungarian family, Károlyi and his wife, Márta, emigrated to the United States in 1981 and both have dual citizenships for Romania and America...
carrying the injured Strug to accept her team gold medalThe Magnificent Seven is the name given to the 1996 United States Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team that won the first ever Gold Medal for the United States in the Women's Team Competition at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics...
at the 1996 OlympicsAt the 1996 Summer Olympics, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. The artistic gymnastics events were held at the Georgia Dome from July 20-25 and July 28-29. The rhythmic gymnastics events were held at the University of Georgia...
.
- Steve Irwin
Stephen Robert Irwin , known simply as Steve Irwin and nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an iconic Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist...
("The Crocodile Hunter") wrestled with Albert E. Gator when he spotted the Florida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
mascot stepping out of an elevator.
- Big Red
Big Red is the name given to Western Kentucky University's mascot, a red, furry blob created by WKU student Ralph Carey in 1979. Big Red is meant to symbolize the spirit of WKU students and alumni as well as the sports teams' nickname, the "Hilltoppers," a name chosen because the school's campus...
, the mascot of Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
, is confused over which restroom to use until Dan PatrickDaniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster from Mason, Ohio. He currently hosts The Dan Patrick Show which is broadcast on radio on Premiere Radio Networks, and on television on The 101 Network, co-hosts NBC's Football Night in America, and serves as a...
instructs it to "use the woods out back."
- Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He was also part of the on-air talent at the student-run radio station...
is repulsed by seeing the Milwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
Sausage RaceThe Sausage Race is a race of sausage mascots held before the bottom of the sixth inning at every home game of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sausage Race is a promotion for the Klement's Sausage Company, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose sausages are served at Miller Park, the home of the Brewers...
rs ordering sausageA sausage is a prepared food, usually made from ground meat , ground pork fat such as fatback, salt, and spices . Typically the sausage is formed in a casing. Traditionally, sausage casings are made of animal intestines, though now some casings are synthetic...
in the ESPN cafeteria; the Sausage Racers also appear in a 2007 spot where they chase the SportsCenter anchors down the halls of the ESPN studios, parodying PamplonaPamplona is the capital city of Navarre, Spain and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 7 to 14, in which the running of the bulls or encierro is one of the main attractions...
's Running of the Bulls.
- Sam the Minuteman
Sam the Minuteman is the mascot of the University of Massachusetts Amherst athletics teams. Sam can be found at any event in which the Minutemen or Minutewomen are participants...
, the mascot for the UMass MinutemenThe UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst in NCAA Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and...
, knocks a tennis ballA tennis ball is a ball designed for the sport of tennis, approximately 6.7 cm in diameter and is usually yellow, but in recreational play can be virtually any colour. Tennis balls are covered in a fibrous fluffy felt which modifies their aerodynamic properties...
away from Andy RoddickAndrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. His best surfaces are hard court and grass....
as Roddick bounces it off his racket into the air in a waiting room.
- The Stanford Tree
The Stanford Tree is the un-official mascot of Stanford University. Stanford's team name is "The Cardinal," referring to the vivid red color , and the University has never been able to come up with an official mascot which adequately conveys the fierceness and sporting prowess it had hoped to...
stares at anchor John AndersonJohn Anderson is a sports journalist from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a host of the ESPN TV program SportsCenter since June 1999. He lives in Southington, Connecticut.-Biography:...
after he throws a crumpled up piece of paper in the garbage can. Anderson is guilted into taking the paper out of the garbage and puts it into the recycling bin.
- The Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
mascot, Wally the Green MonsterWally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team. His name is derived from the Green Monster nickname of the 37-foot wall in left field at Fenway Park. Wally debuted in to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with...
, reacts in shock after seeing Red Sox star David OrtizDavid Ortiz is a Dominican Major League Baseball designated hitter who has played for the Boston Red Sox since . Previously, Ortiz played for the Minnesota Twins . Nicknamed "Big Papi," Ortiz is a five-time All-Star and holds the Red Sox single-season record for home runs with 54, set during the ...
wearing a New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
hat. Ortiz was really just trying to break in the hat for Yankees catcher Jorge PosadaJorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the New York Yankees. He is a switch hitter, and has been on five All-Star teams over his 15-year career....
.
- Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in the state of New Jersey. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766 and is the eighth-oldest college in the United States...
's Scarlet KnightThe Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
appears in the Y2K episode chasing and then stomping on the University of ConnecticutThe University of Connecticut is the State of Connecticut's land-grant university. It was founded in 1881 and serves more than 28,000 students on its six campuses, including nearly 8,000 graduate students in multiple programs....
HuskyThe Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
.
- In a 2002 ad, anchors Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
and Rich EisenRich Eisen is an American television journalist who works for the NFL Network. He is married to ESPN on ABC college football sideline reporter Suzy Shuster...
are saying some nonsensical wordsGibberish is a generic term in English for talking that sounds like speech, but carries no actual meaning. This meaning has also been extended to meaningless text or gobbledygook. The common theme in gibberish statements is a lack of literal sense, which can be described as a presence of nonsense...
; as it turns out, it's none other than Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
mascot Wally the Green MonsterWally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team. His name is derived from the Green Monster nickname of the 37-foot wall in left field at Fenway Park. Wally debuted in to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with...
controlling the teleprompter until he is stopped by a producer. It's also the only Sportscenter commercial where the closing graphic "This is SportsCenter" doesn't appear at the end of the commercial. Instead it's replaced by "This is Spillifattr", a take on the spot.
- The Blue Blob, a mascot of Xavier University, is shown eating Jim Kelly's NFL Hall of Fame jacket after beating him in rock paper scissors. Kelly then asks for best 2 out of 3, the Blue Blob declines.
- Brutus Buckeye
Brutus Buckeye is the athletics mascot of The Ohio State University. Brutus is a student dressed in Buckeye colors with a headpiece resembling an Ohio Buckeye nut. Brutus has appeared since 1965, with periodic updates to design and wardrobe...
, mascot for the Ohio State UniversityOhio State University is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the largest single-campus university in the United States. Ohio State is currently ranked by U.S...
, appears in the background performing Richard Simmons' conditioning exercises. He falls down in the end.
- A 2008 ad features the New York Jets Flight Crew asking anchor Chris McKendry
Chris McKendry has been a journalist for ESPN since 1996. Currently, she primarily serves as co-anchor of the 12-3pm ET weekday block of live SportsCenter shows, alongside Robert Flores, which she started doing on August 11, 2008.-Biography:Prior to joining ESPN, McKendry had been at WJLA-TV, ABC...
advice on romantic relationships with players.
- A 2008 ad features former NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver and ESPN Nascar analyst Rusty WallaceRussell William Wallace, Jr. is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, NASCAR Nationwide Series car owner, and television broadcaster with ESPN and ESPN on ABC and co-host of NASCAR Angels. Wallace had his first live broadcast of the Indy 500 on May 28, 2006...
eating lunch with the University of DelawareThe University of Delaware is the largest university in Delaware. The main campus is in Newark, with satellite campuses in Dover, Wilmington, Lewes and Georgetown. It is medium-sized – approximately 16,000 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students...
mascot YoUDeeYoUDee is the mascot of the University of Delaware. He is a "fighting Blue Hen" and is named after the state bird of Delaware. According to the University of Delaware, YoUDee's colors are Gold and Blue because his great-great-great-grandfather was awarded the Gold Medal for Valor during the...
, but when Wallace can't eat his entire lunch, he gives the rest of his lunch to YoUDee and the mascot was able to swallow the food in one gulp.
- A 2008 ad has the University of Kansas
The University of Kansas , the State of Kansas Flagship university , is a public research university with campuses located in Lawrence, Kansas City, and Overland Park, Kansas with the main campus being located atop Mount Oread in Lawrence...
mascot Big JayBig Jay is a mountain in the northern Green Mountains of Vermont, located on the border of Franklin and Orleans counties.- Overview :The summit of Big Jay is the highest point of Franklin County...
working at the answering service when John Anderson's voice is heard on the answering machine.
- A 2008 ad has the New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
mascot NJ Devil on an elevator when Jay HarrisJames William "Jay" Harris is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chester City.A product of the Everton F.C. Academy, he joined Accrington Stanley in the summer of 2006,...
asks: "Goin Up?" and the Devil shakes his head. Harris then steps out of the elevator.
- A 2009 ad shows the thermometer
A thermometer is a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient using a variety of different principles. A thermometer has two important elements: the temperature sensor A thermometer (from the Greek θερμός (thermo) meaning "warm" and meter, "to measure") is a device that measures...
in the office with a sign saying "Do Not Touch". The Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League and are the defending Stanley Cup champions. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first...
' mascot, Iceburgh comes over and turns the temperature down. As the "This is Sportscenter" title is shown, NJ Devil comes over to turn the temperature back up.
- A 2009 ad features the UMass
The University of Massachusetts is a selective research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts...
mascot, Sam the MinutemanSam the Minuteman is the mascot of the University of Massachusetts Amherst athletics teams. Sam can be found at any event in which the Minutemen or Minutewomen are participants...
, in a commercial about Brett Favre's comeback. The segment begins with Josh Elliot finding out Favre is coming back and words spreads from the copy room to the mailroom to Brian Kenny and finally to Jay Harris, who alerts Sam the Minuteman of the comeback. Sam puts two lanterns in the window as Scott Van Pelt and Stuart Scott walk by, trying to figure out if it was one lantern or two to signify a comeback.