By April MacIntyre Sep 2, 2008, 23:53 GMT
ESPN announces that co-anchors Chris Berman and John Saunders, NFL Analyst Tom Jackson are to join SportsCenter Sundays at 7 p.m. this fall.Studio host Chris Berman will be joined by his longtime partner Tom Jackson as they team with veteran ESPN anchor John Saunders to co-host the Sunday 7 p.m. editionof SportsCenter throughout the NFL season, beginning September 7.
07/16/2008 - Chris Berman - 16th Annual ESPYs - Press Room - Nokia Theatre L.A. Live - Los Angeles, CA USA © Chris Hatcher / PR Photos
The trio that worked together during the first three years (1987-89) of NFL PrimeTime, cable television's highest-rated sports studio show for 19 years (1987-2005) have been reunited.
Berman with Saunders also regularly co-anchored the 11 p.m. Sunday night SportsCenter together during the late 1980s and also teamed on ESPN's Major League Baseball and ABC's NHL Stanley Cup coverage.The Sunday night editions of ESPN's flagship program will cover all the sports news and bring an increased focus to all the day's NFL action with highlights, discussion segments, analysis, coaches' press conferences, interviews and post-game reports from ESPN correspondents covering games.
The program will also preview the Sunday night primetime match-up.
ESPN released a statement that informs viewers that the Sunday 7 p.m. SportsCenter will be presented in a compressed format (similar to ESPN's NFL Draft telecast) with statistics, injury reports, fantasy football stats and other relevant news displayed graphically.Berman will anchor NFL highlight segments and lead most of the pro football discussion with a collection of top analysts, including Jackson, Trent Dilfer, Mike Ditka, Merril Hoge, and NFL Insider Chris Mortensen, who will update viewers on late-breaking news from around the league.
ESPN reports that Berman will also continue to team with Jackson for NFL highlight segments on "The Blitz" during the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on Sundays - a television partnership entering its 22nd year across ESPN's marquee NFL shows, including NFL PrimeTime (1987-2005), Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown."After a full slate of NFL games, fans want immediate and hard-hitting analysis about what happened and why," said Norby Williamson, executive vice president, production, ESPN.
"This new approach to SportsCenter will deliver fresh, in-depth coverage for football fans with Chris, TJ, John and our many NFL experts."Berman said: "In my 29 years at ESPN, I have had the privilege of working with many extraordinary people, but three of them will always have a special place in my heart. Tom Mees, who I still dearly miss, is one. I am thrilled that the other two, Tom Jackson and John Saunders, will be my partners on Sunday SportsCenters during the football season. Tom, John and I are passionate about the NFL and, together, we will provide insights and information fans will not be able to get anywhere else. We sure are going to have a lot of fun."From ESPN:
MNF Halftime to Feature Berman and Jackson - "Fastest Three Minutes in Television" and "Read and React"
Beginning Monday, September 8, with Monday Night Football's season-opening game, Jackson will join Berman during the MNF halftime, headlined by Berman's "Fastest Three Minutes in Television" and a new segment called "Read and React," a topical discussion of the key games, events and issues from that weekend in the NFL.
The segment will add yet another role to one of the most successful and popular tandems in sports television history.
Berman and Jackson, sports television's longest-running studio tandem, will be working together for the 22nd consecutive year this fall. Their partnership dates back to the former Broncos linebacker's first year at ESPN in 1987 and is highlighted by the long-running NFL PrimeTime (1987-2005).Saunders added: "One of the best parts of starting to work at ESPN in 1986 was being paired with Chris Berman and Tom Jackson on NFL PrimeTime and working with Chris specifically on SportsCenter. While both of our careers have developed and we've drifted to different assignments, it's the only thing I really miss.
Working with Chris and Tom is probably one of the only reasons I would agree to the type of weekend I have to work - college football on Saturdays, Sports Reporters on Sundays in New York, then to Bristol to work with two of my best friends in thebusiness."Saunders, who joined ESPN in 1986 as a SportsCenter anchor, will handle highlight and discussion segments focusing on general sports news of the day, as well as lead some NFL conversations.
Saunders' weekend duties in the fall will also include hosting College Football Countdown pre-game, halftime and post-game studio shows Saturdays on ABC, and The Sports Reporters, the Sunday morning roundtable issues and discussion program.Berman's schedule for the 2008 NFL season:Friday: "Two-Minute Drill" - Berman's weekend previews and picks ofselect Sunday NFL match-ups;Sunday: Sunday NFL Countdown (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.); SportsCenter (7 p.m.);and "The Blitz" on SportsCenter (11 p.m.);Monday: Monday Night Countdown (7 - 8:30 p.m.) and MNF halftime,including "Fastest 3 Minutes in Television" and new "Read and React"segment with Jackson.Saunders' fall weekend schedule:Saturday: College Football Countdown pre-game, halftime and post-game(ABC);Sunday: The Sports Reporters (9:30 a.m.) and SportsCenter (7 p.m.).
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