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THE RECAPS Episode 1 (airdate
2/22/04) Now, live from New York, the twelve finalists have gathered with host Stuart Scott for a 6-week elimination competition, the winner to receive a one-year contract to be an anchor on SportsCenter...not to mention a brand new Mazda 3, in case this gig doesn't pan out. Who can tell a story and sell a story? Who knows sports and write sports? Who can handle the pressure of being on TV better than Cindy Brady? Your dirty dozen are:
* - "Wendy's Wildcard Winner", whatever that means They will be judged by the American viewing public as well as four sports and/or ESPN personalities: Tony Kornheiser - Sports
columnist for the Washington Post and co-host of ESPN's
"Pardon the Interruption". This night, six of the twelve will get their chance to shine...and, by the end of the night, one of those six will be "cut". Each of the four judges counts for one vote, with the American viewing public counting for the fifth. The one who gets the most votes will be eliminated. Tonight's competition is called My SportsCenter. The contestants have taken 30 minutes to look at a highlight reel made up of two games from two different sports. They were to write up some highlight material to use on their own SportsCenter segment using "shot sheets", papers that describe each play and gives important stats to utilize. They must also, before each highlight, read from a teleprompter self-written intros and outros in such a way that it doesn't LOOK or SOUND like their reading from it. They will be judged on writing, delivery, knowledge and personality. First up is Mike Hall, who's favorite sports moment was...Kerri Strug doing the vault on a bum leg? Well, whatever, he got the nod through music and a bit of comedy. His commercial catch-phrase: "They have won one game in the last few HOURS." He gets a late-season baseball game between the Oakland A's and the Boston Red Sox to start, and he concentrates on playing with names (like "Terrance Long lives up to his name with this long home-run robber"). The second game is bowling, specifically the PBA World Championships. He wraps it up rather nice as Walter Ed Williams raises his trophy, saying, "He has a trophy WAY too big for anything bowling." His teleprompter work...is a bit slow. And, when Mike is escorted to the "Circle of Doom" to face down the judges American Idol style, he's informed of it. Other than that, he was on point, even WITH the pressures of going first. Jaffe was impressed, and HE'S the one you need to get that from. Chris Williams got his shot using rap and his saying he was a politician. He doesn't want ALVIN Williams to be his partner on a SportsCenter because "too many Williams is bad news". His highlight reel starts with a San Francisco Giants baseball game vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks...on Barry Bonds' 39th birthday, no less. Chris' announcing of a Bonds homer...is late. But he makes up for it on Barry's second of the game, calling it a "Michael Jackson-style Moonwalk-off home run". His outro is about Barry's father, Bobby Bonds, being sick and Barry going to his side...and it's hard for Chris to calm down from the high-energy highlights to get a little somber when announcing it. Anyway, the second game is a hockey game (which Chris starts with an Outkast reference: "What's cooler than cool? ICE COLD!") between the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks. Bret Hull got his 700th goal that game to not a lot of ballyhoo from Chris. He ends with, "Who says a brother can't do a hockey highlight?!" It doesn't save him, though, as he's raked by everyone about how slow he started and the Bobby Bonds story. Third up is Michael "Quiggs" Quigley, a rather, uh, VOCAL personality with enough spare energy to power a small city for a few nights. He claims he was BORN to do this job. He starts with a college basketball game between Arizona and Stanford...and he starts projecting his voice as soon as the highlight starts...though he's a LITTLE slow. He's also slow on the teleprompter, especially the intro of the hockey game between the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the New Jersey Devils...but the screaming kicks back up for the highlights, particularly when Paul Kariya gets KOed on the ice by a hard check. He also throws in a blatant plug for one of the sponsors of the show ("He shoots it from the Labatt's Blue line"). The judges seem a bit overwhelmed by Quiggs' enthusiasm and energy, though they do compare him to a race car burning down the straight-aways (highlights), but hitting the brakes around the curves (teleprompter work). (BTW, I voted for him to be cut; I thought he had a bit TOO much energy that I'm used to in a SportsCenter anchor.) At halftime in the competition, we do a quick test of sports knowledge and teamwork called Who Am I?. One contestant will get clues about famous sports and entertainment personalities from the other five. They must get as many names right in 30 seconds. They won't be scored on the number of names they get right, but rather on how well they work in speed drills. They can pass at anytime if they can't guess the name. Nick Stevens starts off first as the clue-getter. He gets a number of good clues (like that David Beckham was "married to Posh Spice" by Maggie) and some not-so-good clues (Aaron, I don't think Michele Kwan is in gymnastic...unless you call figure skating "gymnastics on ice")...and NO clues from Quiggs who flounders twice when in need of a clue. Maggie Haskins, a die-hard Cubs fan who liked last season DESPITE the curse striking in the NLCS, is next up. Nick gives the PERFECT "Justin Timberlake" clue by showing how he ripped off Janet Jackson's outfit. Quiggs DOES get a clue off about Curt Schilling, but Maggie stumbles on it. Aaron Levine, who got a golf tip from Stanford alumni Tiger Woods, is the next to try. He runs the table on names like Dale Earnhart, Sr. and Billie Jean King...but, despite FOUR clues about Charles Barkley (including a GOOD one by Quiggs), he just can't get him! Quiggs is next...and Stuart Scott tells him to "dis" all of them for "dissing" him all this time. But he doesn't; he lets them talk. Despite obvious clues, though, comedian Robin Williams escapes him. And a swing towards Aaron's kneecap by Maggie doesn't equal Tonya Harding to him. Chris is next...and Aaron goofs saying that Howard Dean was the Vice-President. But Chris rolls through names like Latrell Sprewell, John Daly and Pat Summitt. Last up is Mike, and he stumbles only on "Hideki Matsui", but only because the clues were a little vague. Maggie tells him about "someone who claims to have slept with 20,000 women" and it takes him two guesses to get Wilt Chamberlain. In the end, the judges are impressed...except for Jaffe who, "as an employee of Walt Disney" (ESPN is owned by the Walt Disney Company), is SHOCKED to have heard that Tonya Harding, according to Quiggs, is the "girl from Disney" (it was actually Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya's victim, who was caught mouthing "this sucks" at Disney World). He is ALSO shocked to hear that John Kerry and Howard Dean are now running mates, according to Aaron. OK, back to the desk. Next up is one of the two women to make the finals: Maggie Haskins. She's going to Brown University, the alma mater of original SportsCenter anchor and current "NFL Countdown" big-wig Chris Berman. She is here through sheer determination; she REALLY thinks she can do this job. Her first highlight is the Ohio State-Purdue football game last year. She stumbles through her intro a bit, but picks things up in the highlights...a little. She seems to say "here we go" before every segment starts, but at least she gets the names right. Her outro is quite long, but she eventually gets to the second game, which is the battle of the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, in the 2003 Australian Open tennis tournament. She is very expressive with her highlights of this one, even raising her hands up as Serena hits the winning shot. The judges comment on the long intros, but think the writing was very clever. Aaron Levine is up next. He had great enthusiasm in the prelims...and the fact that he's Oriental AND Jewish certainly helps a little. He also did broadcasting for Stanford U. so he has SOME experience. His first highlight is the NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. When Brian Westbrook runs a punt back for the game-winning TD, Aaron says that he "has a case of the runs" (clever, I must say). From the X-Factor in the NFL to the Winter X-Games in Aspen he goes, watching Mike Metzger do the winning back-flip with foot release in the Moto-X competition and pounding on the "Godfather" references since Metzger's been called the "Godfather of Moto-X". This scores major points with some of the judges and they tell him he "nailed it". Our final contestant for the evening is Nick Stevens, Mr. "Rama-Lama-Ham-Dam" from the commercials. He starts with the Dallas Mavericks' double overtime win over the Sacramento Kings in Game 3 of the NBA's Western Conference Semis, where he has no problem with his highlights ("hit the basket, not the plastic" he says when the supposed game-winning shot hits the backboard and out instead). He smoothly transitions into last year's Indy 500, showing Gil de Ferran's win and two crashes (he voices an upside-down Dan Wheldon, saying, "Help me, I'm a race car driver! Get me outta here!"). He even tosses in a milk plug and uses "man-tears" when we see de Ferran crying. The judges say he's funny...but says he should slow down the highlights and that he sounds more like a smug kids' storyteller than an anchor. Now that all the highlighting is done, the six get one last shot to convince the judges (and America) to keep them around for another show in a Parting Shot. Mike says he has the right combo of knowledge, writing and a bit of humor...but he thinks he should get SOME sympathy for opening up about his love for Kerri Strug. Quiggs stumbles at the start of his shot, but thinks he has the right energy for the position. Maggie also has the balance...and doesn't want to flip time between this and "Sex and the City". (Did anyone tell her the last episode's coming in a few weeks?) Chris says he just "scratched the surface" and feels this is "practice"...and, like Allen Iverson, he doesn't want to talk about practice. Aaron says he's representing all the interns and "grunt workers" who ever worked on these shows and thinks he, an intern for 5 years, can do them proud. And Nick appreciates the feedback and says he can work past the "un-refinements" and be a long-standing anchor. So it's time for the cut. Each of the four judges gets one vote on who to cut, and America gets a fifth vote, based on votes totaled up on the internet and through Verizon Wireless(TM). If there is a tie, the Red Phone will be used to contact ESPN executives who have been watching the show to break the tie. Let's see who's out of here. America cuts...Mike Hall. That's one vote for him. Tony cuts...Mike Quiggly. He loves the enthusiasm and thinks Quiggs'd would make a good friend...but not a good anchor. Kit KEEPS Quiggs and cuts...Chris Williams. She says he struggled and didn't show the personality. LaVar cuts...Quiggs, making two votes for him. He thinks Quiggs would make a better play-by-play man. Al Jaffe is between Chris and Mike and his cut is...Chris. It's a tie with two votes for Chris and Quiggs. So we go to the Red Phone to the ESPN executives...and they say, "Chris has got to go. He's cut." Chris hugs everyone and heads for the lockers for his final words. Quiggs is RELIEVED and agrees to work on getting better. Mike Hall is a little disappointed that America wanted him gone, but he vows to stay true to himself. As for Chris,...well, he DOES live a PART of his "Dream Job"; he does a single highlight for SportsCenter later that night. 11 sportscasters remain...who will be
cut next?! Episode 2 (airdate
2/29/04) Last week, six of the twelve finalists took to the stage and one left heartbroken of a dream dismissed. Tonight, the OTHER six step up to the mock desk to try their skills. At the end, the four judges - Tony Kornheiser, Kit Hoover, LaVar Arrington and ESPN VP of Talent Al Jaffe - will each choose someone to cut...as will America over the internet and Verizon(TM) cell phones. The one with the most votes goes bye-bye. Starting next week, ALL of the remaining contestants will be playing against each other. The competition this week, like last week, is called My SportsCenter. This week they will all be doing a "SportsCenter Top Ten", a recap of the top ten plays of the previous day in sports and entertainment. The contestants have taken 45 minutes to look at a "Top Ten" reel. They were to write up some highlight material to use on their own "Top Ten" using "shot sheets", papers that describe each play and gives important stats to utilize. They must also, before each highlight, read from a teleprompter self-written intros and outros in such a way that it doesn't LOOK or SOUND like their reading from it. They will be judged on writing, delivery, knowledge and personality. This is a REAL test of their sportscasting prowess. First up is Kelly Milligan, a lawyer who wants to pave a different path for himself. He's planning, after looking at last week's performances, on "dialing it back" and not saying too much. His "Top Ten" runs the gamut from college basketball to hockey to Pete Rose signing books. He overshoots the first five (and doesn't even MENTION that it's a "Top Ten" in the intro) before going back to see break dancing in the Vatican, more hockey a prayer shot in a high school basketball game and a MONSTER hockey save (he goofed, calling #4 "#8"). The goofs are told by our judges but they admit that he even LOOKS like a sportscaster and his writing was excellent. Chet Anekwe is next. He got the shot through charisma and his acting skills. He admits that SportsCenter got between him and his girlfriend...but didn't care to go into details. His "Top Ten" is introed as an "ESPN water cooler fiasco". The first five include long-distance golfing, a hockey fight and table tennis. He also overshoots (and calls #6 "#8") but he somehow uses humor to go to the next 5: several slam dunks, X-Games motocross and a hockey goal at a wicked angle. The judges thought the "water cooler" was cliche, he was being too personal and blast him about a hockey penalty shot. He's not BAD...but it could've been better. Third up is Zachariah Selwyn, the only contestant who does NOT look like he's interviewing for a sports anchor job but, rather, for an usher at Jimmy Buffet's wedding. Regardless, he does the humorous intro, including "a pass that goes behind the back more than an Enron exec." His first five has a few a hockey sprawling saves (throwing in a Beastie Boys song reference), cowboy skiing, that behind-the-back pass spoke of and a half-court NBA shot. He keeps the humor going in the top five, making fun of the winner of the Pancake Race in England ("Nice run, (Sherry) Beavis"), a "Grease" reference with a slam dunk and wondering about the "voodoo that Edu so well" in a soccer match. The judges compliment on the humor...but not the wardrobe. And Al Jaffe, staying with the Beastie Boys references, will kick him out of his home he don't "cut your hair!" It's halftime in the competition, so it's time to play a game of Fact or Fiction. It's a regular segment on SportsCenter where sports experts are given statements on given scenarios and are asked to say if these statements are "fact" or "fiction" and why. Tonight, the six contestants are split into groups of two - Chet/Kelly, Casey/Zach, Alvin/Lori - where one will be given a statement and asked to argue "fact" or "fiction" and the other must argue the opposite. Each contestant has 20 seconds to argue his/her case. Each twosome has two rounds, with every contestant eventually getting first crack at the question. The judges will grade them on depth of knowledge of the subject, clear and convincing arguments. Chet and Kelly start off with Chet saying that "the A-Rod trade to the Yankees is good for baseball" is "fact", saying it's good for baseball as a whole...though not for the "small market" teams. Kelly says "fiction", tilting imbalance towards the big teams. Casey Stern says "the Philadelphia Eagles will be in the next Super Bowl" (they blew the last three chances to win the NFC Title Game) is "fiction" since they don't have a top-notch receiver, while Zach argues "fact" because of QB Donovan McNabb. Alvin Williams says "the Lakers can't win an NBA Title without Kobe Bryant" is "fact" because, with Shaq, it completes the "one-two punch" needed for a winning team, but Lori Rubinson says "fiction" because Kobi's "two" spot can be filled in by Karl Malone OR Gary Payton. Round 2 starts with Kelly stating that "Phil Mickelson will finally win a major this year" is "fiction" since he doesn't have the heart to win a major. But Chet says "fact" since he's been slowly "closing in" on Tiger Woods and the rest. Zach goes "fiction" with the statement "Stanford will not make the Final Four (semi-finals of the NCAA Basketball Tournament)", saying they're a great team as well as being undefeated, leaving Casey to argue "fact" on the grounds of "too many close calls" (though he, himself, didn't believe a word he said). Finally, Lori says "fact" for "nobody will hit 50 home runs in the Major Leagues this season"...but says that someone MIGHT despite all the controversy, and Alvin says "fiction"...but says NO one will BECAUSE of the steroid problems. (Obviously, they that Stuart Scott said "somebody" instead of "nobody".) The judges jump on that as they critique the outcomes, but Tony says Casey has the best arguing. Kit says Lori was too wordy and the best went to Kelly for believability (probably the lawyer in him). LaVar agrees about Kelly and Lori. And Al Jaffe ALSO agrees about Kelly...but thinks Alvin didn't have enough back-up to his arguments. With the fun over, we return to "My SportsCenter: Top Ten". Next up is the OTHER of the two women to make the finals: Lori Rubinson, a marketing exec who's personality and passion for sports makes her want to try something else. Her "Top Ten" is led in with the connection that each highlight is about "flying". Like people in bird costumes running around the ice at..."halftime" at an ice hockey game? Uh,...anyway, things like pucks into goalie's gloves and basketballs in "alley-oops" and soccer balls into the net from beyond the "penalty area". She segues smoothly to the next five ("In honor of the Oscars, which you're not watching right now..."), going BACK to the "bird race" as well as talking about good basketball passing and ending with "the save of the year" in hockey. The judges thought the info was good and had the "look", but jumps on the "halftime" stuff and that the broadcast was a bit wordy and needed more energy. Fifth up is our "Wendy's Wild Card", Alvin Williams. He was chosen from 3,300 entries through the fast-food franchise's contest. I'm sure, like the Oscars tonight, he is just honored to be "nominated". He starts off his "Top Ten" in simplistic fashion and does easy calls for a wicked boxing KO, a half-court college b-ball shot and even a sky-diving record. He simply says that the "next five are not for the faint of heart" and goes right into dunks, hockey saves and snowboarding...but where's the energy, man? He doesn't seem to have any style to his reading...and the judges tell him that. Our last contestant for the night is Casey Stern, who says he's been waiting all his 25 years of life for this shot. He starts off by saying all the "Top Ten" plays are "scary". He plugs Geico auto insurance in a "Polar Bears" swimming meet, plugs Wendy's "Biggie Size" with a basketball dunk and tells kids to "cover their eyes" for a LeBron James dunk. A smooth segue to the top five, including a hockey goal shot "from section 113", a buzzer-beating basketball shot from "the other side of the Hudson River" and saying that a college basketball player named Chris Paul "can ball". The judges LOVE his humor, his pacing and his energy...though LaVar makes a comment about his height. We're all done, so the six get one last shot to convince the judges (and America) to keep them around for another show with a Parting Shot. Chet says that "Rico Suave is gone" and he'll do it right next time. Casey says his height makes this his ONLY shot at something sports-related (I guess being a jockey never entered his mind). Alvin feels he can win it like other "wild card" teams in sports (like my Florida Marlins...TWICE). Lori has wanted to be a sportscaster since she watched Monday Night Football with her dad...and sucks up to LaVar ("My brother lives in Washington (where LaVar plays). Zach raps he way through a LONG "parting shot"...but it's the only one that not only mentions FOX Sports and Budweiser but gets applause. And Kelly, forced to follow that, says that he's been pleading to judges for over 12 years and says that theses judges ain't seen nothin' yet from him. It's now time for the cut. Each of the four judges gets one vote on who to cut, and America gets a fifth vote. If there is a tie, the Red Phone will be used to contact ESPN executives who have been watching the show to break the tie. Let's see who's packing it in. America cuts...Alvin Williams. That's one vote for him. Tony cuts...Alvin. He doesn't think Alvin has what it takes performance-wise. Kit cuts...Alvin. Once again, the performance doomed him. That's three and that's all that's needed...but they HAVE to go to the other two. LaVar cuts...Alvin. His deciding factor: Alvin's favorite sports moment being when LaVar's alma mater was stopped at the goal line. Oh, and he though his performance lacked, too. Al Jaffe cuts...Alvin. Same deal...no need to be redundant. So, much like Lord of the Rings at the Oscars, it's a clean sweep; the Wild Card winner is history. He just shakes Stuart's hand and goes to the locker room to pack it in. Zach says he'll change his appearance SLIGHTLY and GRADUALLY as he moves on in the rounds. He compliments of Casey's passion for this job and vows to work on doing and looking his best. 10 sportscasters
are left...which TWO will be
cut next?! Episode 3 (airdate 3/7/04) So we're down to 10 as Dream Job continues towards finding the next SportsCenter anchor. By March 28, one of these ten people will be VERY happy...not just because they'll spend a year behind the desk of the most-watched sportscast on cable, but also they'll get a new Mazda 3. The judges - "PTI"'s Tony Kornheiser, "Cold Pizza"'s Kit Hoover, Redskins' linebacker LaVar Arrington and VP of Talent Al Jaffe - are here to congratulate or playa-hate them on their performances. In the last two weeks, the contestants have had their way with doing a solo SportsCenter. This week's My SportsCenter challenge will be Co-Anchor. The contestants drew balls numbered 1 through 10. #1 got to choice his/her co-anchor, then #2 (if available) and so on until five teams of co-anchors were formed. The teams of two worked TOGETHER on highlight reels, intros and outros. Each person will do a highlight as if it were "breaking news" and, then, take turns talking to a sports expert or celebrity about a recent sports topic. The contestants will be judged on news writing, storytelling, interview skills (like "follow-up questions) and - of course - teamwork. Each will also be given an IFB, an in-the-ear speaker which is the lifeline between them and the personality they are interviewing. They now also have to deal with about six cameras at all angles and they have to make sure they can smoothly go from one camera to the right one during the highlights. Before the first team begins, host Stuart Scott pulls aside a man with short, curly hair, a well-trimmed beard and a nice suit and asks him if he had seen Zachariah Selwyn. The man tells Stu that he IS Zach Selwyn. Guess he took Al Jaffe's words to heart. "It's amazing what some pruning shears can do," Zach says. Our first team is Nick Stevens and Kelly Milligan. Kelly felt that he and Nick clicked during the semis back in December...and the two share a "man hug" before they get down to business. Kelly highlights the Grizzlies/Trail Blazers NBA game (including Bonzi Wells hitting a three-pointer from "Placamaw County") and Nick takes the Giants/Cubs spring training game, shouting about a homer (with a Peter Gabriel reference) in between comments about the steroid scandal. To talk about the Terrell Owens trade fiasco (his agent didn't file him for free agency quick enough so he was traded to Baltimore for a song), Nick and Kelly talk to ESPN pro football analyst Sean Salisbury. Kelly asks him about the possibility of T.O. going to Philadelphia (where he WANTED to go as a free agent) and his impact on the Ravens, while Nick asks about the impact of Clinton Portis being traded to Denver and makes an obvious "steak" reference to Sean's name. Now the grilling begin. Tony says Kelly was better last time around and Nick should've STAYED somber when talking about Bonds' problems. Kit tells them to keep the questions short. LaVar comments on Kelly saying a grievance was filed by T.O.'s agent when it hasn't yet. And Al thinks Kelly was too fast and Nick is STILL too smug. The second team are both of the females: Lori Rubinson and Maggie Haskins, roommates here in NYC. Lori stumbles out of the gate with a not-so-convincing LONG intro to the segment (though the "no steroids, just a lot of estrogen" was cute), but Maggie picks up the pace with highlights of a Nebraska/Kansas college basketball game ("Kansas is shucking the Cornhuskers.") Then it's back to Lori for the Knicks/Toronto NBA game (says when Vince Carter hits a three-pointer, "'Trey' Wingo [an ESPN anchor]"). Curt Schilling, all-star pitcher recently acquired by Boston, talks to then about the infamous A-Rod trade...and the girls keep saying, "Another question for you," before they ask (no need for that; he KNOWS they have questions for him). Maggie asks how A-Rod being a Yankee has affected the team, Lori asks him about the possibility of a salary cap and best pitching staff, then Maggie asks him if Pedro Martinez, another Boston pitcher, has share any hair products with him. Nice way to end, but what would the judges think? Kit thought the highlights were good but the "question" stuff was bad. LaVar is feeling the "girl power" and thought they did well. Al feels Lori was monopolizing the broadcast and that there was no chemistry between them. And Tony is just not USED to seeing two women as co-anchors. Fifth up...(uh, third, sir)...third up is Aaron Levine and Casey Stern. Aaron liked Casey because "when it's 'go time', he goes". Casey starts off saying, "He's Asian and, yes, I'm short." Aaron starts with a Louisville/Saint Louis college basketball game (on a dunk he says a player "puts on his poker face and reveals a 'flush'), then Casey (after asking Aaron how his Stanford team is doing) goes to the return of Chris Webber to the NBA's Sacramento Kings in a game with the L.A. Clippers. To discuss Webber's problems with the law, they talk to ESPN's "NBA Shootaround"'s Greg Anthony. Aaron asks about Webber's troubles, while Casey focuses on other teams like the Timberwolves and the Lakers. LaVar comments on Casey not giving the score in fourth quarter of his highlight. Al thinks it was more "banter" than anything else and berates Aaron, saying that anchors need to be subjective. Tony (after correcting Al about the 'subjectivity') tells Casey about switching subjects during the interview. Kit, however, liked the performance very much. There's no half-time this time around as the fourth team - Chet Anekwe and Mike "Quiggs" Quigly - comes up to bat. Chet calls the two of them "fat boys" before letting Quiggs take over a Mets/Dodgers spring training game highlight...and watch him stumble through it despite his volume (he DOES use his signature catch phrase on a homer: "He jump-jacked that baby outta here!"). Chet then uses his "native language" (which nobody knows but him) to intro a Nets/Nuggets game (saying the Nets "spread the ball like a virus). Former New York Giants' linebacker Dhani Jones joins them to talk about the free agent signings. Quiggs more-or-less reads questions off a piece of paper to ask him how it will feel to face Clinton Portis twice a year and how it feels that a rival of his got signed to a big deal ahead of him. Chet keeps his eyes on the camera and asks Jones asks where he going to go and how uncertainty affects his off-season training. Unfortunately, it's all bad news for them. Al was waiting for particular questions to be asked, Tony comments about Chet's "native language" and that Quiggs was "unnerved", Kit thinks things were too over the top and LaVar has MUCH to say about BOTH their performances. (I have to agree. Quiggs is too loud, Chet is too obscure.) As we go to commercial, Quiggs hangs his head, pretty certain his dream is over. Our final team is the clean-cut Zach and Mike Hall. Mike chose Zach and thinks they'll be serious even though they joke around quite a bit together. Zach starts with the highlights of the Hawks/Cavaliers NBA game and gives an Elton John reference to a Lebron James slam ("He shall be LeBron and he shall be a good man"). Mike then takes A-Rod's first spring training game as a Yankee against the Phillies and, when A-Rod fumbles a liner, Mike goes Donald Trump and says "You're fired"...until the throw to first was in time. "Baseball Tonight"'s Harold Reynolds joins them to talk about the BALCO steroid situation. Zach asks Harold what the implications will be and Mike asks why the players being bothered about this (specifically Barry Bonds) just don't buck the Players' Union and take the drug test to prove their innocence. Zach asks if Bonds' awards and accolades will be tarnished and how much of baseball players are taking them. Tony compliments Zach on his change...but tells them not to waste time on asking insignificant questions. Kit compliments on them listening to Reynolds' answers and following up on them. The only thing LaVar could complain about is which "Giambi" Zach was speaking of. Al ALSO compliments on Zach cleaning up and that the chemistry is right, but didn't think the RIGHT follow-up questions were asked. And, now, it's time for the Parting Shot. Each contestant gets one last chance to beg...er, convince the judges to keep him/her. Kelly agrees that he was better last time but he won't make the same mistakes twice. Nick quotes Rosalyn Carter and says he's learned from the last time he was judged. Maggie says it's about improving through constructive criticism and she thinks she's done that. Lori thinks she can blend anchors Suzi Kolber and Linda Cohn with her own personality and really be a great anchor. Aaron thinks this is a great learning experience. Casey feels Al Jaffe's criticism was harsh but it would drive him to succeed. Quiggs has nothing to say, really, except he'll still watch "PTI" no matter what Tony says about him. (Nothing like sucking-up as a last-ditch effort, huh?) Chet says he'll accept whatever judgment is given to him. (Honesty...it's such a lonely word.) Zach won't rap this time and hopes he sticks around because he "doesn't want to do Nashville Star 2". And Mike says he's having fun as he's feels he should. OK, it's time for the cut. This time, we start with the judges instead of America. Tony cuts...Kelly, solely because of the mistake about Terrell Owens. He also cuts...Quiggs, based on his performance tonight. Kit cuts...Quiggs, despite his energy. He didn't bring the "A-game". She also cuts...Lori, for being self-conscious. LaVarr cuts...Maggie for not "having a better 'up-side' than Quiggs." (I disagree; Maggie just didn't get the chance to shine thanks to Lori.) He also cuts...Nick for being dry and "borderline corny". All Jaffe has it narrowed to three people. Nick is still smug, Lori is uncomfortable and Quiggs has a weak performance . In the end, he cuts...Lori and...Quiggs. Quiggs is officially cut with three votes. But America STILL has to choose. Lori has 2 votes, but Kelly, Nick and Maggie aren't safe either, since they could TIE Lori and leave the decision to the execs. America cuts...Quiggs. (Too late for that). And they cut...Lori. That makes 3...and she's gone. After hugs all around Lori joins Quiggs in the locker room to prepare to share an actual SportsCenter highlight on their way out. Eight
remain...which two will be cut NEXT week?! Episode 4 (airdate 3/14/04) We're down to the "elite eight" (as they say in college basketball parlance) for the Dream Job on ESPN. Kelly, Aaron, Zach, Chet, Casey, Nick, Maggie and Mike are still on the line for that SportsCenter anchor position and the new Mazda 3. And Tony, Kit, LaVar and Al are still on tap to blast or praise them. This week's My SportsCenter competition is still with co-anchors...but THIS time we deal with ANOTHER facet of a sports show anchor: Field Reporting. Each player were sent to Florida a baseball spring training game with a camera and production crew to create a 90-second vignette. They had to decide on a story to cover, get interviews and write scripts to put the story together. They will then offer their story on My SportsCenter and will be judged on reporting, interviewing, writing and storytelling. Our first twosome is a rather odd couple: Kelly Milligan and Zach Selwyn, the one that was told he LOOKED like a sports anchor...and the one that looked NOTHING like one until he got groomed. They were sent to a Twins/Marlins game. Kelly did a story about A.J. Burnett, the former Marlins' ace who got injured during the Marlins' 2003 World Series-winning season. He spoke with pitchers Dontrell Willis and Josh Beckett as well as Burnett himself, pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal and manager Jack McKeon. Zach talks about autograph hunters at the games. He also speaks to Beckett (who is a hard signature to come by according to fans) and Jacques Jones of the Twins. The piece was comical (sort of like Kenny Mayne stuff as of late) and Zach HIMSELF signed an autograph or two. Host Stuart Scott reminds Zach that he cannot ask for an autograph as a journalist, but Zach says that was the point he was making. Tony warns that he has his "Simon Cowell" going on tonight. He compliments on Kelly's piece but would have stayed on Burnett a bit more...and says that Zach COPIED Kenny Mayne (as I thought). Kit wasn't like Paula Abdul; she loved Kelly's voice and laughed during Zach's piece. LaVar agreed about Zach "copying" Mayne but thought Zach got his personality out there...and Kelly looked a little disinterested in the answers. And Al Jaffe says both stories weren't very original but liked both stories...except Zach signing autographs. Next pair is Nick Stevens and Aaron Levine, who went to the Pirates/Astros game. Nick talks about the Astros search for a new closer amid their vast relief staff. Manager Jimy Williams and other players talk about Octavio Dotel's search for that spot. Even Dotel doesn't know if he's ready or not...but he's ready to give it a try. Aaron concentrates on the new players on the Astros...and not just Clemens and Petite. He focuses on third baseman Morgan Ensberg and shortstop Adam Everett (the "Emerging Es" as he says). Like the others, he talked to other players about them and to the players themselves about their chemistry together. Kit likes Nick's voice but notes he gave no viable information or personality in his outro, while Aaron had a bit too much "voiceover" at the top of his piece. LaVar thinks Nick could have been more creative and Aaron sounds right and looks right. Al thinks Nick might have tried for Clemens and Petite and had little energy...Aaron did a GOOD piece on the newbies but was a little clich�d at the end. Simon...er, Tony compliments Nick on losing the smug...but also thinks Clemens and Petite should have been mentioned in a piece about pitchers, while Aaron did a good job talking about the "Emerging Es". We have over an hour to kill so we have a half-time show: Bracket Breakdown. Pairs of players will answer questions about this year's NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament (each pair in a different region) and the judges will see if they know what they're talking about. First up is Chet Anekwe and Mike Hall, discussing the East Rutherford Region (the regions are now named after the city where the regional semis and finals will take place). Chet says that St. Joseph's deserved the #1 seed in the region simply because they were 27-1. Mike thinks Oklahoma State's draw is easy thanks to senior leadership. Chet calls Virginia Commonwealth over Wake Forest because of familiarity VCU has with ACC teams. Mike thinks Bobby Knight's Texas Tech will stall against Charlotte who are 4-2 against the RPI Top 25 (don't ask; hard to explain). They then give their picks for the winner of the region: Chet with Texas Tech and Mike with Oklahoma State. Casey Stern and Maggie Haskins (in a nice ponytail) are next with the Phoenix region. Maggie gives a breakdown of how Maryland will continue the roll they have going with the ACC Tourney win. Casey thinks UConn will go as far as their star Okafor can take them. Maggie thinks the deck's stacked against #1 seed Stanford, connecting it with Maryland on the way. Casey says defending champ Syracuse will lose to BYU in the first round. Their picks for the region: both say UConn. Zach and Nick are next, tackling the Atlanta region. Nick gives a LOT of info in his 15 seconds on why Arizona will be well with the #9 seed. Zach thinks Texas will have a lot of problems with #14 Princeton. Nick thinks North Carolina and Duke, long-time rivals, will meet in the tournament finals. Xavier, the one who stopped St. Joe's from having an undefeated season, will go far according to Zach. And their picks for the region champ? Nick sticks with UNC and Zach says Duke (although he says UNC will give them a challenge in the regional finals). Final team is Kelly and Aaron with the St. Louis region. Aaron says Kentucky DESERVES the overall #1 seed in the tourney because of their dominance in the SEC tourney. Kelly thinks Gonzaga will go far for a former "Cinderella team" but not the Final Four. Aaron think Georgia Tech is the sleeper of the region and will, in fact, WIN the region...but Kelly think GT will be UPSET by Northern Iowa in the first round. Aaron already gave his regional pick and Kelly says it'll be #6 Boston College. At the end, the judges critique. Tony thinks most of the guys...but Chet he had problems with. Kit also commented about Chet's struggles...and gave kudos to the Nick for the Tarheel reference. LaVar says Zach made the best argument...and Kelly made a mistake about N. Iowa upsetting GT. And Al thinks the strongest was Aaron...and Chet was weakest for not having back-up for his arguments. OK, back to My SportsCenter with Maggie Haskins and Mike Hall, who went to the battle of the "Native American" teams: Indians vs. Braves. Mike talks about Omar Visquel, the "elder statesman" of the Indians' young squad. He talked to the other players about how his attitude and "coaching" on the field effects them and gets Visquel to talk about how it'll effect HIM. Maggie goes for TWO players: second-year player Brandon Phillips and Jody Gerut. Phillips was sent to the AA minor league club after a lackluster performance in the majors while Gerut came in to little fanfare and did much better than anticipated. Maggie talked to both players and the coach about the two players' futures. (BTW, Mike's story was actually a 'Plan C', since 'A' and 'B' became unfeasible as the trip continued.) LaVar likes Mike's story but not the telling of it while he thinks Maggie "nailed" her story. Al says Mike's story was good...but thinks that Visquel mentioning he'd like to manage someday would have made a BETTER story. Al thinks Maggie did good reporting, but the ending was too abrupt. Tony agrees with Al about Mike's piece since there aren't too many Latin managers out there, and thinks Maggie chose a decent topic but didn't report it well. Kit thought Maggie's content was actually good...but her voice when she herself was on camera was WAY different from her voice on the voice-over segments ("you sound like a little girl"). Kit thought Mike nailed it as well all around. The final pairing is Casey Stern and Chet Anekwe, who went to the Cardinals/Dodgers game and came back with stories from Jupiter...Florida, that is. Casey takes about the left side of the Cardinals' infield: third baseman Scott Rolen and shortstop Edgar Renteria. Casey spoke to both players about their chemistry in the field. He lets the players do most of the talking and the arguing about their place against Jeter and A-Rod. Chet goes to the other team and does a piece on Jose Lima, Dodgers' pitcher. Chet lets Lima talk about why he chose the Dodgers as a team and to the others about why he might have a problem fitting in to this great pitching line-up. Unfortunately, Al thinks both failed at what team they were talking about, that Casey didn't do anything new and that Chet was practically whispering. Tony calls Casey's is a "slurpy piece" and cites manager Tony LaRussa saying his 3rd/short team is better than the Yankees because he's the ONLY one who believes that. As for Chet's piece, Tony asks Chet why he didn't ask more questions to Lima about the rest of the rotation. Kit says Casey should have interviewed Rolen and Renteria together but otherwise had no real qualms about the piece...which can't be said for Chet's quiet voiceovers. LaVar thinks Casey should have included stats on how MUCH better Rolen and Renteria are compared to A-Rod and Jeter...and Chet's story was nice but, again, the voice was an issue. No Parting Shots this time; those who get cut have no more excuses for shoddy reporting. Let's get right to the cut. The two with the most votes - from the two each of the four judges give out and the top two vote-getters across America - are outta here. America cuts...Maggie...and Chet. Tony combined the My SportsCenter segments with the Bracket Breakdown arguments for his votes. He cuts...Maggie...and Chet. Both have two votes. Kit cuts...Chet, citing he seems "more of an actor than an anchor". She also cuts...Nick, since he can't seem to find the "middle ground". Three votes for Chet, two for Maggie, one for Nick. LaVar essentially went for the two worst performance of the night. He cuts...Casey...and Nick. So everyone is still on the block, though Chet's head is out the most with Maggie and Nick just a hair behind. Now to Al Jaffe's ever-important vote. He narrows it to three people: Chet, Nick and Casey (so Maggie breathes a sigh of relief). Casey was saved by the performance in Bracket Breakdown. He cuts...Chet...and Nick. Chet has 4 votes, Nick has 3, Casey and Maggie have 2. Chet and Nick shake and hug and get ready for their SportsCenter highlight consolation prize, Casey is relieved at being spared...but promises to be a better listener. Six
anchor-wannabes remain...which will be the final two cut?!
Episode 5 (airdate 3/21/04) Mike, Kelly, Aaron, Casey, Maggie and Zach are back in New York for the fifth round of ESPN Dream Job and, by this time next week, one of them will have a year-long contract with ESPN and a Mazda 3. But they must get past America and the judges: Tony Kornheiser, Kit Hoover, LaVar Arrington and Al Jaffe. This promises to be a FUN night, because My SportsCenter is all about the Improv! ESPN anchors are sometimes handed shot sheets (play-by-play action of the highlight reel) while they're doing another highlight. Here's what these wannabes have to do: they are given pre-made shot sheets of a first NCAA tournament highlight...but have NOT seen the reel. The second highlight is a COMPLETE mystery except for the teams playing and the player will have to do the highlight completely on the fly. They will be judged on improvisation, accuracy and creativity. First up is Mike Hall, the 22-year-old college student who feels he's NOT too young to do this job. He says he really studied up on sports knowledge and is ready for this. His first game, which he prepped an intro for, is North Carolina vs. Texas. He does a decent job. Then, just as he's about to wrap it up, host Stuart Scott hands him the shot sheet for his second game: Xavier vs. Mississippi State. The transition straight into the second game...could've been better. See, he said, "...and here is THAT shot sheet"...and THAT kind of stuff shouldn't be told to the TV audience. He also fumbled a bit at the end of the first highlight and mispronounced the name of the school (he sounds it like "Ex-avier"). Tony, Kit and LaVar pound about the "shot sheet" stuff, but Tony thinks he did well despite, Kit talks about the slowness of the second game and LaVar says he had a consistent level. Al, however, blasts Mike about "Ex-avier"...though Stuart says HE did the same thing. Kelly Milligan is next, thinking he has what it takes to win. He's the oldest competitor left at 37, but he's going to make the best of the time he has left. His first game is Nevada vs. Gonzaga from this afternoon. He screws up at the start by saying "quarter" and not "half", but he doesn't panic and smoothly goes through the rest. Stuart gives him the Memphis/Oklahoma State shot sheet. He gets a little ahead of himself near the end, calling a 3-pointer a few seconds before the shot is made, but he keeps his composure. Kit says he did a good job...but his pacing is STILL rather swift, LaVar agrees and says he sounds almost like an informercial, Al plugs on TWO mispronunciations and Tony is glad Stat Boy is around on his show "PTI" and says that a #2 seed like Gonzaga going down like that deserves a bit more of a push. Third victim is Aaron Levine who, like his peers, is looking for a job after college...only he's doing it on national TV. If he doesn't make it here, he plans to go to a special school in Peoria, IL and learn to do it better, He starts with Texas Tech and St. Joseph's, beginning with how Texas Tech felt St. Joe's didn't deserve a #1 seed. He tosses a catch phrase ("He wines and dines the twine from the 3-point line") and adds how St. Joe's only had one loss this year before getting his second game: Boston College/Georgia Tech. The smooth transition becomes a little choppy when he says someone went "cross-court" when he actually went "coast-to-coast" and flubs the final score. LaVar liked the intro and transition, but the hang-up at the end was a little bummer. Al talks about the "cross-court" and how he got the wrong score during the highlights. Tony liked adding the stat that wasn't involved, but was shocked that Aaron fumbled at the end, since he never did that before. Kit talks about the fumble as well but likes that he kept his composure despite. It's halftime and it's time for the Al Jaffe Sports Quiz. This ain't no Jim Harrick Jr. quiz we're doing here; this one is actually a TOUGHIE! The Veep of Talent for ESPN will do a fair imitation of what Kenny Mayne and friends did on "2-Minute Drill": ask 5 questions which are asked of just about EVERYONE Al hires. If it's a multi-part question, they must get ALL parts right. They WILL be scored this time around. Al says that Stuart, when HE took the test, was the second highest...that week. First up to stare down Al is Casey Stern. He got that Chris Ford was the current coach of the 76ers, but the rest eluded him; he didn't know PGA Major winners, NHL Vezina Trophy winners, Atlantic 10 West college basketball teams or the last Triple Crown horse. Zack Selwyn RELUCTANTLY approaches Al...and ROCKS! He knew last year's NBA MVP, Pele's number and this year's Aussie Open winner in tennis...though he flubs on the last #15 seed to beat a #2 seed in the NCAAs...and thought Al Sharpton was a Red Sox pitcher when he couldn't think of a third. Kelly is next. He gets two of the Yankee infielders, but Giambi and Wilson escape him and says "Pass". He likewise passes on last year's NBA Rookie of the Year. He misses the WBA Heavyweight Champ, gets that Marquette didn't make it past the first round after making the Final Four last year, but doesn't know Marcus Allen had the longest run in Super Bowl history. Aaron gets three American League Central teams right, missed Pro Bowl running backs for this season, forgot who Tracey McGrady faced when he scored 62 points recently, doesn't know the New Jersey Devils' coach...but gets that Harvard was the ONLY #16 seed in Men's OR Women's NCAA Tournaments to beat a #1 seed...and gets it out before Al finishes the question! Maggie Haskins goes next. She gets three of the four head coaches of the NFC East, didn't know where Tyson was KOed by Buster Douglas, can't get out Cy Young's name as the pitcher with the most career losses, knows two of Jordan's three jersey numbers but misses the career TDs for Jerry Rice even with a 5 TD cushion. Finally is Mike, and he's ready to roll! He doesn't know the Canadiens won the most Stanley Cups, knows the recently-fired men's B-ball coach from Georgetown, forgets where the 2008 Olympics will be held (giving his hometown), manages to remember that Bobby Knight coached at West Point before Indiana, but didn't know the last Tour de France winner before Lance Armstrong (he says Zach Selwyn). At the end, Zach "won" with 3 and Kelly and Casey tanked with 1 each (the others each had 2). But it's not JUST about the scores but about what the judges THOUGHT of the scores. Tony thought Casey would win at the start...and, though impressed with Zach's numbers, is impressed that Aaron knew about Harvard. He also thought Kelly should have at least TRIED to answer instead of passing. Kit likes that Zach got Pele's number...and is upset that Kelly missed Giambi. LaVar "didn't know none of those answers", didn't like Zach's "Al Sharpton" answer or ANY "joke" answers since this was serious business and blasts Kelly about missing Marcus Allen and Aaron for not getting ANY of the Pro Bowlers...and SCREAMS (practically) at Maggie for not picking his OWN coach in Washington! Al is much more serious. He liked the questions first of all, but rips on the guys for missing more obvious questions, like Zach's Red Sox rotation and Aaron's question about the Devils' coach. Oh, one more thing...Maggie and Mike, according to the New York Post, are pulling a Boston-Rob and Amber outside the studio...but they promise that it won't get in their way of getting this job! OK, back to the improv. Our next comedian is Casey Stern, who learned from getting the cut votes last week. He wants to go back to the guy who is reaching for the dream. He starts with a talk about New York basketball before going into Wake Forest and Manhattan. He says, "Fourth quarter"...and doesn't bother to correct it. He doesn't put too much into his highlights, though he does get a catch phrase ("ups that would make Bob the Enzyte Guy proud") before being hand the sheets for a rehash of Xavier vs. Mississippi State. He says "Ex-avier" (he didn't learn from Mike), gets way ahead of the highlight and basically fumbles through it up until the end. Al likes the "back stage to back page" but blasts about "Ex-avier" and "fourth quarter". Tony likes the Enzyte phrase but would vote AGAINST using it in actual anchoring and tells that another #2 seed fell and the energy wasn't there. Kit comments about the second highlight was off but the first was well done. And LaVar doesn't understand the segue between Madison Square Garden and the NC State arena the first game was played in. Maggie Haskins is next up. She's also a student, but she's juggling school and Dream Job. She had a few votes to get cut, but is just trying to improve and not dwell on the votes. She talks about "strength of schedule" before going into the Stanford/Alabama highlights (Stanford's a #1 seed, so let's see if she learns from the mistakes of Mike and Casey). She gives a lot of energy in the last seconds as Stanford misses the last shot and gets upset (so she DID learn). But no time to pat herself on the back; the shot sheets for Memphis vs. Oklahoma State have arrived. The transition is a bit rocky and she says "O.K. State" (not too many know OK is the postal abbreviation for Oklahoma). She's slow with the second game but puts a lot of energy into it. Tony says the LEAD-IN was great...but stumbled badly at the end of both segments. Kit says the writing is great (as always from her), but she needs to be comfortable with the IFB in her ear and the producers talking to her constantly. LaVar didn't like "stupid" in the intro and doesn't want to hear snorts or sniffles during the highlight. Al says she did very well, but talks about the "O.K. State" flub. Zach Selwyn, who rocked on the quiz, is the last one. He wanted to be a sportscaster since the age of 5...and the school he went to said he was insane or the "next Marv Albert"...and he thinks he's BOTH! He starts with Maryland vs. Syracuse, the last two National Champs. Since the reel concentrates on D.J. Strawberry for Maryland, Zach concentrates on him ("He's seedless, folks" and "Cannot find the fruit basket!"). While he talks about the end of the game, the shot sheet for Kentucky/UAB (U. of Alabama Birmingham) comes in. He's slow to start but catches up nicely and smoothly (and hypes the fact that another #1 seed is downed). Kit says it was a job well done! LaVar does, too, but harps on the fact that Zach didn't say what half it was and "Who's UAB?". Al wishes Zach mentioned that Kentucky was #1 overall...but overall likes it. Tony kibitzes about two Alabama teams knocking off #1 seeds not being mentioned...but liked it anyway. Once again, there's no begging this time around. It's time for the cute. Two cuts from each judge and the top two from the American internet and Verizon Wireless(TM) public get votes, with the two with the most votes getting out of here. America cuts...Casey...and Kelly. Tony thought Zach and Mike "sailed through" and Maggie saved herself. He thought Kelly stunk on the quiz, Aaron goofed and Casey pronounced a man's name two different ways in 5 seconds. In the end, he cuts...Kelly...and, reluctantly, Casey. Kit cuts...Maggie, even though she improved...and Casey because she feels he lost his confidence. Casey is the leader with 3, Kelly with 2. LaVar mentions about the joke answers during the quiz, comparing Zach and Mike to "Our Gang"'s Spanky and Alfalfa. However, he cuts...Aaron...and, also reluctantly, Kelly. Kelly now has 3, tied with Casey. And since no one else has more than one vote, it's pretty much all over. And, now, Al Jaffe. He thinks Mike was a "smart aleck", Casey was weakest and Kelly was likewise. He wanrs the "Final Four" that mispronunciations are NOT ALLOWED! With that, he cuts...Casey...and Kelly. They each have four...and they are BOTH cut! (Shame...Kelly was doing so WELL up until now!) They head for the locker room to study up for their ONE shot at being a SportsCenter anchor team on the main show later on (which they do VERY well, I might add...better than anyone before them). We
are down to the Final Four! Mike Hall, Aaron
Levine, Maggie Haskins and Zach Selwyn
will move on to next week's two-hour finale where ONE of them will be chosen as
the next SportsCenter anchor...and America does the choosing! Episode 6 (airdate 3/28/04) The final week of ESPN's Dream Job and four contestants are looking for the shot at a one-year ESPN contract and a Mazda 3. Mike Hall, Aaron Levine, Maggie Haskins and Zachariah Selwyn will battle it out through TWO rounds of cuts, one by America and the panel of judges, one by America alone. The judges are the usual group of Tony Kornheiser, Kit Hoover and VP of Talent Al Jaffe (LaVar Arrington had to go back to more menial tasks...like NFL mini-camp with the Redskins to earn a REAL living). This is essentially TWO shows back-to-back, with a traditional cut at the end of the first hour (except that America has no say in the final cut). The second hour, however, will be America itself voting for who THEY want as the next SportsCenter anchor. And, in fact, AFTER the show, the winner will play for his salary on a real SportsCenter broadcast! This week's first task is Total Recall. It's not a "SportsCenter" segment; it's a live-action re-telling of one of sports' greatest highlights. Each anchor-wannabe will do play-by-play like it was LIVE, just like a play-by-play announcer (since SOMETIMES anchors have to double as play-by-play announcers (like Steve Levy for NHL games). Each player was given notes on their "broadcast"...but not video. They will be judged by their storytelling, drama and the finish. Zachariah Selwin gets the final seconds of Game 6 of the 1996 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz...the one where Michael Jordan scored in the last seconds to win the Bulls' 6th NBA Title in 8 years. With the Jazz up by one, Jordan steals the ball from Karl Malone and dribbles it down the court, keeping in control. Bryon Russell guards him...but Jordan fakes him out of his sneakers and sinks his final shot. There are still five seconds to go, but Zach is acting like the Bulls have clinched it already and all but jumps out of his chair (though he DOES mention that the Jazz get the ball back for one last try). Tony thinks Zach was acting like a play-by-player...but doesn't think it particularly HELPED him in this respect. Kit liked the enthusiasm, though she can understand Tony's comments. Al liked that he kept them informed, but warned about TOO much energy. Aaron Levine gets the last play of the 2000 AFC Wild Card between the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills...otherwise known as the "Music City Miracle". Frank Wycheck received a kickoff from the Bills...then threw a lateral across the field to Kevin Dyson to score the winning touchdown. Historians have argued since then whether the "lateral" actually went forward, which would've constituted an illegal forward pass and the touchdown negated...but there were no flags on the play and play review wasn't being offered that year. Aaron already calls the Titans the winners...though three seconds were still on the clock...AND he actually used a "Music City Miracle" reference. But he gave a lot of pre-Miracle stats. Kit said he sounded right, but his info (wasn't a "swift kick" and didn't say who caught it) was a little off. Al liked the set up and that he emphasized that there were "no flags" on the play, but said that it wasn't a "final score" yet as Aaron said. Tony does NOT like Aaron using "Music City Miracle"...but liked the preparation. Maggie Haskins gets Game 3 of the 2001 American League Divisional Series between the New York Yankees and the Oakland A's: "The Flip Play". Bottom of the 7th, 2 outs, man on first, Yanks up 1-0. Terrence Long hit a liner off of Mike Mussina into the right-field corner. Shane Spencer tossed it in as Jeremy Giambi gunned towards third intent on beating the throw home. Derek Jeter grabbed the ball half-way between first and home and flipped it to catcher Jorge Posada to tag Giambi out at home and preserve the lead. Maggie didn't specify which Giambi was on first to begin with, but mentioned a "Jeremy" as he was running the bases. She didn't have a lot of energy, either. Al thinks she started slow and clich�d...and mentioned the "Giambi" problem. Tony wonders why she didn't ask why Giambi didn't slide for home. And Kit thinks she gave good info but wanted more energy at the start. Mike Hall gets the last play of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, the "Shot Heard 'Round The World". With his team down 4-to-3, Kurt Gibson, pinch-hitting for the Dodgers against the A's, was hurting badly and facing closer Dennis Eckersley. He had to get a cortisone shot to be able to walk relatively well, but was still ginger. With an 0-and-2 count and one one base with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Gibson BASHED one into right while Jose Canseco just watched it go over the wall. Gibson pumped his fist as he rounded the bases for his "walk-off home run". Good energy and the evasion of most clich�s helps Mike here. Tony is glad Mike didn't do the "I can't believe what I just saw" line we've heard so often with that play...and liked it all-around. Kit liked the building of the drama and the "hobbling around the bases" to describe Gibson's home run trot. Al warns about Mike's voice cracking but liked the call very much. Now that Total Recall is out of the way, it's time for a little cross-promotional deal. The next task is Pardon The Interruption with Tony Kornheiser. See, Tony and his cohort Michael Wilbon argue every weekday on ESPN about the sports topics of the day. Tony will now re-enact "PTI" (as it's commonly called) with each Dream Job contestant. The two will get a total of 60 seconds to argue each of two recent sports topics. They'll be judged on sports knowledge, quality of arguments and keeping up with Tony. Aaron starts off arguing with Tony about the Yankees' big spending being good for baseball. Aaron thinks it's a good thing...simply because "every story needs a villian". Tony thinks it's totally unfair for the small-market teams whose entire roster could pay off the Yankees' infielders' salaries for two years, but Aaron maintains that low salaries didn't hurt the Marlins or Angels, the last two World Series Champs. Aaron also gets the Redskins' new/old coach Joe Gibbs. Tony thinks the long time off from coaching has changed Gibbs, but Aaron says Gibbs has been winning everywhere he goes, be it NFL or NASCAR. Kit says, "Look out, Wilbon!" She likes his facts and support. Al agrees, saying the back-up arguments were good. Tony, himself, knows Aaron was very prepared and appreciates Aaron listening to him (unlike Wilbon, he says). Next up is Maggie, who has a lot of hair to "compensate for Tony's baldness". She and Tony first argue about NBA Commissioner David Stern secretly rooting for the Lakers to continue their dynasty. Maggie thinks he is because of the storylines the Lakers have made over the year. Tony throws in the Kobi Bryant case and Maggie TRIES to answer back...but time runs out. They then talk about Freddie Adu, the 14-year-old soccer phenom, and his impact on soccer in the U.S. (the only country it's NOT a big sport in). Tony doesn't think Adu will help, since Pele couldn't do it with the NASL 20 years ago. Maggie says that people love phenoms and mentions that Nike sponsors him...but Tony keeps up that this is SOCCER we're talking about! Al thinks the second argument was better, since Maggie didn't have the backing argument for the Lakers. Kit agrees that Maggie started slow but picked things up. Tony is happy to just SURVIVE the argument. Before we continue with PTI, the Dream Jobbers were given a $1000 credit line by Visa(TM) this week to buy whatever they think it would take to get the job. Some bought suits, some bought new hairdos...and Zack spent some of it on spa treatment. Zach is next to go after Tony, one of the two who told him to cut his hair. They talk about Barry Bonds' new website and argue about whether this will help his image. Zach says it won't, saying, "Bring me a cup of hot urine" from Bonds. Tony thinks Bonds deserves to tell his side, but Zach thinks it'll prove nothing. They also argue about the expectations of Tiger Woods, who hasn't won a major PGA tournament in two years. Tony thinks he IS the best player because of his peers...but Zach thinks he is overrated simply because the media MADE him that way. Kit liked the banter on the Bonds issue but thinks Zach could've been a bit stronger with the Tiger issue. Al wishes the arguments were a little longer, as Zach was giving relatively short answers...and would've stay away from the "hot urine" remark. Tony says the arguments had a pretty good feel to it, more like the PTI he's used to. Mike is last up, and he's not trained to argue in the 'heartland'. They talk about whether college basketball players should be paid. Mike is tired of the argument since the players have got tuition and room and board paid for with the scholarships. Tony weighs the thousands for the scholarships against the MILLIONS some universities are being paid for TV rights and what not. They agree that colleges DO need to find jobs for those who DON'T make the NBA. The last topic is whether or not figure skating is a sport. They both agree that it really isn't. Tony think BOWLING is more of a sport because figure skating is just rehearsed and rehearsed like any number of ice shows. Mike think it's not because the skaters, though athletes, are competing against a "concept". They also agree that, though it's popular, it's only entertaining to a degree to them. One disturbing thing: when Tony asks Mike if he'd look good in sequins, Mike replies, "I know I do." O....kay...to the judges. Al says the first argument was much better...and doesn't think ANY man looks good in sequins. Kit thinks he'd look "dah-lin'" in sequins....but agrees with Al. Tony thinks agreeing with Tony was a mistake for Mike as it didn't give the second argument enough power. It's time for the final Cuts. Two more will be history thanks to Tony, Kit and Al. Tony like that the contestants like each other...'cause "if you can fake sincerity, you can fake anything." He says Aaron was the best at PTI and Aaron was best at Total Recall. He doesn't think Maggie's improved enough...and thinks Zach would make a good variety show host...but not quite an anchor. He cuts Maggie and Zach. Kit thinks everyone will get great jobs just through exposure. She likes Zach's style and thinks it can shake SportsCenter up. Maggie is the most improved...but not enough. It was level between Aaron and Mike...but Mike's more consistant. She cuts Maggie and Aaron. Maggie has two votes, Zach and Aaron each have one. Al Jaffe agrees that Maggie is the most-improved...but not as good as the men. Aaron and Mike have worked through the glitches but have worked well. Zach impressed in truth and cleverness...but sees him as a reporter and not an anchor. The Veep of Talent for ESPN cuts...Maggie...and Zach. With three votes, Maggie is gone. And with two votes, so is Zach (which I think sucks)! So, out of over 10,000 contestants over the last six months, Mike Hall and Aaron Levine are the last two standing. This time, America alone will make the final cut. The judges will stick around and give advice and expert opinion on Mike and Aaron's final performances but, in the end, the American viewing public will get the final say. First is a task called Across the Board. It's like a mix between Jeopardy! and Sports Geniuses. Twelve topics with three questions each, worth 2, 4 and 6 points with wrong answers meaning a subtraction of 1 point. Once a category is chosen, Stuart goes through all three questions. I won't go through all the questions that were answered. The basic synopsis is that Aaron ran Mike ragged, winning 33 to 17. Aaron killed the category on Rickey Henderson, they flipped on Tigers, choked on Bill Parcells questions, Mike almost swept sports movies (not knowing Judge Smells nephew on Caddyshack) and they flip-flopped on "Mark"s. Aaron swept on #1 draft picks, but Mike made a mild comeback on teams that upset faves...and both choked on Olympic trivia and college football bowls and Super Bowls. Tony says he's impressed...since he didn't get half of them. Kit says Tony lies and says Tony got 90% of them...and berates Aaron for not knowing Dennis Hopper won an Academy award for Hoosiers. Al is impressed that THIS test made HIS look like a kindergarten math quiz and thinks Aaron did well. And, now, the final My SportsCenter competition: "Real" SportsCenter. Each one will co-anchor a mini-broadcast with a REAL SC anchor. Everything the players have worked on over the last six weeks and THEN some will be thrown at them. They'll do highlights, they'll ad-lib, they'll do an interview, they'll do , they'll get messages from producer Mark Summer via their IFB (earpiece)...everything a sports anchor has to expect. He'll be judged on improvisation, creativity and teamwork. The first pairing is Mike Hall with SportsCenter and "Baseball Tonight" anchor Karl Ravech. He tells Mike to think before he speaks if something goes amiss. Mike has his "shot sheet" for his highlights, he has his IFB in his ear, he and Karl have their scripts in the teleprompter. His final SportsCenter begins in 3...2...1...! Mike opens announcing a Kobi Bryant development, but they start with sharing an NCAA basketball highlight reel between Georgia Tech and Kansas. Mike takes over at overtime, saying, "There's nothing more fun than 'ot'." He uses his "For three...YIPEE" catch phrase he used earlier in the competition. He hesitates as the scoreboard and hiccups a bit on which camera he was to look towards. Then they get to Bryant's story about evidence wanting to get in...and the victim's mother wanting this trial done with for her girl's safety and sanity. While Karl goes through a Lakers-Kings highlight, the producer clues Mike on some things: he'll be doing a Yankees-Red Sox highlight next WITHOUT a teleprompter so he'll have to ad-lib the intro...and a breaking one-highlight update is coming in from the Pistons-Hornets game which Stuart will give him the shot sheet for. Mike ad-libs well about the next and last match-ups between the most storied rivals in the Major Leagues. He ran into the "sound-up" of the flashback, but went smooth through the highlights AND the update. Then comes a three-minute interview segment with Peyton Manning, who signed a big contract extension with the Indianapolis Colts to remain their quarterback. Mike asks Peyton if he bought a stick of gum with that contract money. It got a laugh, but Peyton is just glad to have the negotiations over with. Mike then asks about whether Peyton focuses on the positives or negatives on the previous season. He also asked how bad the four interceptions in the AFC Championship game hurt him and what they need to do to make the Super Bowl. Mike gave good questions, Peyton gave long and detailed answers...including where Peyton's brother Eli Manning will go in the upcoming NFL draft. During the final question being answered, the producer tells Mike of a late-breaking Nomar Garciaparra story about him being injured. He smoothly goes into the story after letting Peyton go, then signs off with Karl, telling him, "You're pretty good." The judges get to give their opinions, even though they don't get a say in the final choice. Tony says the interview was great, especially since it's out of season...and that he SAVED the interview with the question about Eli. He tells that he made a few factual foibles but that he remained calm. Kit agrees about the interview, though thought the question about the gum made the answer shorter than it could have been. She liked the smooth transitions from one story to another. Al Jaffe has nothing but praise for Mike's performance. The transitions, the highlights, the ad-libbing were all great. The "YIPEE", however,...that's Al has a problem with (though Al also had a problem with Stuart's "BOO-YA"). He also tells Mike not to make excuses for questions to celebs...just to ask them. Aaron Levine does HIS SportsCenter with senior female SC anchor Linda Cohn. She tells Aaron to be herself and be "real". Aaron is ready to get going. Aaron's final SportsCenter begins in 3...2...1...! The opener for Aaron is the manslaughter trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams. But Aaron and Linda start with splitting the same NCAA game of the day: Georgia Tech vs.Kansas. Again, the veteran anchor takes it to overtime and dumps that for the rookie. Aaron "catch phrases" a three-pointer as "cooler than a polar bear's toenail". He manages to stretch out his stat-giving until the transition to the Williams trial, where evidence that the shooting of his limo driver was an accident. Aaron, however, smiled a bit during this...not a good thing to do during a serious story. While Linda handles the Mavericks-Pacers highlight herself, Aaron gets some of the same news from the producer over the IFB: the prompter will be down for his Cardinals/Braves highlight intro and a breaking highlight from a Lakers/Nuggets game will immediately follow. Aaron looks down at his notes to get his info, something Mike didn't have to do. He gets through his ad lib, gets into the spring training highlights (including timing the "sound up" just right). He transitions into the update fairly well and has no trouble with the new highlight. Aaron's interview is with Mavericks' rookie phenom Carmelo Anthony, the team's leading scorer in their push for the NBA Playoffs. Aaron gives good question...but 'Melo's answers are relatively short compared to the ones Peyton gave to Mike's questions. Aaron is able to keep up the questions for the segment...and doesn't panic when the producer talks about a breaking news story about Ken Griffey, Jr. after the interview. After nine quick questions and answers (including a non-answer about why 'Melo deserves the Rookie of the Year honors), Aaron goes into the story about rumors about Griffey going back to Seatlle. The ending, however, is contracted and Linda has to pick up the slack to keep the outgo going for the last ten seconds. The judges then critique Aaron's play. Kit says he looks very relaxed even in the midst of pressure...though the interview was a little choppy at times. Al again comments on the catch phrase, not liking it. He also thought the interview could've been better, but the transitions were good and great on the ad lib. Tony is IMPRESSED that Aaron was able to keep the interview going through the short answers...and liked the ad lib. It's all over now. America's decision is in the books. Whoever Stuart announces will have gotten THAT CLOSE...but no contact. America... with 60%... cuts... Aaron Levine! MIKE HALL is the new SportsCenter anchor!! EPILOGUE So, we know Mike is the new anchor. Just one more thing needs to be negotiated: salary. During that evening's SportsCenter, Mike and host Stuart Scott did one last task: Play for Pay. Mike will start with $70,000 and Scott will ask sports questions. For each one he gets right, the salary goes up by $5,000. But if he gets one wrong, the game ends and they'll lop $10,000 off the final figure. Much like "Millionaire", though, he can stop if he doesn't think he knows an answer. Mike gets five questions right: the San Antonio Spurs won the 2003 NBA Championship, Roger Clemens tossed a broken bat at Mike Piazza, Wrigley Field was the last baseball stadium to install lights for night game, Syracuse won last year's NCAA Basketball Championships and Tiger Woods wears red traditionally on the final round of golf tournaments. Mike says he's soiling himself, but Stuart says that they won't notice through the black pants. When Mike is asked, though, how many Grand Slam titles Andre Agassi has won, he passes (the answer was 8) and quits while ahead. So, with a new Mazda 3 at his disposal, $95,000 for a year of on-camera work (starting with the 6pm ET SportsCenter the very next day) in his pocket and a smile on his face, Mike Hall follows Stuart Scott across to Bristol, Connecticut and the ESPN Studios where he will start his dream job...and, hopefully, will be able to KEEP it after the year is up. |
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