- This is SportsCenter
This is "SportsCenter" is the name of a series of comical television commercials run by
ESPN to promote their "SportsCenter " sports news show. A few are available free on iTunes. The ads are presented in adeadpan mockumentary style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting.The commercials debuted in 1994.
Guest appearances by sports figures
A notable feature of the commercials is the seeming
ubiquity of famous athletes on the ESPN campus. Some are even depicted doing menial, everyday tasks, usually while wearing their game uniforms. Athletes often have their idiosyncrasies parodied — for example, gymnastKerri Strug being carried around ESPN headquarters because of her famous ankle injury.Many famous athletes have been featured in the series, including
Andre Agassi ,Ray Allen ,Michael Andretti ,Carmelo Anthony ,Gilbert Arenas ,Lance Armstrong ,Rich Beem ,Drew Bledsoe ,Bill Bradley ,Drew Brees ,Kobe Bryant ,Mark Buehrle ,Jennifer Capriati ,Brandi Chastain ,Chris Chelios ,Roger Clemens (who was in 5 of them, the most of any athlete),Sidney Crosby ,Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ,Carl Edwards ,Roger Federer ,Kevin Garnett ,Ozzie Guillén ,Mia Hamm ,Jim Harbaugh ,Evander Holyfield ,Tim Hudson ,LeBron James ,Keyshawn Johnson ,Roy Jones Jr. ,Jim Kelly ,Alexi Lalas ,Bobby Labonte ,Lennox Lewis ,Mark McGwire , Gheorghe Muresan,Steve Nash ,Chris Paul ,Gaylord Perry ,Michael Phelps ,Mary Lou Retton ,Ben Roethlisberger ,Tony Romo ,Pete Sampras ,Maria Sharapova ,Andriy Shevchenko ,Jerry Stackhouse ,Kerri Strug ,Fernando Vargas ,Adam Vinateri ,Shaun White ,Serena Williams ,Venus Williams ,Tiger Woods , and David Wright.* At the ESPN offices,
Stuart Scott bumps intoTiger Woods 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 goes backstage to find the cause of the power outage: apparentlyLance Armstrong has taken a break from riding hisbicycle (connected to a generator).* In a 1995 commercial
Dan Patrick andKeith Olbermann prepare to operate on Colts QBJim Harbaugh , 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 ", whereinAndrew Shue andCharley Steiner switch jobs; the ad features Shue at the "SportsCenter" desk discussing a working interview with NFL CommissionerPaul Tagliabue 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 1999 commercial aired in the midst of the Y2K fears, when the studio's electricity goes out (due to Y2K tests), amidst the ensuing mayhem—which includes
Mark McGwire smashing a computer with his bat—Charley Steiner walks away, wearing face paint and a necktie as a headband, holding a lantern and screaming, “Follow me! Follow me to freedom!!”* In SportsCenter studios,
Rich Eisen talks withBobby Labonte about his hair, when he sees someone doing donuts in his #18 Interstate BatteriesPontiac . 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 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 quarterback Ben Roethlisberger saving people from the ESPN building while the fire alarm is ringing.Stuart Scott is talking outside the building withScott Van Pelt asking "Does he know this is a drill?"* In 2006, a commercial aired which showed
Danica Patrick '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 intoDan Patrick , 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 and
Peyton Manning engage inhorseplay . When Archie turns to look, the brothers stop and proceed to silently blame each other for the antics.* Another 2006 ad features
Chicago White Sox managerOzzie Guillén trying to call to thebullpen during a game, but instead reachingNeil Everett at ESPN.*
Chad Johnson of theCincinnati Bengals has a meeting withStuart Scott ,Steve Levy , and John Anderson to get ideas for his nexttouchdown celebration .* A 2007 ad featuring
Minnesota Twins catcherJoe Mauer andScott Van Pelt having a conversation aboutMinnesota in the cafeteria.* A 2007 ad featuring
Boston Red Sox DHDavid Ortiz is introduced to members of anchorJohn Buccigross 's family. He greets each one by spitting into each of his batting gloves, slapping them together and shaking their hand, similar to his typicalbatting ritual .* Another 2007 ad featuring
David Ortiz shows David, anchorStan Verrett andJorge Posada of theNew York Yankees 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 Monster (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 LeBron James arriving at ESPN offices and sits in his cubicle in a standard office chair. He realizes something is wrong so he goes to his neighborScott Van Pelt 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."* A 2007 ad features
New York Yankees catcherJorge Posada acknowledging cheers of "Hip, Hip, Jorge!" as he walks down the hall.* A 2007 ad features
Shaquille O'Neal dressed as a cop as he rescuesMike the Tiger from a tree (Shaq attended LSU). At the end Shaq asks Mike if he's all right and is handed avitaminwater for his efforts.* A 2007 ad features WWE superstar
John Cena and anchor Jay Harris 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 running backReggie Bush sitting next to theair conditioner in the office (a take on NFL players cooling off near the fan).* A 2007 ad features
NASCAR driverCarl Edwards performing his trademarkbackflip , not once but twice in an attempt to cheer up a dejectedNeil Everett in the kitchen.* A 2007 ad has
Scott Van Pelt walking down the hallway only to discoverTony Romo having a party complete with theDallas Cowboys Cheerleaders .* A 2007 ad features the
Boston Celtics ' new Big Three ofRay Allen ,Kevin Garnett , andPaul Pierce asking anchorScott Van Pelt for advice on selecting nicknames. (The name Van Pelt coined, the "Boston Three-Party", has actually been used in ESPN broadcasts.)* A 2007 ad has
LaDainian Tomlinson sorting mail in the mailroom in his jersey and his helmet.Steve Levy 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 hired as SportsCenter's "conditioning coach".* A 2008 ad has
Chris Chelios and anchorJohn Buccigross 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 can't seem to get the door open.* A 2008 ad features
Brian Kenny poking fun at NASCAR driverMatt Kenseth 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 helping out with John Anderson's script.* A 2008 ad features
Colorado Rockies outfielderMatt Holliday 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 thankingPhiladelphia Phillies shortstopJimmy Rollins 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 andJohn Buccigross poking fun atUniversity of Tennessee women's basketball coachPat Summitt 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 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 anchorJay Harris about how his sophomore season won't match his rookie year (hence the so-called "Sophomore Jinx").ports 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 anchorRich Eisen being "sent down to the minors" (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 closerTrevor Hoffman replaces anchorKenny Mayne for the show's "Did You Know?" segment, similar to relieving thestarting 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 , 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 quarterbackRyan Leaf .* 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 forAndrew Shue .* One rather infamous spot is the making of the SportsCenter swimsuit calendar, featuring
Bill Pidto ,Stuart Scott andLinda Cohn in various states of revealing swimwear.* A parody of post-game interviewing finds a dejected
Kenny Mayne and an upbeatDan Patrick 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 andSteve Levy to wait it out in a dugout 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 competing on
AstroTurf (in the ad, ESPN workers are shown tripping on the carpet). The anchors have to yell over the sound of thelawn mower cutting the grass in the studio.* In a 1997 ad, Dan Patrick and
Kenny Mayne are shown signing off a typical "SportsCenter" broadcast, and are then givensombrero s, and they begin broadcasting the Spanish version of "SportsCenter" (with amariachi version of the show's theme). WhileBob Ley explains that they redo the show for overseas markets ("Same highlights, same anchors, different dialects"), they are also shown giving Russian and German versions a try, replete with national costumes, and the "SportsCenter" theme redone for those cultures.* In a recent ad,
Scott Van Pelt asksspelling bee championDavid Tidmarsh to help him by spelling "Albert Pujols ". In true spelling bee tradition, Tidmarsh asks for the team (St. Louis Cardinals ), country of origin (Dominican Republic ), 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 and
Eli Manning teasing each other while their family is in a tour of the ESPN studio.* A 2006 ad shows
Scott Van Pelt andStuart Scott jumping and stretching before a show, similar to what NBA 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 discusses "Rain Delay s" 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 getting suspended byVince Doria because he said the F-word during a "SportsCenter " 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 and
Brian Kenny 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 read the highlights, have Jay Harris 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 andJohn Anderson answering phone calls from viewers in a parody of sports call-in shows (includingESPNRadio ).* A 2008 ad features the pit crews of
Jeff Gordon andJimmie Johnson helping anchorsScott Van Pelt andNeil Everett getting ready for the next segment during the commercial.* A 2008 ad has anchor
John Buccigross getting the ax and rallying for his job in a shopping center in a parody of coaches and managers getting fired.ports mascots
Sports
mascot s andcheerleader s 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 showsMr. Met andLady 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. TheNew York Mets theme song, "Meet the Mets ", 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.)*
Boston University 's mascot, 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 joinsCurt Schilling ,Jesper Parnevik ,Kenny Mayne ,Stewart Scott ,Linda Cohn , and others in spreading "the wave" around Bristol.*
Wake Forest University 's mascot, The Demon Deacon, appears in a commercial featuring David Wright of theNew York Mets , wherein Wright, John Anderson, andNeil Everett lampoon the baseball practice of covering the mouth with the glove 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 , theFlorida Marlins ' mascot, which always has an open mouth, is startled to find his "girlfriend,"Andrea Kremer , kissing another "SportsCenter" anchor.*
The San Diego Chicken , who is seen pulling practical jokes all over the ESPN building; it is revealed at the end of the commercial that inside the costume wasPete Sampras , playing against his image as being and .*
Syracuse University 'sOtto the Orange , who gets punched byCharley Steiner after Steiner is described as being a boxing enthusiast.*
Sparty , theMichigan State Spartans ' mascot, receives the final handoff of gymnastKerri Strug as she is carried around the studio.*
Steve Irwin ("The Crocodile Hunter") wrestled withAlbert E. Gator when he spotted theFlorida Gators mascot stepping out of an elevator.*Big Red, the mascot of
Western Kentucky University , is confused over which restroom to use untilDan Patrick instructs him to "use the woods out back."*
Stuart Scott is repulsed by seeing theMilwaukee Brewers Sausage Race rs orderingsausage 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, parodyingPamplona 'sRunning of the Bulls .*
Sam the Minuteman , the mascot for theUMass Minutemen , knocks atennis ball away fromAndy Roddick as Roddick bounces it off his racket into the air in a waiting room.* The
Stanford Tree stares at anchor John Anderson 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 mascot,Wally the Green Monster , reacts in shock after seeing Red Sox starDavid Ortiz wearing aNew York Yankees hat. Ortiz was really just trying to break in the hat for Yankees catcherJorge Posada .*
Rutgers University 's Scarlet Knight appears in the Y2K episode chasing and then stomping on theUniversity of Connecticut Husky.* In a 2002 ad, anchors
Scott Van Pelt andRich Eisen are saying some nonsensical words; as it turns out, it's none other thanBoston Red Sox mascotWally the Green Monster 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 , mascot for theOhio State University , 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 anchorChris McKendry advice on romantic relationships with players.* A 2008 ad features former
NASCAR driver and ESPN Nascar analystRusty Wallace eating lunch with theUniversity of Delaware mascotYoUDee , but when Wallace can't eat his entire lunch, he gives the rest of his lunch to YoUDee and the mascot was able to shallow the food in one gulp.External links
* [http://espn.go.com/thisissportscenter/ This is SportsCenter Page]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnShow?showID=SRDA This is SportsCenter TV Page]
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