Enterprise Journalism Release – April 14, 2011
To Tweet this Release: https://es.pn/ew46zD
High Stakes in the NBA
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, ESPN)
The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap (Friday, 10 p.m., ESPN Radio)
https://youtu.be/mt4kgDXpxcE
Earlier this season, Memphis Grizzlies’ teammates OJ Mayo and Tony Allen got into a physical altercation stemming from a high stakes card game on a team plane. This incident is an extreme example of how intense these card games can get, especially when players wager staggering amounts of money. While some NBA players say that card games provide them with a way to relax and pass time, critics warn of dangerous consequences that can have a long-term impact, particularly on young players. Reporter Steve Delsohn investigates NBA card games.
“I don’t think it’s so much about money or anything, it’s just about passing time and just doing something. You don’t always have to gamble, but if that’s some guys’ taste, then that’s what it is.” – Chris Bosh
“I know players, they’re in debt for a lot of money to teammates and that just shouldn’t be happening. I think that you start gambling for high stakes, feelings get involved. I think it can create issues on a team.” – Mark Bartelstein, an NBA agent for 26 years
“With the Bulls you didn’t really want to compete with Michael Jordan, you know (laughs). If guys were going to play with Jordan, nothing bad was going to happen. Someone was going to lose money, but Michael was king, so no one was going to challenge him or front him about anything, so the game was controlled.” – Steve Kerr
E:60, ESPN’s award-winning prime time newsmagazine, continues its spring run Tuesday, April 19, at 7 p.m. ET:
https://youtu.be/zx3yhAJpqGk
Boxer Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez had dreams of being a hero before suffering fatal injuries during a title fight in Philadelphia. Through organ donation, Paco’s dream was realized as his uncle and four women received a gift of life from the Golden Gloves Champion. E:60 reporter Jeremy Schaap chronicles the journey of the four women — including exclusive access to their emotional meeting with the boxer’s family — who owe their lives to Rodriguez.
ESPN.com will post a long-form piece by Missy Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com Tuesday
https://youtu.be/8SoA36QI7s0
Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford’s journey to success began in an unlikely location, Houston’s Fifth Ward, where he grew up surrounded by gangs, drugs, murder and poverty. In this E:60 report, ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney visits Crawford in his old neighborhood revealing where he’s from.
https://youtu.be/jrhzUNRGQb4
University of Arkansas tight end and NFL Draft prospect, D.J. Williams’ life started in Texas where he lived with an abusive father for 11 years. Randomly selecting a spot on a map, Williams and his mother and sisters left behind a tortured household and escaped to a new life in Little Rock, Ark. E:60’s Lisa Salters profiles Williams and how he was able to overcome a shattered childhood to excel on and off the field.
The Finish Line
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m., ESPN)
https://youtu.be/19Swgp5mrOc
In 17 years of coaching cross country at San Francisco University High School, Jim Tracy had won seven state championships, the most in California history. As his team started its quest for an eighth title, Tracy was diagnosed with ALS – Lou Gehrig’s Disease – an incurable and fatal condition that causes muscles to gradually shut down. The girls on the team were devastated, but motivated by their coach, who chose to stay on and lead them through the season, despite enduring a great deal of pain. Before last November’s state championship meet, captain Holland Reynolds rallied the squad with the phrase “Let’s do it for Jim.” Tom Rinaldi reports how each runner did something remarkable that hoping to send Tracy out as a winner one last time.
Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett
ESPN.com
There are a hundred theories about why Ryan Mallett is possibly the biggest wild card in NFL Draft. Ryan has it all physically, a 6-foot-7 frame, a cannon of an arm and 7,493 passing yards in a pro-style offense at Arkansas, but some analysts say he has character issues. In the three months since he decided to forgo his senior season , Mallett has been called everything from immature to cocky to a bad leader, but he says he doesn’t care what anyone outside of the decision-makers in the NFL think of him. Liz Merrill reports.
https://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/news/story?id=6348822
Juan Agudelo becomes Youngest to Score for National Team
ESPN Deportes SportsCenter (Sunday, 11 a.m.)
Reportajes Especiales piece (ESPNDeportes.com)
https://youtu.be/aGuPDtbTspI
The last true forward to score for the United States at a FIFA World Cup was Brian McBride in 2002. So when 17-year-old Juan Agudelo was called up by Bob Bradley to join the Senior team late last year, it was believed that he was grooming a striker for the future. But in his November 17 debut, wearing No. 17, Agudelo scored the game-winning goal, making him the youngest player to score for the U.S. Senior National Team.
