Raising the Bar
Outside the Lines
(Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Shannon Stone died July 7 at Rangers Ballpark when, reaching over a 33-inch railing for a ball tossed from the field, he fell head-first about 20 feet onto the concrete below. Stone’s accident was the stadium’s third involving a fan falling over a railing, prompting the Rangers to announce significant changes in railing heights even though they already exceeded local and international building codes. Paula Lavigne reports why some fans feel the railing heights are fine, while some experts think the decades-old standards should be changed to enhance safety.

“Have I been somewhere where the rail was in my line of vision? Sure. You just adjust. I would much rather have the ability to adjust in your seat rather than attending someone’s funeral.” – Hollye Minter, who survived a 35-foot fall at Rangers Ballpark in 1994

“I think the railings are fine. If you’re in the front row, or you’ve got to duck underneath the railing or raise up above the railing (to see), the front row’s not a good seat anymore.” — Ronnie Hargis, who was sitting next to Shannon Stone before he fell

 

 

The State of the NCAA with President Emmert
ESPNU (Friday, 4:30 p.m.)

ESPN The Magazine called it the “Year of the Scandal” for college sports in their “Busted” issue this past May. Since then, the landscape has shifted even further with the most recent Miami investigation. ESPN’s Rece Davis sat down with NCAA President Mark Emmert this week to discuss the current climate, and future, of NCAA sports.

“You can’t legislate integrity, but you can define it, and you can say here are the penalties for not engaging in that kind of behavior, ” said Emmert.
 

 

 

Donnan’s Ponzi Trouble
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, ESPN)
ESPN.com

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As University of Georgia head football coach, Jim Donnan had been a prominent figure in Athens, Ga. Today, Donnan stands accused of being at the center of a Ponzi scheme, which cost some investors millions of dollars, including Barry Switzer, Tommy Tuberville, Frank Beamer and Billy Gillispie, among other coaches. John Barr reports.

  

  
 
Vick Confidential      
ESPN The Magazine (on newsstands Friday)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Mag’s Confidential team interviewed 44 NFL players about Michael Vick, promising anonymity in exchange for candor. Their first question: Do you like Vick? The response: a unanimous “Yes,” the first 100-percent answer ever received. Says one player: “I love that he’s turned everything into a positive.” Participants were more divided on other queries, like: “If Vick were white, would public perception be the same, worse or better?”

 

 

ESPN Sport Science: U.S. Open is Major’s True Test
ESPN Sport Science piece to run during tennis coverage and SportsCenter
 

ESPN Sport Science recreated the three different surfaces on which Tennis’ majors are played – the hardcourt of the U.S. and Australian Opens, the grass of Wimbledon and the red clay of the French Open — to examine their critical differences and how they affect play.

“The grittiness of clay acts like sandpaper, grabbing the ball’s fuzz and slowing the velocity about 40 percent, while grass is slick and balls literally skid across the blades, losing roughly 30 percent of their speed. Hardcourts are in between, reducing ball velocity anywhere from 32 to 35 percent.” – John Brenkus, ESPN Sport Science host
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

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