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CHRIS BERMAN for ESPN 25th ANNIVERSARY. Hired by ESPN in October 1979 one month after its inception, Chris Berman, NFL Studio Host, SportsCenter anchor and baseball commentator has become one of America's most respected, popular and beloved sportscasters of his era. Among dozens of prestigious awards, Chris has won the National Sportscaster of the Year six times from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, in addition to eight Emmy® Awards and 12 CableACEs. In 2001, he was awarded the prestigious Reds Bagnell Award from the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia for "contributions to the game of football." Berman regularly hosted SportsCenter in ESPN's first 11 years, culminating in the network's first SportsCenter Emmy Award in 1990. As ESPN celebrates its 25th anniversary, it seems fitting to link its dedication to entertaining and informing sports fans, and Chris's trademark enthusiasm, knowledge and wit with the good sportsmanship and humor embodied by Mickey Mouse through the years.
DICK VITALE, college basketball's top analyst and ambassador, joined ESPN during the 1979-80 season-just after the network's September 1979 launch-following a successful college and pro coaching career. Since then, he's called close to a thousand games, including NBA contests for ESPN during the 1983 and '84 seasons. His thorough knowledge of the game is brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, sometimes controversial style, and his "Vitale-isms" have become household phrases. Dick's talents and influence extend far beyond being a game analysis. He is known as an author, guest commentator and highly sought after motivational speaker. A dedicated philanthropist, Vitale has been the recipient of dozens of awards and honors for his outstanding contribution to athletics and youth, including Magic Johnson's Roundball Classic and the Basketball Hall of Fame's prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award.
ESPN 25TH ANNIVERSARY is a celebration of how ESPN revolutionized television sports with its concept of 24-hour in-depth coverage. The world's first sports network was originally beamed to 1.4 million homes at 7 p.m. on September 7, 1979. By 1983, it became the largest cable network, with 28.5 million homes. ESPN is the No. 1 network-broadcast or cable-among men. In 1987, ESPN premiered Sunday Night Football, which has been the highest rated cable series ever since. ESPN now reaches nearly 80 million homes. Its sister network, ESPN2, reaches nearly 70 million. ESPN has also spawned ESPNews, ESPN Classic, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN: The Magazine. |