Displaying items by tag: ESPN

On this Wednesday edition of The Sam and Brad Show, the guys talked the state of the Browns with WKYC's Jay Crawford (00:23), caught up with ESPN's Todd Blackledge about the first CFP rankings (11:37), and recounted their favorite sports movies and characters on the 21st anniversary of the release of "The Waterboy" (17:54).

On the Feel Good Friday edition of the Sam and Brad Show Podcast:

Akron Beacon Journal Browns beat writer Nate Ulrich joined the show to talk about the Browns as they prepare for cutdowns and the season opener Sept 8

ESPN Senior College football writer Ryan McGee joined the fellas to talk a little college football.

Sam and Brad caught up with ESPN's Marty Smith to talk about his new book, Never Settle: Sports, Family, and the American Soul.

Marty covers college football and NASCAR for ESPN among other projects.

On the All Star Game edition of the Sam and Brad Show Podcast, with Jasen Sokol.

Indians manager Tito Francona joined the show to talk all things All-Star and also talk about his ballclub as well. (22.3 seconds) 

ESPN MLB Analyst Buster Olney joined the fellas on site at Progressive Field to talk a little baseball ahead of tonight's Midsummer Classic.  (11:11) 

On this Monday edition of The Sam and Brad Show, the guys give their takes on the many moves of the first day of NBA free agency (00:21), the ridiculous amount of money dished out (08:28), and caught up with Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN writer Larry Coon on free agency as well (12:00).

On this Feel Good Friday edition of the Sam and Brad Show Podcast, the guys split their sides with comedian Frank Caliendo (00:21)and chat with ESPN's Buster Olney about the state of the Indians and the MLB All-Star festivities (15:10).

On the Wednesday edition of the Sam and Brad Show Podcast:

Seth Greenberg, college basketball analyst for ESPN discussed last night's NBA Draft lottery (20 seconds in) 

Jim Bowden of The Athletic and Sirius XM joined the program to talk a little Indians and MLB (17;28)

Sam and Brad discussed "basketball purgatory" and what it means for the Wine and Gold (23:59) 

On the Feel Good Friday edition of the Sam and Brad Show Podcast:

Draft prospect Andy Isabella joined the show to talk about the draft process (20.2 seconds) 

ESPN and MLB Network's Matt Vasgersian joined the show to talk about the Sunday night game that he will be calling in Cleveland between the Indians and the Atlanta Braves. (11:02) 

On the Feel Good Friday edition of the Sam and Brad Show Podcast:

Jonah Rosenblum of the Record Courier on the Portage Trail Conference (19 seconds) 

NFL Draft hopeful and Barberton grad John Cominsky on the draft process (around 13 minutes) 

ESPN's Brian Windhorst on his new book: LeBron INC: The Making of a Billion Dollar Athlete. (around 30 minutes) 

On this Wednesday edition of the Sam and Brad Show, the guys give their takes on the NFL expanding replay to review and challenge pass interference calls (00:21). They asked Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal for his take on the change as well (12:44). The guys also talked college basketball with ESPN's Dan Dakich (14:32) and Indians baseball with Zack Meisel of The Athletic (34:29).

ESPN MLB Senior Writer Buster Olney joined the Sam and Brad to talk about the MLB and the Cleveland Indians ahead of the 2019 season.

Brad Russell and Ben Thomas got into the Feel Good Friday edition of the Sam and Brad Show:

ESPN's Buster Olney talked MLB and Indians (20 seconds in) 

Brad and Ben talked about the morale amongst fans and players for the Cleveland Indians if they were to make a trade with one of their ace pitchers (14:47) 

Ben Braun former NCAA College basketball coach chimed in on the NCAA Basketball Tournament. (17:18)

In this jam-packed Wednesday edition of the Sam and Brad Show, the guys caught up with ESPN's Hannah Storm, who is serving as the emcee of the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards (00:21). Indians General Manager MIke Chernoff talked about the Tribe's offseason with the guys (29:09), Coach Dru Joyce II spoke on the matchup between St. Vincent St. Mary and Hoban (45:02), and Jake Parsons talks becoming the new head football coach at Copley(1:00:39).

All this in addition to catching up with local football players who will be continuing their careers at the college level:
Tre Tucker (13:36), Gavin Krska (17:03), Zach Rankin (22:48), Tyris Dickerson (51:17), and Xavier Grey(1:07:45).

On the Thursday edition of the Sam and Brad Show Podcast, the guys spoke about the Seth Wickersham article on the Browns' dysfunction over the last 5 years (21 seconds in)

At 12:15, author Seth Wickersham of ESPN the Magazine spoke about his article and some elements of the team that weren't previously known, until today.

Sam and Brad caught up with Doug Dieken to start the Tuesday Podcast.

At 13:05, they caught up with Ryan McGee to talk college football and where Ohio State might end up prior to the Big 10 title game.

ESPN Chalk gambling writer David Purdum joined the Sam and Brad Show to talk about his article in ESPN.com discussing a lot of money being put on the Cleveland Browns this upcoming season.

ESPN golf analyst Michael Collins joined the Sam and Brad Show to talk about Day #2 of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

Former Brooklyn Nets GM and ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks joined the Sam and Brad Show to recap Thursday's NBA Draft.

Former Brooklyn Nets GM and ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks joined the Sam and Brad Show to recap Thursday's NBA Draft.

ESPN Senior Writer Buster Olney spoke with Sam and Brad to talk about spring training as well aa the Cleveland Indians' prospects for sustained success moving forward.

For more on Buster's thoughts on the Tribe, click here.

ESPN and ABC correspondent and reporter Tom Rinaldi spoke with Sam Bourquin to talk about the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards January 17.

Rinaldi will be hosting the 18th annual event at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel next month. Former Cleveland Cavalier Zydrunas Ilgauskas will receive the Lifetime Acheivement Award. 

For more information on the 2018 event, click here.

ESPN and ABC College Football Analyst Todd Blackledge spoke with Sam and Brad to talk about the big game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.

Blackledge played quarterback at Penn State and is currently the head boys' basketball coach of the North Canton Hoover Vikings. 

Known for her dazzling play on the field for the Akron Racers, star outfielder A.J. Andrews is featured in this year's edition of ESPN the Magazine's "Body Issue" that is due to hit the newsstands Friday, July 7th. 

Andrews, coming off of a Gold Glove award in her first season with the Racers, is a Florida-native who played her college softball at LSU. She is the first ever female to win a Gold Glove award and she took home the 2016 Golden Spikes award for stealing a league-leading 15 bases. 

This year's edition of the "Body Issue" features former Ohio State Buckeye Ezekiel Elliot on the cover. Elliot currenly plays running back for the Dallas Cowboys. 

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love appeared in the issue two years ago. 

Sam Bourquin spoke with ESPN Cavs beat writer Dave McMenamin and ESPN basketball writer Brian Windhorst to talk about the new book "Return of the King" as it takes a behind-the-curtain look at the Cavs' championship run, as

well as the catalyst of that triumph, Akron's own LeBron James.

For more on Return of the King, click right here.

ESPN The Magazine senior writer Ryan McGee spoke about the madness surrounding college football with Brad Russell on Tuesday.

ESPN Correspondent and author Tom Rinaldi joined the Brad Russell Show to talk about his new book the "Red Bandanna" and some of the journalistic endeavors he's been on during his career.

The Red Bandanna is the story of Welles Crowther and his heroic actions during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The full interview with Tom and Brad can be heard here.

Among those mourning the death of ESPN mainstay John Saunders is Terry Bowden.

The University of Akron's head football coach worked alongside Saunders in ABC-TV's college football studio every Saturday for five years...between Bowden's coaching jobs.

"Not only was he a good, good person, but maybe the best TV guy I've been around," Bowden tells WAKR's Jasen Sokol. "He'll be in front of a live television, you put him in front of there...no matter what happens, a satellite feed screws up, he could handle any situation."

Bowden says not only did Saunders teach him how to be a broadcaster, he was also "fun loving", a good family man with a great sense of humor.

Saunders died at the age of 61.

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue their winning ways with a 7 of 7 sweep at the annual ESPY Awards, courtesy of ESPN. 

Before any awards were handed out, however, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony took to the stage with a statement on violence in America and the racial divide; imploring athletes across the country to do their part in fighting injustice and violence in the country: 

(Video Courtesy of ESPN and ABC via YouTube) 

As for the awards the Cavaliers took home: 

- Best Team 

- Best Game, Game 7 of the NBA Finals

- Best Moment in Sports, Winning the NBA Championship 

- Best Coach, Tyronn Lue

- Best Finals Performance, LeBron James 

- Best NBA Player, LeBron James

- Best Male Athlete, LeBron James 

The Director of ESPN's 30 for 30 "Believeland" talked with Jasen Sokol today after The Cleveland Cavaliers Game 7 Championship Win. During the interview, Andy talked with Jasen about the pure elation he and many lifelong Cleveland fans are now feeling, but also talked about how the film will now be getting an update! "The Curse" has been broken!

The Cavaliers are playing with a great deal of confidence, and heading into the biggest game of the year on Sunday, that could spell a championship for a city that's been longing for one the last 52 years.

ESPN Basketball Insider Chad Ford joined the Sam Bourquin Show to talk about LeBron's on-court and off-court leadership down this Finals stretch and how they are playing their best basketball at the right time.

"You're seeing just the perfect balance between scoring the ball and passing the ball," Ford said.  "Everyone is better when he is on the floor."

Chad says the Cavs are going to need a triple-double from LeBron if they're going to get that first ever NBA Championship,  but it all comes down to them just playing their game.

"If they play the same way Sunday, they did the last two games, they'll beat the Warriors," he said. "It all comes down to LeBron James." 

One of the newest members of the sports team at FOX Sports made an appearance  on a "Feel Good Friday" to talk about his new venture in broadcasting and discuss the NFL game today and how it differed from when he played.

Former Massillon Tiger, OSU Buckeye, and NFL linebacker and current FOX NFL and college football analyst Chris Spielman joined the Sam Bourquin Show to discuss moving on from ESPN and his time working in the booth with Sean McDonough.

"Anytime you get a chance to challenge yourself or do something new, it is exciting," Spielman said. "For me this year in 2016, I'm going to do all NFL games, and I've done some NFL preseason stuff in the past."

Chris and Sean teamed up for ESPN's college football broadcast and he says one of the cool things about working with Sean was their on-air chemistry and ability to let the broadcast "breathe." He says that their chemistry helped propel them to new heights, with Chris at FOX and Sean as the voice of Monday Night Football.

"I was a small part of him achieving a life-long goal and that felt good."

Chris also talked about the NFL game, and as a former linebacker with the Lions, Bills, and Browns, and he said that as a defensive player, they have to be able to adjust to the rules being geared towards the offensive side of the ball.

In the world of college football, realignment of conferences has been one of the hot topics, and the divide between the Power 5 and the Group of 5 conference schools will grow even wider.

Ryan McGee, senior writer for ESPN joined the Sam Bourquin Show to talk about some of the rumors and what conferences and college football will look like moving forward.

He says the Big 12 will be one of the conferences that will look to expand first.

"The movement is coming and I think it's going to start in the Big 12, and the dominoes are going to fall, like they did a couple of years ago," he said.  "Expansion means more money."

 Texas and Oklahoma, the mainstays in the Big 12 would have teams like SMU, Tulane and others in a 16-team conference, and he projects Notre Dame would be in a 16-team Big Ten. You can look at Ryan's article here.