Monthly Highlights

NBA PLAYOFFS

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 +1000

Playoffs & Finals coverage:

ESPN Australia has the rights to broadcast up to 7 games in total from the First Round of Playoffs and 7 games in total from the Second Round. We regret that we’re unable to broadcast more games from Rounds 1 and 2, but we have to abide by rights restrictions.

ESPN will however broadcast EVERY GAME from the Conference Finals LIVE, both East & West and then for the NBA Finals, tipping off Friday June 7, ESPN will also have EVERY GAME LIVE.

Upcoming Eastern Conference Finals - all games LIVE

Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers

Game 1 Thu, 23 May @ 10:30am

Game 2 Sat, 25 May @ 10:30am

Game 3 Mon, 27 May @ 10:30am

Game 4 Wed, 29 May @ 10:30am

Game 5 Fri, 31 May @ 10:30am (if required)

Game 6 Sun, 2 June @ 10:30am (if required)

Game 7 Tues, 4 June @ 10:30am (if required)

Upcoming Western Conference Finals - all games LIVE

San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Game 1 Mon, 20 May @ 5:30am WON by Spurs 105-83

Game 2 Wed, 22 May @ 11am

Game 3 Sun, 26 May @ 11am

Game 4 Tues, 28 May @ 11am

Game 5 Thurs, 30 May @ 11am (if required)

Game 6 Sat, 1 June @ 11am (if required)

Game 7 Mon, 3 June @ 11am (if required)

For more NBA news visit ESPN US

Aussies Abroad

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 +1000

The Kennelly Brothers - one of Australia’s most remarkable sporting families Premieres Tuesday night.

The road to baseball’s Major Leagues is a long and cut-throat one, with up to 9 tiers of Minor League baseball to negotiate before you can get your shot at the Big Show. Known within the business as the grind, players face a gruelling schedule of 28 or 29 games a month for little money and even less sleep.

There is no Major League glitz and glamour to be had here – just hard work, pressure and the reality that every day is another job interview. Perform or perish, with survival the first priority to keep the dream alive.

The latest instalment of ESPN’s award-winning feature series, AUSSIES ABROAD, explores the Minor League journey from a unique perspective – through the eyes of four Australian brothers – the Kennellys – all of whom are on that long road to the top of the baseball mountain.

It is an amazing achievement – four brothers from Perth all signed to Major League Baseball organisations to chase their dream of playing in the world’s biggest and best league.

TIM was the first to make the move to the US when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies organisation in 2005. He has spent the last eight years working his way up through the ranks to Triple-A ball (the level immediately below the Majors). Having always been a talented and versatile position player and hitter, he decided to switch to pitching a year ago after impressing with remarkable velocity while filling in on the mound for the short-staffed Reading Phillies.

The move backfired when the Phillies cut him during Spring Training this year – such is the cut-throat nature of the business. One quick chat and you’re out of a job. Fortunately, Tim was picked up by the Texas Rangers shortly after and is still hard at work chasing his dream.

MATT was next to head stateside when he signed with the Atlanta Braves organisation as a catcher in 2008. A stalwart with the team ever since, he too worked his way up to Triple-A ball but just this week was cut from the Braves due to a lack of catching opportunities. He is currently in the process of finding a new team. The uncertainty of life in the Minor Leagues could not be more clearly illustrated.

JOSH was the third Kennelly brother to sign when he inked a deal with the Cincinnati Reds. After a successful year playing rookie ball (entry level competition) in 2012, he was diagnosed with bone spurs and recently underwent double hip surgery that ended his 2013 season before it began. Such are the physical sacrifices this sport requires as he endures the long and lonely rehab process at the Reds’ development base in Phoenix, Arizona.

SAM is the youngest Kennelly brother and is just starting out on the long road to the top. Having just turned 17, he has signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates and recently spent his school holidays at their development facility, Pirate City, in Florida. There he got the chance to meet his new coaches and team-mates and play some development games against the New York Yankees’ rookie team before returning to Perth to complete his Year 12 studies. He will return to Florida full-time at the beginning of next season.

This 30-minute special, hosted by ESPN’s Jason Bennett, was shot on location in Phoenix, Atlanta, Tampa and Perth. It provides a unique view of the road to the Big Show through the trials, tribulations and challenges faced by four Aussie brothers, all chasing their childhood dream of one day playing together under the bright lights of Major League Baseball.

UEFA Champions League

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +1000

UEFA Champions League Final

Sunday 26th May

Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich LIVE 4:30am AEST

The feeling was euphoric as Bayern Munich completed a 7-0 aggregate rout of Barcelona. It was almost as though they had already won the Champions League title. All that was missing was the trophy. But the Bavarian giants received a just reward for what has been a monumental season under Jupp Heynckes.

The Bundesliga title was wrapped up with what seemed like half a season to spare, a place in the DFB Pokal final has been assured and the dominant run through Europe has reached its pinnacle. Bayern's fluid movement has proved unstoppable this season and their rapid counter attack was largely responsible for undoing one of the world's best sides in Barcelona.

The likes of Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Mueller have provided supreme service to Mario Gomez, although the striker hasn't been relied on to proved all the goals. While Bayern's attackers have stolen the headlines on many occasions this season, the defence has been just as impressive. They've conceded less than one goal every two games on average in the Bundesliga and will continue their stubborn resistance against Borussia Dortmund.

That will be no easy feat against Jurgen Klopp's side, with the frontline led by the lethal Robert Lewandowski. As evidenced by his four goals in the first-leg semi against Real Madrid, the Poland international can step up when it counts. Marco Reus and Bayern-bound Mario Gotze provide the creativity to unravel defences and will look to shift the play into the wide channels.

These two sides played out a dour 1-1 draw at the start of the month with very different line-ups to the ones that will feature at Wembley. It's no indication for what the final promises when Europe's two form teams clash for the right to be known as Europe's best.

Match preview provided by Mitchell Grima - ESPNFC

MLB

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +1100

Major League Baseball (MLB) continues LIVE all month on ESPN, giving fans around the world a mainline dose of the best baseball on the planet. Last season featured the debut of a new MLB Playoff format – with a second wild card in each league added, expanding the playoffs to include 10 teams – and the results were clear to see: upsets, controversial calls and surprise 4-0 sweeps made the 2012 MLB Playoffs better than ever.

The American League (AL) saw the Baltimore Orioles upset the favored Texas Rangers in the wild card round, while the Detroit Tigers gave the New York Yankees a painful 4-0 shellacking in the AL Championship Series. In the National League (NL), the St. Louis Cardinals advanced over the Atlanta Braves in the wild card round on a controversial call, while the San Francisco Giants slid past the Cards 4-3 in the NL Championship Series, going on to defeat the Tigers in the World Series and claim their second World Series title in three years.

ESPN AUS LIVE coverage

May 2 09:00am ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball

May 6 10:00am San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

May 7 09:00am ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball

May 9 09:00am ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball

May 13 10:00am Chicago White Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

May 14 09:00am ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball

May 16 09:00am ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball

May 20 10:00am Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers

May 21 09:00am ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball

ESPN2 AUS LIVE coverage

May 4 09:00am ESPN’s Friday Night Baseball

May 8 09:00am ESPN’s Tuesday Night Baseball

May 11 09:00am ESPN’s Friday Night Baseball

May 15 09:00am ESPN’s Tuesday Night Baseball

May 18 09:00am ESPN’s Friday Night Baseball

May 22 09:00am ESPN’s Tuesday Night Baseball

May 23 09:00am ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball

May 27 10:00am New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves

May 29 09:00am ESPN’s Tuesday Night Baseball

May 29 12:00pm ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball

June 1 09:00am ESPN’s Friday Night Baseball

ESPN Films

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +1100

Created in March 2008, ESPN Films produces high-quality films showcasing some of the most compelling stories in sports. In October 2009, ESPN Films launched the Peabody Award-winning, Producer’s Guild Award-winning and Emmy-nominated 30 for 30 film series. Inspired by ESPN’s 30th Anniversary, the films that made up the series were a thoughtful and innovative reflection on the past three decades told through the lens of diverse and interesting sports fans and social commentators.

Coming up on ESPN:

Miracle 3 - 21st May

The 2008 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, held in Atlanta's Georgia Dome, nearly became a colossal tragedy when a tornado struck the heart of the city with winds estimated of at least 135 MPH just as people were supposed to be leaving the arena at the conclusion of the Alabama - Mississippi State matchup late that Friday night. Had Bama's Mykal Riley not sunk a 3-point shot at the buzzer - sending this particular game into overtime - thousands of fans would have literally walked right into hell as a rare urban tornado slammed the Georgia Dome.

Without Bias - 28th May

When Len Bias dropped dead two days after the 1986 NBA Draft, he forever altered our perception of drug use. From potential NBA star to cautionary tale.Future generations continue to face the harsh punishment of drug policies that were influenced by the public outcry after his heartbreaking death. Instead of becoming an NBA star, he became a one-man deterrent, the athlete who reminded everyone just how dangerous drug use can be.

June 17th, 1994 - 4th June

Do you remember where you were on June 17, 1994? Thanks to a wide array of unrelated, coast-to-coast occurrences, this Friday has come to be known for its firsts, lasts, triumphs and tragedy. Arnold Palmer played his last round at a U.S. Open, in Oakmont, the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Chicago, the Rangers celebrated on Broadway, Patrick Ewing desperately pursued a long evasive championship in the Garden and Donald Fehr stared down the baseball owners. And yet, all of that was a prelude to O.J. Simpson leading America on a slow speed chase in a white Ford Bronco around Los Angeles. Oscar-nominated and Peabody Award-winning director Brett Morgen will artistically weave these moments and others to create a unique and reflective look at a day that no sports fan could forget

Once Brothers - 11th June

Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they both went to America where they became the first two foreign players to attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. "Once Brothers" will tell the gripping tale of these two men, how circumstances beyond their control tore apart their friendship, and whether Divac has ever come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to reconcile.

There's No Place Like Home - 18th June

On December 10, 2010, Sotheby's auctioned off what could be considered the most important historical document in sports history -- James Naismith's original rules of basketball. "There's No Place Like Home" is the story of one man's fanatical quest to win this seminal American artifact at auction and bring the rules "home" to Lawrence, Kansas, where Naismith coached and taught for over 40 years.

One Night in Vegas - 25th June

Mike Tyson and Tupac Shakur were good friends. In 1996, they were to celebrate after Tyson's title win, but Shakur never made it. Shakur was brutally gunned down later that night, and the scene in Las Vegas quickly turned from would-be celebratory revelry to ill fated and inopportune tragedy. Director Reggie Bythewood, with the full cooperation of Mike Tyson, will tell not only the story of that infamous night but of the remarkable friendship between Tyson and Tupac.

Abby Head On - 2nd July PREMIERE

A phenom from Rochester, NY, Abby Wambach defied convention by spurning soccer dynasty North Carolina in favor of the University of Florida, an upstart program which, at the time, was only in its fourth year of existence. That decision paid off quickly, as in her 1998 freshman season Wambach helped the Gators nab the SEC’s first and only national championship in soccer – defeating the powerhouse Tar Heels in the final.

Venus vs. - 9th July PREMIERE

People know Venus Williams the tennis superstar, what most people don't know about Williams is how she changed the course of her sport. In a stunning case that captured the European public beginning in 2005, Williams challenged the long-held practice of paying women tennis players less money than their male counterparts at the French Open and Wimbledon. With a deep sense of obligation to the legacy of Billie Jean King, Williams lobbied British Parliament, UNESCO and Fleet Street for financial parity. Indeed, it was her poignant op-ed piece in The London Times that convinced many people that the tournament organizers at Wimbledon were "on the wrong side of history."

Pat XO - 16th July PREMIERE

On April 18, 2012, Pat Summitt, the winningest coach in the history of the NCAA basketball, announced her resignation from the University of Tennessee. While the sports world reeled from the news of Pat's early-onset dementia, the coach and her son quietly set out to beat this challenge just as they had every other; with grace, humour and most of all, each other. "Pat XO" tells the remarkable story of Pat Summitt as it has never been told before. This raw, authentic portrait takes the camera from the filmmaker's hands and places it with those who know her best. With Tyler as the lead storyteller, we hear never-before-told recollections from assistant coaches; players like Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Michelle Marciniak; and such admirers as Peyton Manning and Kenny Chesney. The archival footage and statistical records woven into the film provide their own insights into a woman who cared about winning, but also about elevating her players and her university. If it's possible to do justice to Pat Summitt, "Pat XO" does it.

No Limits - 23rd July PREMIERE

As a teenager, Audrey Mestre suffered from scoliosis, but in those formative years, she discovered a passion for the ocean. It offered her a sense of freedom, and the burdens she faced on dry land soon dissipated as she slipped below the surface. In the final stages of her Ph.D., Mestre was drawn to Cabo San Lucas, where she became infatuated with free diver Pipin Ferreras, a Cuban defector whose dives had put him at the forefront of the sport. The two became a couple, and Mestre followed the often elusive, often raucous Ferreras on his almost spiritual quest to push his limits underwater. Soon enough, Mestre moved from support team member to ardent free diver and then to a world-class competitor who outshone her husband.

Let Them Wear Towels - 30th July PREMIERE

Lisa Olson was just trying to do her job as a reporter for the Boston Herald in 1990 when a group of New England Patriot players sexually harassed her in their locker room by exposing their genitals and making lewd and vulgar comments. Even though a subsequent NFL investigation concluded that Olson had been "degraded and humiliated," the 25-year-old continued to be tormented by Patriot fans - so much so that she temporarily moved to Australia to resume her career. The incident touched off a national debate about the presence of female journalists in the male sanctum of the clubhouse. That debate should have been settled 12 years earlier, when Melissa Ludtke of Sports Illustrated successfully challenged Major League Baseball after she was kept out of the New York Yankees' locker room.

Click here for more information on ESPN Films.