Without hockey to fill blocks of time in April through June, ESPN plans to push up the premieres of five series they had planned to air in the dog days of summer.

--ESPN League Night: a one-hour show in which pro athletes from various sports participate in a bowling tournament to raise money for charity.

--Battle of the Gridiron Stars: think of that 1980's staple "Battle of the Network Stars" but with pro footballers. A one-hour show. Joe Theisman hosts.

--Teammates: a half-hour game show. Teammates compete to answer questions about each other and their coaches. Stuart Scott hosts.

--Top Five Reasons You Can't Blame...:a half-hour series that focuses on players, coaches, and fans who have been blamed for sports catastrophes. Think Bill Buckner, Steve Bartman, or the suspected throwing of the World Series by the 1919 White Sox.

--Who's #1: The special aired in connection with ESPN's 25th anniversary will become a weekly series that ranks the top 20 teams, personalities, moments, "oddball events" in sports.

As for the future of hockey on ESPN, the network's deal with the NHL is for one year with two one-year options. ESPN is expected to make a decision regarding those options by April 15.

These programming ideas make me miss hockey all the more!

~Adam

I guess it never occurred to them to maybe televise some other sports? More major league baseball? Maybe college baseball? Anything but that crap?

I have had some pretty big disappointments with ESPN 1 and 2 over the years. First they start with alot of hockey on ESPN-1, then a few years later you have to go to ESPN-2 to get the majority of hockey games, then the next year, there is less hockey on ESPN-2, and more on ABC, and so on and so on and so on. The network just isn't what it used to be. Oh I know they use the old ratings sob story on hockey I am sure.

According to local reports, if ESPN has success with "Battle of the Gridiron Stars," there are plans to expand to other sports and (yes) "Battle of the ESPN Anchors." I guess they have now officially run out of actual sports to air.

~Adam

If any of those "Battle of..." shows features shirtless shots I'll consider watching. wink Meanwhile, right now ESPN is showing...women's curling!

[ April 09, 2005, 02:14 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

Women's curling is popular with straight men. They like it when the women yell "Hurry! Hurry hard!"

Be careful what you wish for: a "Battle of the SportsCenter Anchor" could feature a shirtless Chris Berman! Too frightening to contemplate, don't you think?

~Adam

Well, our local paper once ran a picture of then-Mayor Ed Rendell jumping into a city swimming pool on the first day the pools opened. He went shirtless for the occasion. Think "Ed Asner."

So I'm essentially scarred for life already. Chris Berman couldn't do any further damage!

An "Ed Asner" sort who lives across the street from me often does his yardwork sans shirt which has led me to consider gauging out my eyes a time or two, but (for some inexplicable reason) the vision of all that Chris Berman seems somehow far worse.

~Adam

I'll put up with a Chris Berman shirtless if the other, more attractive broadcasters (not to mention the players) are equally shirtless. Besides, these days I get more deranged when I hear Berman's voice and the mute button takes care of that! wink