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This is SportsCenter

 
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This is SportsCenter is the name of a series of comical television commercials run by ESPN to promote their SportsCenter sports news show. A few are available free on iTunes. The ads are presented in a deadpan mockumentary style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting. The commercials debuted in 1994. The advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, based out of New York City, is responsible for the writing and production of the commercials.

Contents

Guest appearances by sports figures

A notable feature of the commercials is the seeming ubiquity of famous athletes on the ESPN campus. Some are even depicted doing menial, everyday tasks, usually while wearing their game uniforms. Athletes often have their idiosyncrasies parodied — for example, gymnast Kerri Strug being carried around ESPN headquarters because of her famous ankle injury.

Many famous athletes have been featured in the series, including Andre Agassi, Ray Allen, Michael Andretti, Carmelo Anthony, Gilbert Arenas, Lance Armstrong, Paul Bearer, Rich Beem, Drew Bledsoe,King Kong Bundy, Bill Bradley, Drew Brees, Kobe Bryant, Mark Buehrle, Jennifer Capriati, Brandi Chastain, Chris Chelios, Roger Clemens (who was in 5 of them, the most of any athlete), Sidney Crosby, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Carl Edwards, Roger Federer, Kevin Garnett, Ozzie Guillén, Mia Hamm, Jim Harbaugh, Evander Holyfield, Tim Hudson, LeBron James, Keyshawn Johnson, Roy Jones Jr., Jim Kelly, Alexi Lalas, Bobby Labonte, Lennox Lewis, Mark McGwire,Shawn Micheals, Gheorghe Muresan, Steve Nash,Candace Parker, Chris Paul, Gaylord Perry, Adrian Peterson, Michael Phelps, Mary Lou Retton, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, Pete Sampras, Maria Sharapova, Andriy Shevchenko, Jerry Stackhouse, Kerri Strug, Fernando Vargas, Adam Vinateri, Shaun White, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Tiger Woods, David Wright,and The Undertaker.

  • In one of the earliest "This is SportsCenter" commercials, Roger Clemens and Cam Neely drive around asking people, to no avail, where they can locate Sportscenter. After a very long search they finally arrive only to find out it has been closed for Chris Berman's birthday.
  • At the ESPN offices, Stuart Scott bumps into Tiger Woods and asks about lunch, Scott replies for Tiger to meet him in the lobby at 12:30. Tiger walks away then followed by the huge crowd which usually follows him at any golf tournament he plays at.
  • The power goes out late at night at the ESPN studios; Dan Patrick goes backstage to find the cause of the power outage: apparently Lance Armstrong has taken a break from riding his bicycle (connected to a generator).
  • In a 1996 commercial, an ESPN producer discusses a fictional trade between SportsCenter and the TV series Melrose Place, wherein Andrew Shue and Charley Steiner switch jobs; the ad features Shue at the SportsCenter desk discussing a working interview with NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue then cuts to the Melrose Place set where Steiner is cleaning the pool and enthusiastically asks one of the female cast members if she wants to rub suntan lotion on his back
  • In a 1997 commercial Kenny Mayne and Stuart Scott run a training camp for rookies to teach them about having (what turns out to be) an arrogant attitude, yelling at a young Kobe Bryant and Keyshawn Johnson to yell out "I'm the man." Both turn in poor efforts.
  • In a 1999 commercial aired in the midst of the Y2K fears, when the studio's electricity goes out (due to Y2K tests), amidst the ensuing mayhem—which includes Mark McGwire smashing a computer with his bat—Charley Steiner walks away, wearing face paint and a necktie as a headband, holding a lantern and screaming, “Follow me! Follow me to freedom!!”
  • In the SportsCenter studios, Rich Eisen is chatting with Bobby Labonte about his hair, when Labonte notices someone doing donuts in his #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac in the parking lot. Labonte runs down to the lot to find the costumed Georgetown Hoyas mascot driving the car and screams at him. Eisen then pays off the mascot for the prank.
  • The hot dog eating champion Takeru Kobayashi was featured in an ad where he finishes his lunch in the ESPN cafeteria in the 30-second span of the commercial.
  • In 2006, a commercial aired which showed Danica Patrick's race car being towed from a parking spot, presumably outside SportsCenter studios, which was reserved for "D. Patrick." Shortly after, Danica runs outside after her car, only to run into Dan Patrick, one of SportsCenter's premier anchors. Some humorous debate over whose parking spot it really was follows.
  • A 2006 ad features the Manning family taking a tour of the SportsCenter studio. John Anderson conducts the tour while Eli and Peyton Manning engage in horseplay. When Archie turns to look, the brothers stop and proceed to silently blame each other for the antics.
  • Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals has a meeting with Stuart Scott, Steve Levy, and John Anderson to get ideas for his next touchdown celebration. While Scott's "old school" is rejected (Johnson responds to his trademark Boo-yah with "Boo-no"), as well as Levy's "sizzling bacon action" idea (Johnson: "If I did that in public I'd fine myself"), Anderson's idea of making the football disappear like a magician is met with approval. Johnson wraps the ad by asking, "Can I get a puff of smoke with that?"
  • A 2007 ad featuring Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz is introduced to members of anchor John Buccigross's family. He greets each one by spitting into each of his batting gloves, slapping them together and shaking their hand, similar to his typical batting ritual.
  • Another 2007 ad featuring David Ortiz shows David, anchor Stan Verrett and Jorge Posada of the New York Yankees sitting at a conference table. The three are talking about hats, and David asks to see the Yankees' hat to bend the brim (to break it in). As he puts it on his head, Wally the Green Monster (The Red Sox' Mascot) walks by, sees Ortiz in the Yankees hat, drops the video tapes he's carrying and is mortified - refusing to have anything to do with Ortiz, even though Ortiz pleads "it's not what you think!"
  • A 2007 ad featuring Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James arriving at ESPN offices and sits in his cubicle in a standard office chair. He realizes something is wrong so he goes to his neighbor Scott Van Pelt cubicle and Van Pelt is sitting in a throne, (which he took from "King James" cubicle.) Getting Lebron to ask, "Scott, did you possibly switch chairs with me?" Scott in the commercial said no, but after James' performance in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Van Pelt during the SportsCenter he was on said, "LeBron, I really did take your chair."
  • Another ad featuring James shows him struggling to fix an apparent paper jam in a copier. Stuart Scott walks by the room, sees James having trouble with such a menial task and says in a sarcastic tone "The chosen one, huh?"
  • A 2007 ad features WWE superstar John Cena and anchor Jay Harris having a conversation on why SportsCenter never airs pro wrestling highlights. Towards the end of the commercial, Harris believes that pro wrestling is not a real sport but Cena disagrees.
  • A 2007 ad features NASCAR driver Carl Edwards performing his trademark backflip, not once but twice in an attempt to cheer up a dejected Neil Everett in the kitchen.
  • A 2007 ad features Indianapolis Colts placekicker Adam Vinatieri passing through a metal detector multiple times, each time forgetting to remove one of his four Super Bowl rings from his person. Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly is seen in line behind Vinatieri, clearly frustrated with the delay. (Kelly never won a Super Bowl with the Bills, losing four straight in the early 90's)
  • A 2007 ad has Scott Van Pelt walking down the hallway only to discover Tony Romo having a party complete with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Another ad features Romo answering phones at ESPN. He gives anchor Jay Harris his messages, reading them off his armband. (Similar to how NFL quarterbacks have their playbook written on their arms during games)
  • A 2007 ad features the Boston Celtics' new Big Three of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce asking anchor Scott Van Pelt for advice on selecting nicknames. (The name Van Pelt coined, the "Boston Three-Party", has actually been used in ESPN broadcasts.) A follow-up spot has Steve Levy heckle the trio as they walk through the SportsCenter offices in their Celtic uniforms. Levy shouts, "Hey fellas, did you call each other last night and talk about what you're gonna wear today?"
  • A 2007 ad has LaDainian Tomlinson sorting mail in the mailroom in his jersey and his helmet. Steve Levy then comes to get his mail, and proceeds to tell LT that the mail isn't his (LT wears a black visor, which in this case is supposed to be detrimental to his vision).
  • A 2007 ad has Richard Simmons hired as SportsCenter's "conditioning coach".
  • A 2008 ad has ESPN employees being locked out of the studio as Dirk Nowitzki can't seem to get the door open.
  • A 2008 ad features Brian Kenny poking fun at NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth in the cafeteria simply because stock car racing has its roots in the southern United States (Kenseth is from Wisconsin).
  • A 2008 ad has author Stephen King helping out with John Anderson's script.
  • A 2008 ad features Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday cleaning the men's room, whistling a tune along the way while John Anderson tries to enter the restroom. Holliday emerges out of the men's room and then proceeding to do the ladies' room.
  • A 2008 ad features anchor John Anderson recording a promo on ESPN's football demonstration field. However, he is interrupted by players from the Chicago Rush, who have scheduled the field for practice.
  • A 2008 ad has LSU football coach Les Miles giving a potential anchor a tour of the studio as if he was recruiting a high school player for a college team.
  • A 2008 ad features Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson complaining to anchor Jay Harris about how his sophomore season won't match his rookie year (hence the so-called "Sophomore Jinx").
  • In a 2008 ad, Steve Levy and Jay Harris observe Manny Ramirez eating a snack in the break room, seemingly amazed by Ramirez's actions. Manny then picks up his cell phone and says, "Hola?", prompting Harris and Levy to burst out in laughter and marvel at "Manny being Manny!" This ad was never shown as part of a normal commercial cycle, as it did not come out before Ramirez was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers; ESPN instead showed it during a broadcast of SportsCenter on the night Ramirez was traded, with anchors John Buccigross and John Anderson providing "commentary" on Levy's performance.
  • A 2008 ad shows Michael Phelps, apparently fresh from a race as he is soaking wet while in cap and suit, asking to use Stuart Scott's computer - which promptly shorts-out as Phelps drips water all over the console. A confused Phelps asks, "What is it with the computers in here?" A second spot shows Phelps at his cubicle, which is next to Jay Harris; Phelps notices Harris has taken one of his Olympic medals and promptly restores it to his own shelf. A disappointed Harris can be heard muttering, "It's just a bronze."
  • A 2009 ad features anchor John Buccigross asking Albert Pujols to run some errands only to discover that Pujols is wearing a cockeyed shirt. Another ad featuring Pujols shows him at the photocopier when he is approached by John Anderson and Steve Levy. The anchors refer to Pujols by his nickname "The Machine." The scene is then shown through Pujols' eyes, his vision similar to a science fiction robot, scanning the room and displaying his responses ("Guys, I'm not a machine. I'm just Albert.") The anchors walk away, dejected, and the copy machine speaks to Pujols, asking why he did not eliminate them.
  • A 2009 Commercial features anchor Scott Van Pelt and Philadelphia Phillies Shortstop Jimmy Rollins reviewing Van Pelt's videos in front of the camera. In the commercial, it is implied that just like baseball players, anchors also go through slumps, and like them, they also study their tapes to discover their flaws. In the commercial, a confused Van Pelt looks to Rollins for guidance in his "poor performances" which include talking to the camera with his head down on his desk, spinning on his chair, randomly flapping his arm, and elevating his head above the camera. The commercial ends with the phrase "The great ones always figure it out" with Jimmy Rollins clearly frustrated at Van Pelt's videos.
  • In one ad Neil Everett is discussing with Roger Federer where Everett would rank in the top 10 of SportsCenter anchors if there were such a thing. Federer states, "I'm not sure you'd be in the top ten."
  • Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald appears in two spots: one has him playing the guitar in the middle of the night while anchor Stuart Scott is trying to get a report done and another has him asking anchor John Buccigross for his I.D.
  • A 2009 ad has NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne offering anchor John Anderson a ride in his #9 Budweiser Dodge.
  • A 2009 ad features Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan tossing yogurt to anchors Hannah Storm and Josh Elliott.

Sports practices

Many commercials in the series have derived their humor from parodying conventional professional sports practices, by applying them to working for SportsCenter:

  • One ad has former anchor Rich Eisen being "sent down to the minors" (in his case, working for a high-school TV service, where two students asked him to buy them some beer, a request he declined to honor).
  • The network drafting a can't-miss anchor prospect out of high school, only to see him flame out on the job ("Jimmy Key, what is he 45? I could hit him!") and ESPN discovering that "he just wasn't ready", à la how baseball teams often rush their highly-touted prospects to the majors. Also it may reference the fiasco with former San Diego Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf.
  • John Buccigross wearing the "anchor-cam", a parody of MLB catchers wearing "catcher-cam" during ESPN and FOX's MLB telecasts.
  • One rather infamous spot is the making of the SportsCenter swimsuit calendar, featuring Bill Pidto, Stuart Scott and Linda Cohn in various states of revealing swimwear.
  • One ad featured Stuart Scott recalling various anchor's 'Perfect Shows' ("Bob Ley had his in '89, Steiner in '91"), and how Dan Patrick "had one going last season". It then cuts to the set to show the various crew members and co-anchor Kenny Mayne refusing to speak or even make eye-contact with Patrick during commercial breaks, similar to how in baseball it is considered bad luck to talk in the dugout to a pitcher who takes a no-hitter or perfect game into the late innings. Patrick ultimately slips up though, declaring on air "That of course is the kind of thing that can't never happen in a playoff race", and he is crushed as an "umpire" in the control booth declares he has used a double negative. Scott wraps up the spot by saying "In the end, he just let it get away from him."
  • A parody of post-game interviewing finds a dejected Kenny Mayne and an upbeat Dan Patrick asked about their performances in that evening's broadcast in "locker room" interviews.
  • Another recent ad has the show going into a rain delay (it was a small pipe leaking above the desk), forcing anchors John Anderson and Steve Levy to wait it out in a dugout as a grounds crew covers the desk with a tarp.
  • The carpet in the ESPN headquarters is replaced with grass to prevent injuries, a parody of the controversy over injuries sustained by football players competing on AstroTurf (in the ad, ESPN workers are shown tripping on the carpet). The anchors have to yell over the sound of the lawn mower cutting the grass in the studio.
  • One spot from the mid-90s had SportsCenter being 'relocated', lampooning the trend of owners threatening city (and in some cases state) governments with relocation to get what they want. In the ad, Hair Club for Men founder Sy Sperling is depicted as the owner of SportsCenter, announcing at a press conference he is relocating to "the city of the future - Bristol, CT." He raves about free parking, more luxury boxes, and the availability of high-quality fruits and vegetables. Sperling wraps up the ad by saying, "I'd have loved to stay in California, but those bastards in Sacramento low-balled me", seeming to spoof the recent departure of both the Raiders and Rams from Los Angeles, both because of their unsatisfactory stadiums.
  • In a 1997 ad, Dan Patrick and Kenny Mayne are shown signing off a typical SportsCenter broadcast, and are then given sombreros, and they begin broadcasting the Spanish version of SportsCenter (with a mariachi version of the show's theme). While Bob Ley explains that they redo the show for overseas markets ("Same highlights, same anchors, different dialects"), they are also shown giving Russian and German versions a try, replete with national costumes, and the SportsCenter theme redone for those cultures.
  • In a recent ad, Scott Van Pelt asks spelling bee champion David Tidmarsh to help him by spelling "Pujols". In true spelling bee tradition, Tidmarsh asks for the team (St. Louis Cardinals), country of origin (Dominican Republic), and for the word to be used in a sentence ("Pujols homered to win the game."), then slowly spells the word while Van Pelt cuts him off, saying "I found it online, got it."
  • A 2006 features brothers Peyton and Eli Manning teasing each other while their family is in a tour of the ESPN studio.
  • A 2005 ad begins with John Anderson commenting that Scott Van Pelt had been on a run of unbelievable shows, accompanied by footage of Van Pelt using numerous 'big-syllable' words ("A-Rod exhibits inordinate aptitude in spheriodical aviation!"); Anderson then sadly reveals that Scott had been using "performance enhancers", showing Van Pelt's cubicle being raided by FBI agents who discover a thesaurus. Van Pelt attempts to flee and is wrestled to the ground by the agents, shouting out, "unhand me rapscallions!" The ad spoofed the recent steroid controversy in baseball surrounding players such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, with a dejected Anderson concluding, "We gotta win back a lot of trust."
  • A 2006 ad shows Scott Van Pelt and Stuart Scott jumping and stretching before a show, similar to what NBA players do before games. The ad ends with both men easily taking off their "warm-up suits" revealing their show suits underneath.
  • In one ad Stuart Scott discusses "Rain Delays" and says that every so often there is one. Then they cut to a show where a leak from a pipe above the stage causes a grounds crew to come out and lay a tarp on the set. The anchors and grounds crew members are seen calling loved ones and chewing gum similarly to baseball players and fans. Scott says "You just hope it lets up."
  • A 2007 ad has Steve Levy getting suspended by Vince Doria because he said the F-word during a SportsCenter taping (this spot was never aired on the ESPN family of networks because it was deemed too inappropriate for television).[citation needed]
  • A 2007 ad features how a SportsCenter video game is made (this ad is a take on the sports video game craze).
  • A 2008 ad features a coin toss between anchors Jay Harris and Brian Kenny to determine who will start the show.
  • A 2008 ad features how Sportscenter viewers can decides which highlights to air via text messaging. They can choose one of the three options: have John Anderson read the highlights, have Jay Harris read the high lights or have a roller-skating parrot dunk a basketball. In the end, they chose the latter.
  • A 2008 ad has anchors Steve Levy and John Anderson answering phone calls from viewers in a parody of sports call-in shows (including ESPNRadio).
  • A 2008 ad has Scott Van Pelt and Neil Everett being "represented" by Drew Rosenhaus at the cafeteria. Rosenhaus negotiates the cost of their lunches from $23.50 down to $15, using many familiar tactics of player contract negotiation (For example: "What if I guarantee we'll be back tomorrow and give you an option for Friday?") Rosenhaus also offers to throw in incentives for extra chocolate pudding, with Van Pelt quickly piping up, "I want sprinkles."
  • Van Pelt appeared in another sports agent spoof alongside "megaagent" Scott Boras. In the ad, Boras (known throughout baseball for his hardline negotiating tactics) represents Van Pelt, demanding (among other things) that the company name a sandwich after him in the cafeteria since Scott "uses more five-syllable words than any other anchor". When Boras demands an incentive clause allowing Scott to wear a Snuggie on-air for a year should he win an Emmy Award, the ESPN execs agree to "everything but the Snuggie", to which a stone-faced Boras replies, "We're gonna need the Snuggie."
  • A 2008 ad has anchor John Buccigross getting the ax and rallying for his job in a shopping center in a parody of coaches and managers getting fired.
  • A 2007 add has NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson using a pick axe to slowly destroy a speed bump in the ESPN parking lot as you see his race car near him obviously too low to pass the bumps.
  • A 2009 ad featured anchor John Anderson discussing that Sportscenter does do halftime shows, but unfortunately when the announcer introduces the hip-hop group the Jabbawockeez, many ESPN employees including ancors Brian Kenny and John Buccigross get out of the studio believing that the dance team looked like ghosts.
  • A 2009 ad has anchor Jay Harris giving fellow anchor Brian Kenny a pep talk in the digital center, telling him "to concentrate".

Sports mascots

Sports mascots and cheerleaders are usually present in most ads, often seen casually milling around in the background, but occasionally they take on an active role:

  • In a 2003 ad, when the show ends, everyone rushes out of the studio, creating a massive traffic jam. It then shows Mr. Met and Lady Met driving home on the freeway (with the Met children in the back), with Lady Met subtitled as saying they were glad to get out early. The New York Mets theme song, "Meet the Mets", is on their car radio. (A shorter version with just the Mets family has Lady Met accusing Mr. Met of making eyes at one of the female ESPN sportscasters.)
    • Mr. Met subsequently would take a lead role in a 2009 ad in which he is talking with Stuart Scott at a microwave. When Josh Hamilton shows up to use the microwave, Mr. Met angrily gestures at him and walks away. Hamilton is confused until Scott reveals that some of the balls Hamilton hit in the 2008 Home Run Derby were actually relatives of the mascot.
  • Wake Forest University's mascot, The Demon Deacon, appears in a commercial featuring David Wright of the New York Mets, wherein Wright, John Anderson, and Neil Everett lampoon the baseball practice of covering the mouth with the glove while speaking on the field so that the opposing team cannot read the speaker's lips — they discuss where they are to meet for a party later that evening while covering their mouths, Wright with his glove, the anchors with folders.
  • The Stanford Tree stares at anchor John Anderson after he throws a crumpled up piece of paper in the garbage can. Anderson is guilted into taking the paper out of the garbage and puts it into the recycling bin.
  • In a 2002 ad, anchors Scott Van Pelt and Rich Eisen are saying some nonsensical words; as it turns out, it's none other than Boston Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster controlling the teleprompter until he is stopped by a producer. It's also the only Sportscenter commercial where the closing graphic "This is SportsCenter" doesn't appear at the end of the commercial. Instead it's replaced by "This is Spillifattr", a take on the spot.
  • The Blue Blob, a mascot of Xavier University, is shown eating Jim Kelly's NFL Hall of Fame jacket after beating him in rock paper scissors. Kelly then asks for best 2 out of 3, the Blue Blob declines.
  • A 2008 ad features the New York Jets Flight Crew asking anchor Chris McKendry advice on romantic relationships with players.
  • A 2008 ad features former NASCAR driver and ESPN Nascar analyst Rusty Wallace eating lunch with the University of Delaware mascot YoUDee, but when Wallace can't eat his entire lunch, he gives the rest of his lunch to YoUDee and the mascot was able to swallow the food in one gulp.
  • A 2008 ad has the University of Kansas mascot Big Jay working at the answering service when John Anderson's voice is heard on the answering machine.
  • A 2009 ad shows the thermometer in the office with a sign saying "Do Not Touch". The Pittsburgh Penguins' mascot, Iceburgh comes over and turns the temperature down. As the "This is Sportscenter" title is shown, NJ Devil comes over to turn the temperature back up.
  • A 2009 ad features the UMass mascot, Sam the Minuteman, in a commercial about Brett Favre's comeback. The segment begins with Josh Elliot finding out Favre is coming back and words spreads from the copy room to the mailroom to Brian Kenny and finally to Jay Harris, who alerts Sam the Minuteman of the comeback. Sam puts two lanterns in the window as Scott Van Pelt and Stuart Scott walk by, trying to figure out if it was one lantern or two to signify a comeback.
  • A 2009 ad features the Oregon Duck in the office typing on the computer, the duck stops typing as he heres ducks quacking from a pond outside the office. The duck then leans back in his chair and lets out a sigh as the "This is Sportscenter" title is shown.

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