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ESPN and Walt Disney World Resort will again offer fans the opportunity to see and hear ESPN personalities and a host of current and legendary athletes during ESPN The Weekend presented by Dick's Sporting Goods, a special event scheduled for Feb. 29-March 2, 2008, at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
More than 60 sports celebrities are expected to appear at the annual sports fan-fest. The event features Hollywood-style motorcades with athletes, talk shows, sports star conversations, live ESPN telecasts and interactive fun in the ESPN Sports Zone.
Some of the athletes scheduled to take part in the "three-day weekend" event include New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs and wide receiver Amani Toomer, Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, baseball legend Cal Ripken, Orlando Magic All Star Dwight Howard, MLB Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench and the famous Harlem Globetrotters. ESPN personalities scheduled to be part of the lineup include Jay Crawford, Peter Gammons, Mike Greenberg, Orestes Destrade, Mike Tirico, Colin Cowherd, Mike Golic, Linda Cohn, John Kruk, Karl Ravech, Jemele Hill and Trey Wingo.
The roster of participating ESPN personalities and sports celebrities will be continually updated at www.espntheweekend.com. Guests also may visit espntheweekend.com to make reservations, buy tickets and book Disney accommodations for the event.
ESPN The Weekend will feature on-site ESPN telecasts of popular programs, including "Baseball Tonight," "First Take," "Mike and Mike in the Morning," "NFL Live" and interview segments on "SportsCenter."
In its short history, ESPN The Weekend has become a popular event for fans as well as the athletes who attend each year.
"I am really looking forward to seeing all the fans at ESPN The Weekend," said Donovan McNabb, a five-time NFL Pro Bowler who will be attending his first ESPN The Weekend. "I've heard from teammates and other athletes what a super event it is and I am looking forward to experiencing it for myself and my family."
Guests also will be able to enjoy all the popular shows and attractions at the theme park during Disney's "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration. Event activities are included in regular admission to Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Here's some of what's in store for this year's ESPN The Weekend:
- LIVE ON-SITE ESPN TELECASTS
ESPN will present live daily telecasts from a set in front of Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat on Hollywood Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios. As Major League Baseball Spring Training games get underway in Florida the same weekend, ESPN's on-site program lineup will feature a special season preview edition of "Baseball Tonight," the Atlanta Braves home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex (Friday, Feb. 29, 1 p.m.) and live telecasts of other popular ESPN shows. Theme park guests will have the chance to appear on air via crowd shots while watching the programming on in-park video screens. ESPN Radio shows, including "Mike and Mike in the Morning," "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," "The Mike Tirico Show" and "SportsNation with John Seibel and Orestes Destrade," will be broadcast live from Disney's Hollywood Studios on Friday, Feb. 29.
- 'INSIDE ESPN'
Live stage shows will bring fans and guests behind-the-scenes of some of the network's most popular programs, including "SportsCenter," "Baseball Tonight," "First Take," "NFL Live" and "Stump the Schwab." The shows will provide an inside look at favorite athletes, teams and ESPN programs, as fans will get into the action themselves by asking questions directly to ESPN personalities and athletes.
- 'DREAM JOB -- THE EXPERIENCE'
Guests who think they have what it takes to be on "SportsCenter" will experience what it's like to audition for ESPN. Select contestants will go through a series of "on-air" tasks and the audience will select the best "sportscaster" during each show. ESPN personalities and sports celebrities will help mentor the contestants as part of the experience.
- STAR MOTORCADES & CONVERSATIONS
Throughout the day, stars will motorcade up the park's Hollywood Boulevard to the stage at the base of the Sorcerer's Hat and join ESPN anchors for star conversations about their careers and Q&A sessions with park guests.
- ESPN SPORTS ZONE INTERACTIVE AREA
The expansive ESPN Sports Zone will give guests of all ages the opportunity to test their skills at a wide variety of sports, including biking on an X Games dirt course. Major League Baseball-, NBA- and NFL-themed interactive areas within the Zone will have fans swinging for the fences, shooting baskets and throwing passes, as well as Dick's Sporting Goods' Sports Caravan, a multi-sport interactive area. The ESPN Sports Zone will also include an ESPN Play Your Way playground. A fitness initiative launched in May 2004 to address youth obesity, Play Your Way was designed by Team ESPN, the corporate outreach program for ESPN, Inc., to inspire kids 7-12 years old to use their imagination and create their own physically active games.
- ESPN THE TRUCK
The ESPN Direct TV Experience truck will be open for fans to check out the latest in DirecTV HD programming and ESPN sports coverage. Kiosks in the 53-foot trailer include: a station where fans can record their very own ESPN on-air highlight segments; a game area; and an area where guests can read fun facts about popular ESPN programs, test their sports knowledge and win ESPN prizes.
- SPORTSCENTER AND PLAY-BY-PLAY ROLE PLAY
While visiting ESPN The Truck, guests can sit at a replica of the famous "SportsCenter" desk and read the teleprompter as the highlights roll on the big game. In addition, guests will be able to test their play-by-play skills by calling some of the biggest moments in sports history.
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