Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Selon ESPN, Memphis aurait proposé Darko Milicic et Marko Jaric à New York en échange de Zach Randolph.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

On ESPN.COM, Andrew Marchand writes, "The Knicks have a trade proposal on the table with the Memphis Grizzlies that would see Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric dealt to New York in exchange for Zach Randolph. An executive with knowledge of the trade talks said Friday that Knicks president Donnie Walsh initiated the Randolph-to-Memphis talks with the Grizzlies recently and it's up to Walsh to sign off on the deal. But it appears Walsh has cooled to the idea of trading his player, the executive said."

Filed under: Culture, Simulations, Sports

Don't be surprised if this Sunday's edition of ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown looks a bit more like a game of Madden. According to a New York Times report, the Disney-owned sports network will use the "EA Sports Virtual Playbook" and a special studio and camera setup to allow "both real and virtual people move around the ESPN set to demonstrate plays and possible situations." It sure sounds a lot simpler than getting real NFL players to crash around the set, but we'll reserve judgment until we see it in action this weekend.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Culture, Simulations, Sports

Don't be surprised if this Sunday's edition of ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown looks a bit more like a game of Madden. According to a New York Times report, the Disney-owned sports network will use the "EA Sports Virtual Playbook" and a special studio and camera setup to allow "both real and virtual people move around the ESPN set to demonstrate plays and possible situations." It sure sounds a lot simpler than getting real NFL players to crash around the set, but we'll reserve judgment until we see it in action this weekend.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

In an effort to become more relevant to a new generation of football fans, this Sunday on "NFL Countdown," ESPN anchors will interact with simulated football players created using EA's video game technology. Using Madden '09, ESPN's football analysts can model different variations of plays to demonstrate possible outcomes. So, instead of just drawing X's and O's on a telestrator, ESPN anchors will be able to interact with the virtual players on camera to illustrate various football strategies and outcomes. ESPN and EA forged a 15-year partnership back in 2005, and this move strengthens both brand's ties with their audiences.

As the video game has improved, using Madden to illustrate plays has been done increasingly over the past few years, but football spectating still has to cross the chasm of interactivity when compared to the video game experience. In the video game, you're able to change camera angles, slow down the cameras, and highlight things like passing routes and defensive coverages -- all at the click of a few buttons. EA's new system, EA Sports Virtual Playbook, loads in actual gameplay data from the previous day's game, with which ESPN's anchors can then replay and modify the simulation to become the ultimate version of a Monday morning quarterback. That's great and all, it would be even better to let fans download that data to their Xboxes, do their own analysis and then share that back with the community. Though, that scenario is most likely a pipe dream, considering that the NFL still freaks out about even sharing more than 45-seconds of game footage.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

EA Sports Virtual Playbook is a new television technology, developed jointly by EA and ESPN, that allows ESPNs football analysts to interact with the virtual players from EA Sports video games.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Sports network to integrate new technology to meld Madden into upcoming broadcasts; debut set for this week's Sunday NFL Countdown.

From ESPN.COM, "continuing an effort that has raised more than $2 million for breast health awareness, the WNBA will host several activities from Sept. 7-13 as part of Breast Health Awareness Week to continue to generate awareness about breast cancer and raise funds to help fight the disease. Two nationally televised WNBA games -- San Antonio at Connecticut on Sunday (ABC, 1 p.m. ET) and Phoenix at Detroit on Tuesday (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET) -- will include special programming on the league's breast health initiative and awareness efforts. Each WNBA team donated pink and white autographed basketballs and both home teams participating in the televised games will wear white uniforms with pink trim, which will also be auctioned off for charity beginning Sunday. In addition, coaches will wear pink ties or scarves and the referees will use pink whistles during these games.”

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.