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The three-hour ESPN 20th Anniversary Special on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. ET will review 20 years of sports, looking at the great games, memorable moments, major news and stories that touched our emotions, as well as the lighter moments, in a generation of sports.
"Like everything we do -- but this time especially -- this one's for the viewers," said show host Chris Berman, who joined the network in its first month of operation. "Not to copy Geraldo, but we'll take viewers into our vault, looking for the great sports memories we all share, along with some we would rather forget." Berman will be joined by several ESPN commentators including ESPN original Bob Ley and long-time SportsCenter anchor Dan Patrick. Their segment introductions will be from various locales, including ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com and ESPN Zone in Baltimore, as well as throughout the company's headquarters in Bristol, Conn.
The progam will include: The program also will include a review of the greatest games, climactic finishes, big rivalries, unbelievable comebacks, marathon contests, record-setting performances and championships aired on ESPN. Many of these will be accompanied by recent interviews with analysts reflecting on the moment. A partial list of these memories:
Princeton takes Georgetown to the buzzer in the 1989 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament The Islanders and Capitals four-overtime playoff game in 1987 The Vikings defeat the Bears 33-27 in a 1994 sudden-death thriller Virginia upsets #1 FSU with a last-second goal-line stand in 1995 The 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup title is decided by 10 points as Richard Petty retires John McEnroe outlasts Mats Wilander in a 1982 Davis Cup quarterfinal The Phillies score nine in the ninth to beat the Dodgers in 1990 After 54 years, the Rangers win the 1994 Stanley Cup In the 1990s, Tennessee and Connecticut become intense rivals in women's basketball Dennis Conner wins back the America's Cup in 1987 Angels-Mariners one-game playoff in 1995, baseball's first in 15 years
The show's lighter moments will include:
Some of the more unusual events, including when the pace car was stolen, when fog stopped an NHL game, and when measles kept the crowd at home.
"Our goal is a program that will touch all emotions, including making the viewer smile and even laugh," said Bob Rauscher, ESPN senior coordinating producer. "This is our chance to present something special that will remind everyone that sports is fun and we've shared many good times over the past 20 years."
| AUDIO/VIDEO Billy Crystal avi: 379 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN Chamique Holdsclaw avi: 374 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN Jerome Bettis avi: 374 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN Barry Larkin avi: 379 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN |