NASCAR Contenders Live a fan favorite

Back by popular demand, NASCAR Contenders Live, which will be sponsored by Toyota and Sprint will make its return to Chicago on September 12 for the second-consecutive year, just days before the first race of the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ at Chicagoland Speedway.

It is an outstanding event and just another way that NASCAR keeps giving back to their fans.

The event kicks off the start of the most intense and competitive stretch of the NASCAR season, NASCAR Contenders Live features all 12 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers interacting on stage, providing fans an insider’s look at how the competitors plan to claim the ultimate prize: a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

As you might expect this is a very hot ticket.

The event, which was sold out last year, will take place at the Grand Ballroom at Chicago’s famed Navy Pier from1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT. Fans can buy tickets beginning July 19 by visiting www.NASCAR.com/contenderslive.

NASCAR President Mike Helton will also be making his return to NASCAR Contenders Live, offering fans the rare opportunity to ask questions of him in an open forum, prior to the drivers taking the stage.

Additionally, Official NASCAR Partner Sprint will be supporting NASCAR Contenders Live by having Miss Sprint Cup at the event interacting with NASCAR fans and drivers.

“In collaboration with Toyota, a long standing Official NASCAR Partner, NASCAR Contenders Live was a rousing success with our fans last year,” said Norris Scott, NASCAR vice president of partnership marketing. “The event is unique because it showcases the competitive nature of the top stars in our sport and their passion to be a champion.”

In addition to attending the event, fans can enter the NASCAR Contenders Live Sweepstakes for the chance to win a number of compelling prizes at www.NASCAR.com/contenderslive. One grand prize winner will take home a 2014 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Limited, which is newly redesigned for 2014; two tickets to NASCAR Contenders Live; two tickets and VIP passes to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway on September 15; and $500 travel cash.

Other prizes include: a 2013 NASCAR Contenders Live full-size helmet autographed by the 12 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers; five Sprint Samsung Galaxy Tab® 2’s; four SiriusXM Satellite Radios; and four $50 SiriusXM Satellite Radio gift cards.

“We are pleased to partner with NASCAR on the fan favorite NASCAR Contenders Live event taking place onSeptember 12 for the second year in a row in the Windy City,” said Keith Dahl Toyota National Manager of Motorsports and Engagement Marketing. “NASCAR Contenders Live gives Toyota a grand stage on which to connect with the fiercely loyal NASCAR fan base.”

Sports Talk Radio:Dan Sileo Back and Better than Ever in Miami

He is back Miami, the former Miami Hurricane and popular sports talk show host Dan Sileo, has returned to the airwaves. He will talk all about the Dolphins, Heat, Marlins, Hurricanes, Panthers and whatever else he feel like.  

  

One of the countries top sports talk radio hosts, Sileo  has returned to the airwaves in Ft. Lauderdale- Miami. His new show can be head weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on WMEN-AM 640. Sileo has recently been head on KLAA in Los Angeles and in Boston on NBC Sports Radio 1510 serving as a fill in host.

For Sileo, he has learned over the past couple of years that his sense of humor and his wit have become his new tools of choice. He knows now that his rants, while entertaining, were not really the best way to express his point of view. In taking to Sileo recently he discussed how his new style played well in both Los Angeles in Boston and now he hopes it will serve him well on his return to the Ft. Lauderdale-Miami market.

JW: What have learned about yourself since leaving Tampa and then Miami amid controversy?

Sileo:”I have learned that I don’t have to go overboard to prove a point. I was the one of the top morning drive men in the country while at WDAE in Tampa. I loved the listeners and the station, but I also enjoyed pushing things as far as I could as a broadcaster and I did the same at WQAM in Miami. In both cases I was loved by the listeners but put management in a hard place. I have written about what I have learned about myself in Talkers Magazine and said it many times in interviews. I let my passion and my zeal to get my point of view across get in the way of who I am most importantly as person and then as a broadcaster.”

JW: What have come away with in your fill in stints in Los Angeles and Boston?

Sileo: That guys like Dan Patrick, Jay Mohr and Jon Stewart have it figured out. I have always had a great sense of humor and what I have learned from being on the air at KLAA and NBC Sports Radio 1510 in Boston, is that adding  satire to my broadcasting style has worked very well for me. The audience’s in both LA and Boston have enjoyed the new way that I have used to get my point across. We have developed a very cool connection, they get it and it clearly is a fun and hip way of taking on the issues of the day in sports.”

JW: So the rants are gone?

Sileo: Rants are like white noise, no one one wants to hear them. They want a host that is smart, has a point of view and can use humor and their years of covering sports to make their point. Look, I have been lucky to have worked at some of this countries best radio stations, I have always had a loyal and strong following and now in Ft. Lauderdale – Miami I am still going to go after people inside and out of sports that I feel are trying to dupe the fans. However, it will be more in the style of Jon Stewart and less in the ranting version.”

Simon Pagenaud takes on the super teams and wins

Sunday at 3 p.m. ET it will be the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. The race airs on NBC Sports Network, with the radio on the IMS Radio network and Sirius XM Channel 211.  

  

A quick look at the current IndyCar standing’s shows that the top four spots are being held down by Helio Castroneves in the No.3 Chevy of Team Penske, Scott Dixon in the No.9 Honda of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, the Chevy powered Andretti Autosport duo of defending IndyCar Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No.1 car and his teammate Marco Andretti driving the No.25 car.

 Simon Pagenaud rounds out the top five in the chase for the IndyCar Championship, driving the cool blue No. 77 Honda for Schmidt-Hamilton HP Motorsports.  Pagenaud has proven that you don’t have to be driving for a super team to compete for a title.

This week at Mid – Ohio the Frenchman, who now calls Indianapolis home, sees a golden chance to win another race this season. In testing last week at the race course not far from Columbus, it was Pagenaud who posted the second fastest time right behind Hunter-Reay.

I spoke to Pagenaud about this week’s big race at Mid-Ohio and how his team has been able to compete with the big boys.

JW: Talk about Mid-Ohio

Pagenaud: It is like a European race course. I must say that it is one my favorite stops on the IndyCar series. It is a challenging course but very fair, I like that there are hills and good straight-a-ways. It really does make me home sick because there are a number of courses like Mid-Ohio, in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

JW: What is the key to winning at Mid-Ohio?

Pagenaud: it really starts in qualifying at a race course like Mid-Ohio. While it is not totally a must, but to me it is key is being in one of the first eight on the starting grid. This is not a place where you want to come from the back of the field in hopes of winning.

JW:  How do you explain your success this season?

Pagenaud:  Well the team at Schmidt- Hamilton HP Motorsports has given me a great car to drive. My crew is fantastic and as a driver I have grown and I feel that this is one of my best years driving in the IndyCar series. We won at Detroit and we hope to keep building on that victory starting this week at Mid-Ohio.

Take a trip around Mid-Ohio.

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NBC announces its Engliship Premier League Schedule

This is the start of something big as the NBC Sports Group starts year one of a new three year $250 million dollar deal with the Premier League. NBC Sports Group said it has secured carriage for its Premier League Extra Time coverage with AT&T U-verse, Cablevision’s Optimum, Comcast’s Xfinity, DirecTV, Dish and Suddenlink. As of yet a deal has not been completed with Time Warner. 

Relative to streaming service, NBC Sports Live Extra, the aforementioned providers, as well as Cox and Verizon FiOS, will make all Premier League games available to their authenticated subscriber bases.

We are less than a month away from the start of NBC Sports Group today released its television schedule for that time period featuring live coverage of all 130 matches, beginning Saturday, August 17 at 7:00 AM ET on NBC Sports Network with the Liverpool-Stoke matchup.

A total of 69 Premier League matches – at least five games each week in the season’s first three months – will be presented on NBC Sports Network, NBC and CNBC with all games preceded and followed by Premier League Live pre- and post-match shows from the NBC Sports Group International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.

The 61 remaining Premier League matches will be made available on Premier League Extra Time, a bonus television package available to MVPDs at no extra cost for customers who receive NBC Sports Network.

In addition, 27 matches in the season’s first three months will be telecast in Spanish by Telemundo and mun2.

Following are schedule highlights for the first three months of the Premier League season:

Saturday, August 17, 7:45 AM ET on NBCSN

LIVERPOOL v STOKE

NBC Sports Group’s first-ever telecast of Premier League action features the Liverpool-Stoke matchup.

Saturday, August 17, 12:30 PM ET on NBC & mun 2

SWANSEA CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED

Manager David Moyes takes the reins of the Premier League’s most decorated team – returning champions Manchester United – from their legendary manager of over 26 years, Sir Alex Ferguson.   The Red Devils’ first test comes against a fiery Swansea side.

Sunday, August 18, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2

CHELSEA v HULL CITY

Chelsea, last season’s third-place finishers, begin their campaign against newly promoted side, Hull City. Jose Mourinho, “the Special One,” is back as the Blues manager to the delight of the Chelsea faithful.  With an all-star international line-up, Chelsea will be looking for strong showing  against the Tigers, whose quest to avoid a trip back to the Championship begins against one of the Premier League’s perennial powers.

Saturday, August 24, 10:00 AM ET on TBD

STOKE CITY v CRYSTAL PALACE

Stoke, established in 1863, are the oldest club in the Premier League and in their first home match of the campaign, they host newly promoted London-side Crystal Palace.  Stoke were known for playing an aggressive, physical style of soccer but new manager Mark Hughes is looking to change that, and playing against colorful manager Ian Holloway’s Crystal Palace, that now boasts rising Spain star and exciting midfielder Jose Campana, will provide an early measuring stick for both the Stoke team in transition and Palace’s rising star.

Monday, August 26, 3:00 PM ET on NBCSN

MANCHESTER UNITED v CHELSEA

In just the second week of the campaign, last season’s first- and third-place finishers meet at the Premier League’s largest stadium, Manchester United’s Old Trafford.  Eight of the last nine Premier League titles have been won by either United or Chelsea and both clubs will be under tremendous scrutiny this season with new managers.

Sunday, September 1, 8:30 AM ET on NBSCN, Telemundo

LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER UNITED

The two most decorated teams in English soccer history simply do not like each other.  At Liverpool’s historic Anfield, the Reds’ beloved captain and star Steven Gerrard, aka “Stevie G”, will look to help his side earn three points against United in the Premier League for the first time since March 2011. 

Sunday, September 1, 11:00 AM ET on NBSCN & mun2

ARSENAL v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Arsenal host neighbors Tottenham at Emirates Stadium for the first edition of the season’s North London Derby and for a tough, early test at home for Arsenal.  The rivalry between the Gunners and Spurs dates to the early 1900s, and with Arsenal having finished directly above Tottenham in the table the last four seasons, Tottenham will be looking to make an early statement that their place in the standings belongs above Arsenal.    

   

Saturday, September 14, 10:00 AM ET on TBD

HULL CITY v CARDIFF CITY

Hull and Cardiff, both promoted at the end of last season, meet early on in their Premier League campaigns, and as familiar foes, having faced each other the last three seasons in England’s second tier Championship, the Tigers and the Bluebirds will be eager to prove they belong in the league when the world is watching.

Sunday, September 22, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & Telemundo

MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED

This season’s first installment of one of the league’s most riveting local rivalries, the Manchester Derby, kicks off at the Etihad on September 22.  The Manchester teams’ stadiums are just four miles apart, but their distaste for one another is huge.  City dramatically won the title on the final day of the season in 2012, leaving the Red Devils in second, while United were crowned champions in 2013 and City were runners-up.  The competitiveness and physical distance between these two sides always makes for an electric game, and this time both clubs will be playing under new managers.

Sunday, October 27, 9:30 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2

CHELSEA v MANCHESTER CITY

Last season’s second- and third-place finishers are sure to provide an exciting match -- Chelsea finished just one win behind City last season.  By the end of October, the teams’ new managers and summer signings should be settled in to their roles, so this match should offer more of a glimpse as to these teams’ chances at the coveted trophy. 

Sunday, October 27, 12 Noon ET on NBCSN & mun2

SUNDERLAND v NEWCASTLE UNITED

Sunderland’s Stadium of Light hosts the season’s first installment of the Tyne-Wear Derby, the name given to any match between Sunderland and Newcastle.  Just 12 miles separate the Magpies and the Black Cats, and last season, Newcastle edged out Sunderland to finish 16th, but both teams sat dangerously close to the relegation zone.  American forward Jozy Altidore, recently signed by Sunderland, will be a player to watch as he works to prove he’s a Premier League force.

Sunday November 3, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2

CARDIFF CITY v SWANSEA CITY

The South Wales Derby between Welsh sides Cardiff City and Swansea City is one of the most widely anticipated matches of the season.  With Cardiff’s promotion at the end of last season, the Bluebirds will be playing top-flight soccer for the first time in 51 years, and two Welsh teams will be playing in England’s top flight for the first time ever.

Saturday, November 9, 10:00 AM ET on TBD

LIVERPOOL v FULHAM

This match features two American owners as Liverpool and owners Fenway Sports Group host Fulham and owner Shahid Khan, who also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars.  While the Red Sox and Jaguars will have nothing to do with this match, the American influence in the Premier League will be on display as Liverpool, who need a successful season more than ever, face the Cottagers.

Sunday, November 10, 11:10 AM ET on NBCSN & Telemundo

MANCHESTER UNITED v ARSENAL

Last season’s leading scorer Dutch star Robin van Persie, aka “RVP,” welcomes his former club to Manchester United’s Old Trafford.  RVP managed a goal in both matches last season against the Gunners, and with the 2012-13 Premier League title in his back pocket as well, his news-grabbing move from the Emirates last season has paid off.  Arsenal managerArsene Wenger will look for some magic from his scoring threats Lukas 

Podolski, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud, andSanti Cazorla.

Saturday, November 23, 7:45 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2

EVERTON v LIVERPOOL

The Merseyside Derby, the longest running top-flight rivalry in England (played at the highest level of English competition since 1962-63), features the Blues of Everton against the Reds of Liverpool.  The two clubs know each other well; their stadiums sit less than a mile apart, and they are playing for the 221st time.  Though Liverpool are the historically better side, Everton finished 6th, one spot ahead of Stevie G’s lads last season.  With both clubs scratching at the door to the top-5 and European play, the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park holds much meaning for both sides.

Following is the NBCUniversal schedule for the first three months of the Premier League season:

 (NOTE: TBD indicates that there will be one match in that time slot on NBCSN, in some cases one match on mun2, and remaining non-NBCSN games on Premier League Extra Time. Final channel assignments for those matches will be made in the coming weeks.)

Date	Time (ET)	Home	Away	Network
Sat., Aug. 17	7:45 a.m.	Liverpool	Stoke	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Arsenal	Aston Villa	TBD
	10 a.m.	Norwich	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Sunderland	Fulham	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Ham	Cardiff	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Brom	Southampton	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Swansea	Man United	NBC, mun2
Sun., Aug. 18	8:30 a.m.	Crystal Palace	Tottenham	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Chelsea	Hull	NBCSN
Mon., Aug. 19	3 p.m.	Man City	Newcastle	NBCSN
***
Wed., Aug. 21	2:30 p.m.	Chelsea	Aston Villa	NBCSN
***
Sat., Aug. 24	7:45 a.m.	Fulham	Arsenal	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Newcastle	West Ham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Everton	West Brom	TBD
	10 a.m.	Southampton	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	Norwich	TBD
	10 a.m.	Stoke	Crystal Palace	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Aston Villa	Liverpool	NBC
Sun., Aug. 25	11 a.m.	Tottenham	Swansea	TBD
	11 a.m.	Cardiff	Man City	TBD
Mon., Aug 26	3 p.m.	Man United	Chelsea	NBCSN
***
Sat., Aug. 31	7:45 a.m.	Man City	Hull	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Newcastle	Fulham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Cardiff	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Ham	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Brom	Swansea	TBD
	10 a.m.	Norwich	Southampton	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Crystal Palace	Sunderland	NBC
Sun., Sept. 1	8:30 a.m.	Liverpool	Man United	NBCSN, Telemundo
	11 a.m.	Arsenal	Tottenham	NBCSN, mun2
***
Sat., Sept. 14	7:45 a.m.	Man United	Crystal Palace	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Sunderland	Arsenal	TBD
	10 a.m.	Stoke	Man City	TBD
	10 a.m.	Tottenham	Norwich	TBD
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Newcastle	TBD
	10 a.m.	Fulham	West Brom	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	Cardiff	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Everton	Chelsea	NBC, mun2
Sun., Sept. 15	11 a.m.	Southampton	West Ham	NBCSN
Mon., Sept. 16	3 p.m.	Swansea	Liverpool	NBCSN
***
Sat., Sept. 21	7:45 a.m.	Norwich	Aston Villa	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Cardiff	Tottenham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Liverpool	Southampton	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Ham	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Brom	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	Newcastle	Hull	TBD
	10 a.m.	Crystal Palace	Swansea	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Chelsea	Fulham	NBCSN, mun2
Sun., Sept. 22	8:30 a.m.	Arsenal	Stoke	CNBC, mun2
	11 a.m.	Man City	Man United	NBCSN, Telemundo
***
Sat., Sept. 28	7:45 a.m.	Tottenham	Chelsea	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Man City	TBD
	10 a.m.	Man United	West Brom	TBD
	10 a.m.	Fulham	Cardiff	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	West Ham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Southampton	Crystal Palace	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Swansea	Arsenal	NBC
Sun., Sept. 29	8:30 a.m.	Stoke	Norwich	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Sunderland	Liverpool	NBCSN
Mon., Sept. 30	3 p.m.	Everton	Newcastle	NBCSN
***
Sat., Oct. 5	7:45 a.m.	Man City	Everton	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Tottenham	West Ham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Liverpool	Crystal Palace	TBD
	10 a.m.	Cardiff	Newcastle	TBD
	10 a.m.	Fulham	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	Aston Villa	TBD
	10 a.m.	Southampton	Swansea	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Sunderland	Man United	NBCSN, mun2
Sun., Oct. 6	8:30 a.m.	Norwich	Chelsea	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	West Brom	Arsenal	NBCSN
***
Sat., Oct. 19	7:45 a.m.	Newcastle	Liverpool	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Man United	Southampton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Arsenal	Norwich	TBD
	10 a.m.	Chelsea	Cardiff	TBD
	10 a.m.	Everton	Hull	TBD
	10 a.m.	Swansea	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	Stoke	West Brom	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	West Ham	Man City	NBC
Sun., Oct. 20	11 a.m.	Aston Villa	Tottenham	NBCSN, mun2
Mon., Oct. 21	3 p.m.	Crystal Palace	Fulham	NBCSN
***
Sat., Oct. 26	7:45 a.m.	Crystal Palace	Arsenal	NBCSN
	10 a.m.	Man United	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	Liverpool	West Brom	TBD
	10 a.m.	Tottenham	Hull	TBD
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Swansea	West Ham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Norwich	Cardiff	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Southampton	Fulham	NBCSN
Sun., Oct. 27	9:30 a.m.	Chelsea	Man City	NBCSN, mun2
	Noon	Sunderland	Newcastle	NBCSN
***
Sat., Nov. 2	8:45	Newcastle	Chelsea	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Fulham	Man United	TBD
	11 a.m.	Man City	Norwich	TBD
	11 a.m.	Hull	Sunderland	TBD
	11 a.m.	West Ham	Aston Villa	TBD
	11 a.m.	Stoke	Southampton	TBD
	11 a.m.	West Brom	Crystal Palace	TBD
	1:30	Arsenal	Liverpool	NBC, mun2
Sun., Nov. 3	8:30 a.m.	Everton	Tottenham	CNBC
	11 a.m.	Cardiff	Swansea	NBCSN
***
Sat., Nov. 9	10 a.m.	Liverpool	Fulham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Crystal Palace	Everton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Swansea	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Cardiff	TBD
	10 a.m.	Southampton	Hull	TBD
	10 a.m.	Chelsea	West Brom	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Norwich	West Ham	NBC
Sun., Nov. 10	7 a.m.	Tottenham	Newcastle	NBCSN
	9:05 a.m.	Sunderland	Man City	NBCSN
	11:10 a.m.	Man United	Arsenal	NBCSN, Telemundo
***
Sat., Nov. 23	7:45 a.m.	Everton	Liverpool	NBCSN, mun2
	10 a.m.	Arsenal	Southampton	TBD
	10 a.m.	Fulham	Swansea	TBD
	10 a.m.	Stoke	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	Newcastle	Norwich	TBD
	10 a.m.	Hull	Crystal Palace	TBD
	12:30	Man City	Tottenham	NBC, mun2
Sun., Nov. 24	8:30 a.m.	West Ham	Chelsea	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Cardiff	Man United	NBCSN, mun2
Mon., Nov. 25	3 p.m.	West Brom	Aston Villa	NBCSN
***
Sat., Nov. 30	7:45 a.m.	Tottenham	Man United	NBCSN, Telemundo
	10 a.m.	Man City	Swansea	TBD
	10 a.m.	Cardiff	Arsenal	TBD
	10 a.m.	Everton	Stoke	TBD
	10 a.m.	Aston Villa	Sunderland	TBD
	10 a.m.	West Ham	Fulham	TBD
	10 a.m.	Norwich	Crystal Palace	TBD
	12:30 p.m.	Newcastle	West Brom	NBC
Sun., Dec. 1	8:30 a.m.	Hull	Liverpool	NBCSN
	11 a.m.	Chelsea	Southampton	NBCSN