Cold Pizza
Encyclopedia
Cold Pizza was a television sports morning talk show that aired weekdays on ESPN2
. The show's style was more akin to Good Morning America
than SportsCenter
s straight news and highlights format. It included daily sports news, interviews with sports journalists, athletes, and personalities, and an assortment of other sports and non-sports topics. This show began airing on October 20, 2003. The show's launch team and daily production management was led by broadcast executives James Cohen, Joseph Maar and Todd Mason
. Although Cold Pizza was simulcast on ESPN2HD, it was not produced or presented in high definition. On October 2, 2006, DirecTV
became the presenting sponsor with the show titled as Cold Pizza presented by DirecTV.
Two back-to-back two-hour episodes aired each weekday from Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 a.m. ET until noon, followed by a repeat at 12 p.m. ET. The show was hosted by former SportsCenter personality, Dana Jacobson
, who joined the program in 2005, and Jay Crawford
, who was with the show for its entire run. Skip Bayless
contributed during the "1st and 10" segments. Woody Paige
, who had been his antagonist during those segments, left after the November 28, 2006, episode, citing health and personal reasons, leaving New York
to return to the Denver Post, where he had been a longtime writer.
The final edition of Cold Pizza aired on May 4, 2007. The following Monday, May 7, the show was replaced by a very similar program, ESPN First Take
, which maintains many features of Cold Pizza, but is produced in high definition at ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut
.
, with the repeat following. Then in 2004 it expanded to a two hour show starting at 8 a.m. ET and a repeat following. In 2006, ESPN2
started airing a simulcast of Mike and Mike in the Morning
, the morning program from 6 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET on ESPN Radio
, which pushed Cold Pizza back to 10 a.m. ET.
Cold Pizza was notable for having its own version of ESPN's BottomLine, as their ticker not only gave sports scores, but also news headlines and weather forecasts from sports cities and is shown in its own color scheme. It also functioned differently: it constantly scrolled, while other ESPN "BottomLines" usually "flip" through the different scores, scrolling only for long statistical lines. This graphic was discontinued in the summer of 2006, when the "BottomLine" was changed to resemble those of other ESPN programs.
The program has gone on site for games and events quite often. On the road shows have included trips to Super Bowl
s XXXIX
and XL
and the Caesars Palace
hotel
and casino
in Las Vegas
. At one point, part of Friday's shows originated from the College Gameday site. They went to New Orleans
on September 25, 2006 for the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome
when the New Orleans Saints
returned home to play the Atlanta Falcons
.
Guests on the show have included Senator John McCain
, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose
, Dennis Rodman
, José Canseco
, Senator Tom Davis, Mike Krzyzewski, Nick Lachey
and even the man that caught Barry Bonds
' 715th home run ball.
On January 25, 2007 MediaWeek
reported that ESPN would announce Cold Pizzas move from New York to the ESPN campus in Bristol, Connecticut
. In addition to being able to cut costs and produce the program in high definition
, the new locale allowed more live appearances by ESPN analysts (as opposed to satellite or telephone interviews). However, the move reduced the amount of live appearances by celebrities and non-sports figures. The official chronology shows that Cold Pizza ended on May 4, and was replaced by a new show, ESPN First Take, on May 7, though nearly all of the former show's features were incorporated into the new show.
, the format was changed to be similar to that of SportsCenter
and Pardon the Interruption
, including sports headlines, analysis, and debate. Because of the format change, hosts Hoover and Maxie were let go due to lack of a sports journalism background, and Jacobson, Paige, and Bayless joined. Co-host Andrews was transferred by ESPN to Los Angeles
to co-host ESPN2's new evening entertainment news show, ESPN Hollywood
. That show was cancelled in January 2006, and Andrews remained with ESPN until November 2006, when she left the company to work as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight
.
The most recent format of the program featured the introduction graphic introducing the hosts and a show rundown. Following that was "The Top Story" of the sports world and an appropriate guest, followed by the "Morning Headlines," which included about four or five news items from around sports. The headline segment was repeated at the top of the second hour.
At 20 and 40 past the first and second hour, Crawford, Bayless and Paige (or a guest contributor after Paige's departure) were featured in segments entitled "1st and 10," which were edited into a stand-alone show that aired later in the day. The "Morning Slice," a look at offbeat sports video, was also part of the program.
head basketball coach Bobby Knight
was promoting a new reality show for ESPN entitled Knight School
. Jacobson asked Knight at the end of the interview if he was interested in returning to his old coaching job at Indiana University
. This made Knight angry, which ultimately led to him walking out of the interview. Jacobson was not at work the next day, but not because of the Knight incident; she had a planned vacation day, according to the network.
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
. The show's style was more akin to Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
than SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
s straight news and highlights format. It included daily sports news, interviews with sports journalists, athletes, and personalities, and an assortment of other sports and non-sports topics. This show began airing on October 20, 2003. The show's launch team and daily production management was led by broadcast executives James Cohen, Joseph Maar and Todd Mason
Todd Mason
Todd Mason is a digital media executive and entrepreneur based in Washington, DC. He has served as creator, Executive Producer and Executive in Charge of Production for a number of national broadcast series and specials....
. Although Cold Pizza was simulcast on ESPN2HD, it was not produced or presented in high definition. On October 2, 2006, DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
became the presenting sponsor with the show titled as Cold Pizza presented by DirecTV.
Two back-to-back two-hour episodes aired each weekday from Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 a.m. ET until noon, followed by a repeat at 12 p.m. ET. The show was hosted by former SportsCenter personality, Dana Jacobson
Dana Jacobson
Dana Jacobson is an ESPN anchorwoman. She joined the network as an ESPNEWS anchor in December 2002 and soon became a regular anchor on the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter. In March 2005, she was named co-host of Cold Pizza, and transitioned with the show as it became ESPN First Take...
, who joined the program in 2005, and Jay Crawford
Jay Crawford
Jason "Jay" Crawford is the co-host of ESPN2's morning TV show First Take.-Early life and career:Born in Sandusky, Ohio, Crawford graduated from Perkins High School in Sandusky, Ohio in 1983...
, who was with the show for its entire run. Skip Bayless
Skip Bayless
Skip Bayless is an American journalist and television personality. Bayless regularly appears on ESPN2's ESPN First Take and its afternoon show 1st and 10. Bayless previously wrote regular columns for ESPN.com and its "Page 2" section.-Schooling and family:Bayless was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
contributed during the "1st and 10" segments. Woody Paige
Woody Paige
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Paige, Jr. is a sports columnist for The Denver Post, author, and a regular panelist on the ESPN sports-talk program Around the Horn. He was also a co-host of Cold Pizza and its spin-off show 1st and 10 until Nov. 4, 2006, when it was announced that Paige would return to the...
, who had been his antagonist during those segments, left after the November 28, 2006, episode, citing health and personal reasons, leaving New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to return to the Denver Post, where he had been a longtime writer.
The final edition of Cold Pizza aired on May 4, 2007. The following Monday, May 7, the show was replaced by a very similar program, ESPN First Take
ESPN First Take
ESPN First Take is an American morning sports talk program on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The show was formerly known as Cold Pizza. The official switch was made on May 7, 2007. Two back-to-back two-hour episodes air each weekday from Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 a.m...
, which maintains many features of Cold Pizza, but is produced in high definition at ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol is also home to...
.
Broadcast history
Cold Pizza initially began as a one hour show at 7 a.m. ETNorth American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, with the repeat following. Then in 2004 it expanded to a two hour show starting at 8 a.m. ET and a repeat following. In 2006, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
started airing a simulcast of Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning is an American sports-talk radio show hosted by Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and simulcast on television, normally on ESPN2. If ESPN is broadcasting a live sporting event during the show's timeslot, Sportscenter will air on ESPN2, and the show's...
, the morning program from 6 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET on ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
, which pushed Cold Pizza back to 10 a.m. ET.
Cold Pizza was notable for having its own version of ESPN's BottomLine, as their ticker not only gave sports scores, but also news headlines and weather forecasts from sports cities and is shown in its own color scheme. It also functioned differently: it constantly scrolled, while other ESPN "BottomLines" usually "flip" through the different scores, scrolling only for long statistical lines. This graphic was discontinued in the summer of 2006, when the "BottomLine" was changed to resemble those of other ESPN programs.
The program has gone on site for games and events quite often. On the road shows have included trips to Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
and XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
and the Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. At one point, part of Friday's shows originated from the College Gameday site. They went to New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on September 25, 2006 for the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
when the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
returned home to play the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Guests on the show have included Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
, Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
, José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
, Senator Tom Davis, Mike Krzyzewski, Nick Lachey
Nick Lachey
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released...
and even the man that caught Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
' 715th home run ball.
On January 25, 2007 MediaWeek
MediaWeek
MediaWeek is a trade magazine serving the Australian newspaper, television, radio, magazine and advertising industries. MediaWeek is published as a weekday email digest and weekly hard copy magazine...
reported that ESPN would announce Cold Pizzas move from New York to the ESPN campus in Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol is also home to...
. In addition to being able to cut costs and produce the program in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, the new locale allowed more live appearances by ESPN analysts (as opposed to satellite or telephone interviews). However, the move reduced the amount of live appearances by celebrities and non-sports figures. The official chronology shows that Cold Pizza ended on May 4, and was replaced by a new show, ESPN First Take, on May 7, though nearly all of the former show's features were incorporated into the new show.
Format
From the show's inception through 2005, its format was similar to traditional network television morning shows such as Good Morning America and The Today Show, featuring discussion among the hosts on entertainment and sports topics. After poor initial ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, the format was changed to be similar to that of SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
and Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, ESPN America, XM, and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top stories...
, including sports headlines, analysis, and debate. Because of the format change, hosts Hoover and Maxie were let go due to lack of a sports journalism background, and Jacobson, Paige, and Bayless joined. Co-host Andrews was transferred by ESPN to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to co-host ESPN2's new evening entertainment news show, ESPN Hollywood
ESPN Hollywood
ESPN Hollywood was a television program that aired on ESPN2 in 2005. The daily 30-minute show was centered on the convergence between the sports and entertainment worlds, and was a part of the network's ESPN Original Entertainment programming effort, which was intended to spread the network's...
. That show was cancelled in January 2006, and Andrews remained with ESPN until November 2006, when she left the company to work as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
.
The most recent format of the program featured the introduction graphic introducing the hosts and a show rundown. Following that was "The Top Story" of the sports world and an appropriate guest, followed by the "Morning Headlines," which included about four or five news items from around sports. The headline segment was repeated at the top of the second hour.
At 20 and 40 past the first and second hour, Crawford, Bayless and Paige (or a guest contributor after Paige's departure) were featured in segments entitled "1st and 10," which were edited into a stand-alone show that aired later in the day. The "Morning Slice," a look at offbeat sports video, was also part of the program.
Personalities
- Skip BaylessSkip BaylessSkip Bayless is an American journalist and television personality. Bayless regularly appears on ESPN2's ESPN First Take and its afternoon show 1st and 10. Bayless previously wrote regular columns for ESPN.com and its "Page 2" section.-Schooling and family:Bayless was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
: (Contributor, September 9, 2004 – May 4, 2007) - Jay CrawfordJay CrawfordJason "Jay" Crawford is the co-host of ESPN2's morning TV show First Take.-Early life and career:Born in Sandusky, Ohio, Crawford graduated from Perkins High School in Sandusky, Ohio in 1983...
: (Co-host, October 20, 2003 – May 4, 2007) - Dana JacobsonDana JacobsonDana Jacobson is an ESPN anchorwoman. She joined the network as an ESPNEWS anchor in December 2002 and soon became a regular anchor on the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter. In March 2005, she was named co-host of Cold Pizza, and transitioned with the show as it became ESPN First Take...
: (Co-host, March 2005 – May 4, 2007) - Thea AndrewsThea AndrewsThea Andrews is a Canadian actress and TV personality best known for her stint at ESPN where from October 2003 to November 2006 she served as co-host on several ESPN shows such as Cold Pizza , Breakast at Churchill Downs , Breakfast at Pimlico , The ESPY Red Carpet Show , ESPN Hollywood and Sports...
: (Co-host, October 20, 2003 – 2005) - Kit HooverKit HooverCatherine "Kit" Hoover is an American television personality, sportscaster and broadcast journalist, best-known for her stints on Fox News Channel and ESPN...
: (Co-host, October 20, 2003 – 2005) - Leslie MaxieLeslie MaxieLeslie Maxie is a retired American track and field athlete and subsequently a television presenter....
: (Co-host, October 20, 2003 – 2004) - Woody PaigeWoody PaigeWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Paige, Jr. is a sports columnist for The Denver Post, author, and a regular panelist on the ESPN sports-talk program Around the Horn. He was also a co-host of Cold Pizza and its spin-off show 1st and 10 until Nov. 4, 2006, when it was announced that Paige would return to the...
: (Contributor, August 12, 2004 – November 28, 2006) - Linda CohnLinda CohnLinda Cohn is an American sportscaster. She regularly anchors ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and education:As a teenager, Cohn, a New Yorker, demonstrated talent at ice hockey, making her high school's boys team...
: (Co-host, 2006) - Jay Harris (sportscaster)Jay Harris (sportscaster)Jay Harris is an American journalist who has worked for ESPN since February 2003. When he first joined ESPN, he worked primarily on ESPNEWS, but in August 2006, he was named the weekday co-host of the 6pm ET SportsCenter along with Brian Kenny...
: (Co-host, 2005) - Tom RinaldiTom RinaldiTom Rinaldi is a reporter for ESPN and ESPN on ABC based in New York. He has contributed to SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, College GameDay, Sunday NFL Countdown, and is also a fill in host on ESPN First Take ....
: (Co-host, 2006–2007) - Ahmad RashadAhmad RashadAhmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
: (Co-host, 2006) - Jeremy SchaapJeremy SchaapJeremy Schaap is an American sportswriter, television reporter, and author. Schaap is a six-time Emmy Award winner for his work on ESPN's E:60, SportsCenter, and Outside the Lines.-Biography:...
: (Co-host, 2005–2006) - Matt WinerMatt WinerMatthew Ward Winer is an American television personality for Turner Sports and formerly with ESPN.-Career:Turner Sports signed Winer in 2010 to contribute to coverage of sports across its networks. He became the primary studio host for Major League Baseball on TBS, replacing Ernie Johnson Jr., who...
: (Co-host, 2006) - Josh ElliottJosh ElliottJosh Elliott is a television journalist who is the news anchor for ABC's Good Morning America. Previously, he was co-anchor for the live telecast of ESPN's SportsCenter from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET with Hannah Storm or Sage Steele...
: (Co-host, 2006–2007)
Daily
- Morning Headlines: This was a segment at the very beginning of each hour with Jacobson and Crawford run down the biggest headlines in the sports world.
- Here's the Latest: This segment was similar to Morning Headlines, but this informs viewers on the latest injury update and the latest on a developing story.
- The Top Story: This was at the beginning of the show when they go in-depth about a developing story and discuss it with insiders on the situation.
- 1st and 10: This segment appeared for different times during the program, when Crawford, Bayless, and a guest analyst debate some of the hottest topics in sports. This also airs at 3:00 p.m. ETNorth American Eastern Time ZoneThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
on ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as its own show, and will continue on ESPN First TakeESPN First TakeESPN First Take is an American morning sports talk program on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The show was formerly known as Cold Pizza. The official switch was made on May 7, 2007. Two back-to-back two-hour episodes air each weekday from Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 a.m...
. - Morning Slice: This was when one of the hosts delivers an off the wall story. Sometimes called "SuzukiSuzukiis a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
Way of Life." - Top Plays:This segment appeared at different times throughout the show when they run down the top five plays of the day.
- Cover Two: This was when they are joined by two NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
columnists from all over the country to discuss different news and notes. - MLB Doubleheader: This was when they are joined by two MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
columnists from all over the country to discuss different news and notes. - Full Court Press: This was when they are joined by a NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
columnist from all over the country to discuss different news and notes. - NBA News & Notes: This was when they are joined by another NBA columnist from all over the country to discuss different news and notes.
- SportsNation Question of the Day: This was a multiple-choice question for which fans get to vote at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
. The hosts give the result of the vote at the end of the show. - NBA Minute: Highlights from the previous nights best games usually about 10 to 12 seconds per game for a total of 5 or 6 highlights.
Weekly
- Couch Potato: Every Friday, Howie SchwabHowie SchwabHoward "Howie" Schwab is best known as the sports trivia expert and final adversary on ESPN's Stump the Schwab show....
, ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
’s resident triviaTriviaThe trivia are the three lower Artes Liberales, i.e. grammar, rhetoric and logic. These were the topics of basic education, foundational to the quadrivia of higher education, and hence the material of basic education, of interest only to undergraduates...
guru, ran down the weekend's sports television viewing and Howie rates each of his choices with bags of chips, with five bags being the highest rating. - The Gamers: Reviews of video games, also on Fridays. Sundance DiGiovanni, the president of Major League GamingMajor League GamingMajor League Gaming , founded in 2002 by Sundance DiGiovanni and Mike Sepso, is a North American professional Electronic sports organization, headquartered in New York City, New York. MLG has held official video game tournaments throughout the United States and Canada. Major League Gaming...
, had been the contributor to this segment. - Gizmo Girl: This segment appeared weekly when they are joined by a guest to discuss a type of product that relates to sports.
- The Great Throwdini: This appeared every Friday, when The Great Throwdini picks three NFL games by throwing knives blind folded at the teams logo.
- Plays of the Week: The top plays of the week, set to music.
- The Must List: Personal picks from Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
editor Peter Bonventre, every Thursday. - Sports Doc: This was the weekly segment when Cold Pizza's sports medicine contributor Jonathan Glashow, MD gives analysis on one of the big injuries in the sports world. During the NFL season, it is called "Diagnosis NFL" and he is joined by NewsdayNewsdayNewsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
columnist Bob Glauber.
Former
- When the show began, former NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
all-star Darryl DawkinsDarryl DawkinsDarryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
served as the gadget, fitness and relationship guru in a segment called Planet Lovetron. That was discontinued early in the show's run. - Zach Lebovitz also contributed to the show at the halfway point when he mocked sideline reporters by grading Crawford and Hoover's performance in the first half of the show. This was also discontinued early on.
- After ESPN HollywoodESPN HollywoodESPN Hollywood was a television program that aired on ESPN2 in 2005. The daily 30-minute show was centered on the convergence between the sports and entertainment worlds, and was a part of the network's ESPN Original Entertainment programming effort, which was intended to spread the network's...
was cancelled, Thea AndrewsThea AndrewsThea Andrews is a Canadian actress and TV personality best known for her stint at ESPN where from October 2003 to November 2006 she served as co-host on several ESPN shows such as Cold Pizza , Breakast at Churchill Downs , Breakfast at Pimlico , The ESPY Red Carpet Show , ESPN Hollywood and Sports...
briefly hosted a segment of the latest news of the convergence between the sports and entertainmentEntertainmentEntertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
worlds called Sports and Hollywood which began in April 2006. The tightened focus on sports news resulted in an end to that segment in November 2006; however, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s and other performers still stopped by the Cold Pizza studios from time to time to pitch their projects and share their love of sports.
Controversy
In February 2006, Texas TechTexas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
head basketball coach Bobby Knight
Bobby Knight
-Indiana:When Indiana University was seeking a new coach in 1971, they turned to Knight. Knight was given the nickname "The General" by former University of Detroit and Detroit Pistons coach-turned-broadcaster Dick Vitale....
was promoting a new reality show for ESPN entitled Knight School
Knight School (TV series)
Knight School is a television documentary produced by ESPN about a group of sixteen Texas Tech students trying to make coach Bob Knight's Red Raiders men's basketball team as a non-scholarship player for the 2006/07 NCAA season. The documentary chronicles their progress and gives insight into Bob...
. Jacobson asked Knight at the end of the interview if he was interested in returning to his old coaching job at Indiana University
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the athletic teams for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University . Athletic teams sponsored by IU Bloomington include cross country, track, baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, volleyball, soccer, football and basketball...
. This made Knight angry, which ultimately led to him walking out of the interview. Jacobson was not at work the next day, but not because of the Knight incident; she had a planned vacation day, according to the network.
Pre-emptions and cancellations
- One day in October 2005, the entire show was not seen. Crawford explained that unspecified technical difficultiesGremlinA gremlin is an imaginary creature commonly depicted as mischievous and mechanically oriented, with a specific interest in aircraft. Gremlins' mischievous natures are similar to those of English folkloric imps, while their inclination to damage or dismantle machinery is more...
made the show impossible to produce that day. ESPNEWSESPNEWSESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
was simulcastSimulcastSimulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on ESPN2 instead. - Twice, Cold Pizzas rebroadcast has ended early due to breaking newsBreaking newsBreaking news, also known as a special report or news bulletin, is a current event that broadcasters feel warrants the interruption of scheduled programming and/or current news in order to report its details. Many times, breaking news is used after the news network has already reported on this story...
: on September 27, 2006, due to conflicting reports as to whether Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Terrell OwensTerrell OwensTerrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
had attempted to commit suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
; and on November 17, 2006, when college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach Bo SchembechlerBo SchembechlerGlenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
died from a heart attackMyocardial infarctionMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. In both cases, SportsCenterSportsCenterSportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
was simulcast in the remainder of the scheduled time slot.- On the other hand, an altered, non-commercial version of the show was simulcast by ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
on January 22, 2007 during the usual re-air slot, due to the resignation of Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
head coachHead coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Bill ParcellsBill ParcellsDuane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
that was disclosed just before the end of the live show. This altered program ran from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET.
- On the other hand, an altered, non-commercial version of the show was simulcast by ESPN
- On January 8, 2007 a mysterious gas-like odor was detected throughout New York City. Several buildings, including the Manhattan Center (where the show was produced) were evacuated. Cold Pizza was replaced with a simulcast of ESPNEWSESPNEWSESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
, with the Mike & Mike Bottom Line informing viewers that "Cold Pizza will return Tuesday."