2008 ESPN Arena Football League Commentators

New Booth Line-up to Debut with Dallas Desperados at Georgia Force March 1 at 1 p.m. ET on ABC

ESPN has assembled a trio of top football analysts and play-by-play commentators for its second season of Arena Football League telecasts in 2008, led by former NFL players Shaun King and Marcellus Wiley, who will expand upon their NFL studio analyst roles, and Ray Bentley, who returns as an analyst.  Veteran football and basketball announcer Bob Wischusen, who called Arena Football playoff games in 2007, will serve as the lead play-by play commentator with ESPN voices Dave Pasch and Joe Tessitore also set to call games during the ESPN network’s 29-game national television schedule (including 18 regular-season games), which will be available in high definition.

The new lineup will make its debut when the three-person booth of Wischusen, King and Wiley calls the Dallas Desperados at Georgia Force in a match-up of reigning division champions Saturday, March 1, at 1 p.m. ET on ABC and ABC HD.  Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football returns to its regular Monday primetime window two nights later when Pasch and Wiley call the match-up between the defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose SaberCats and Central Division champion Chicago Rush on March 3 at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.

“This core group of commentators will provide a consistent voice and look for Arena Football games on ESPN this season, and their knowledge of the game -- coupled with the tremendous access the league continues to provide for our cameras and microphones -- will bring fans even closer to the action,” said Jed Drake, senior vice president and executive producer, ESPN remote productions.

All Arena Football League games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will be in high definition in 2008, and all games televised on the ESPN networks will also be available on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature live sports broadband network.  ESPN2 will have 10 weeks of consecutive Monday primetime games beginning Monday, April 14, continuing to establish Monday night as a “football night” for fans.

ESPN’s Arena Football telecasts will continue to feature innovative production elements and other unique enhancements which debuted last season under the direction of ESPN’s Sports Emmy Award-winning Monday Night Football senior coordinating producer Jay Rothman and producer Bryan Ryder.  Halftime of AFL games will also include a special edition of SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship news and information program, hosted by Stan Verrett.

2008 ESPN Arena Football Commentator Bios: 

• Bentley served as an analyst for Arena Football games on the ESPN networks last season.  The former general manager and head coach of the AFL’s Buffalo Destroyers also worked league games in past seasons for Fox Sports Net.  Bentley played seven NFL seasons at linebacker, primarily for the Buffalo Bills. 

• King joined ESPN as an NFL analyst in July 2007, primarily on First Take, NFL Live and ESPNEWS.  King spent five NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including 2000 when he started all 16 games and completed 75 percent of his passes for 2,769 yards. He also played a brief stint with the AFL’s Las Vegas Gladiators in 2007.

• Pasch joined ESPN in 2003 and is a play-by-play commentator, primarily for college football and men’s and women’s college basketball, while also calling NBA games, college baseball, the WNBA and the Great Outdoor Games.  Pasch called Arena Football playoff games for the network last season.  Since 2002, he has also been the radio voice of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

• Tessitore joined ESPN in 2003 and calls the boxing matches for ESPN2 Friday Night Fights and the ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights summer series.  He also serves as a college football commentator and is a member of ESPN’s horse racing team, hosting races and contributing to Breeders' Cup coverage.

• Wiley joined ESPN in 2007 as studio analyst, primarily on First Take, NFL Live, ESPNEWS and Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio.  Wiley is a former All-Pro defensive end who played 10 NFL seasons (1997-2006) with the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars. 

• Wischusen joined ESPN in 2005 as a college basketball and football announcer. He also called select Arena Football playoff games for the network last season.  In addition to his work with ESPN, Wischusen is the radio voice for the New York Jets.   He also continues to work radio and TV play-by-play assignments for MSG (Madison Square Garden) on select New York Knicks (NBA), Rangers (NHL) and Liberty (WNBA) games.

2008 ESPN Arena Football League Planned Highlights: 

• All ESPN Arena Football League telecasts will be available in high definition in 2008;
• The Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Preview Show – Friday, Feb. 29, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2 – will preview all four league divisions and will include interviews, insights and analysis from ESPN analysts and experts from around the league;
• ESPN.com’s seven-part online series “Last Man Standing” provides an inside look at the Philadelphia Soul.  The first webisode “Training Camp” debuted February 12 and included behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with majority owner Jon Bon Jovi, President Ron Jaworski, head coach Bret Munsey and quarterback Tony Graziani.  Additional webisodes will debut Tuesdays through the end of March on ESPN.com;
• ESPN will help introduce fans to some of Arena Football’s biggest stars as part of this season’s special “Night with a Player” telecasts, which will include features and behind-the-scenes video segments during games.  Quarterback Clint Dolezel of the Dallas Desperados (Mar. 17) and Soul signal-caller Graziani and wide receiver Chris Jackson (Mar. 29) will be among the featured players.

2008 ESPN Arena Football League

Regular Season Schedule

All games available in High Definition

All games televised on ESPN networks will also be available on ESPN360.com

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