Melissa Stark
Encyclopedia
Melissa Stark is an American
television personality and sportscaster
that works as a reporter for the NFL Network
and previously had worked with NBC
, which she joined in 2003, primarily at its MSNBC
subsidiary. She was also a correspondent for NBC's The Today Show. In the summer of 2008, she anchored MSNBC's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Prior to NBC, she was best known for her three-year stint as a sideline reporter
for Monday Night Football
. She has also worked as a reporter for ESPN
.
sorority http://groups.northwestern.edu/theta/famousthetas.htm.
She began her career at WMAR-TV
in Baltimore
in 1991 as a news intern working on the assignment desk.
Stark was a news intern for the "CBS Evening News
with Dan Rather
" in 1993 and 1994 where she wrote scripts and assembled background information on investigative pieces for health correspondent Dr. Bob Arnot
.
Prior to joining ESPN
, from 1994–95, Stark was a production assistant and reporter for Virginia Sports Marketing in Charlottesville for the University of Virginia
's Coach's TV Show, which aired in all major markets in Virginia
.
covering high school
and college
sports focusing on human interest and issue-related stories.
From 1996–03, Stark reported for ESPN
's SportsCenter
, where she served as a regular contributor to Sunday NFL Countdown
and the Emmy Award
-winning show, Outside the Lines
. Stark was also the SportsCenter on-site host for the NBA Finals
, World Series
, Stanley Cup Finals, Final Four
and covered national stories including Major League Baseball
, National Hockey League
, golf
and NCAA basketball for the network.
for three seasons, from 2000
-03
, which included ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXXVII
in San Diego. Stark also served as a reporter for ABC Sports' coverage of figure skating
, the NFL Pro Bowl and celebrity golf
events.
In 2001, Stark was detained in Mexico
after a security guard, not knowing she worked for ABC covering an NFL game, refused her, Al Michaels
and Dan Fouts
entry into the stadium where the game was being played. The detention
lasted a while before the matter was resolved and the charges dropped. Stark admits to being quite embarrassed that she couldn't communicate with Mexican police since Spanish
was one of her majors.
In addition to her sports casting career, Stark has appeared as a guest host on The View and was the co-host of ABC Entertainment's 2001 pilot presentation of The Runner
, a prime-time reality-based program conceived by Matt Damon
and Ben Affleck
.
as a National Correspondent for The Today Show and would also anchor MSNBC Live
.
She made her NBC Sports debut in 2004 contributing reports and interviews for the network’s coverage of the Triple Crown
and other big horse racing
events for the network.*http://nbcumv.com/sports/bio_detail.nbc/2008summerolympicgames-0-melissa-stark1.html
In 2005, Stark participated as a reporter for NBC
's New Year's Eve
coverage, hosted by Carson Daly
. She left MSNBC Live and The Today Show in November 2006. She also hosted MSNBC's coverage of the 2009 Super Bowl
.
Melissa Stark did work her third Olympic Games for NBC Sports
serving as an anchor for MSNBC
's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
. Previously, Stark served as the speed skating
reporter during NBC's coverage of the Torino Olympics Winter Games and the swimming
and diving
reporter at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
, more specifically, the shows NFL Total Access and Around The League Live.
She resides in Rumson, New Jersey
and is married to Mike Lilley.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television personality and sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
that works as a reporter for the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
and previously had worked with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, which she joined in 2003, primarily at its MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
subsidiary. She was also a correspondent for NBC's The Today Show. In the summer of 2008, she anchored MSNBC's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Prior to NBC, she was best known for her three-year stint as a sideline reporter
Sideline reporter
A sideline reporter, also known as a field reporter, courtside reporter , clubhouse reporter or dugout reporter , rinkside reporter or inside-the-glass reporter , on-court reporter , hole reporter , or boundary rider , is a member of the...
for Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. She has also worked as a reporter for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment 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....
.
Early life and career
Stark has a degree in Foreign Affairs and Spanish from the University of Virginia. While in college, she was a member of the Kappa Alpha ThetaKappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
sorority http://groups.northwestern.edu/theta/famousthetas.htm.
She began her career at WMAR-TV
WMAR-TV
WMAR-TV, channel 2, is the ABC affiliate television station in Baltimore, Maryland, owned by the broadcasting division of the E.W. Scripps Company...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
in 1991 as a news intern working on the assignment desk.
Stark was a news intern for the "CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
with Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
" in 1993 and 1994 where she wrote scripts and assembled background information on investigative pieces for health correspondent Dr. Bob Arnot
Bob Arnot
Bob Arnot is host of the Dr Danger reality TV series, author of ten books on nutrition and health topics and previously medical and foreign correspondent for NBC Nightly News...
.
Prior to joining ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment 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....
, from 1994–95, Stark was a production assistant and reporter for Virginia Sports Marketing in Charlottesville for the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
's Coach's TV Show, which aired in all major markets in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
ESPN
Stark joined ESPN in 1996 as the host of the weekly program Scholastic Sports America, where she traveled across the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
covering high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
sports focusing on human interest and issue-related stories.
From 1996–03, Stark reported for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment 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 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...
, where she served as a regular contributor to Sunday NFL Countdown
Sunday NFL Countdown
NFL GameDay redirects here. For the video games series, see NFL GameDay Sunday NFL Countdown is a pregame show of all the NFL action for that week. The official name is Sunday NFL Countdown presented by IBM. The show airs on ESPN, ESPN HD, TSN and TSN HD from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time every...
and the Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning show, Outside the Lines
Outside the Lines
Outside the Lines, or also referred to as OTL, is an American television program on ESPN that looks "outside the lines" and examines critical issues in American sports on and off the field of play....
. Stark was also the SportsCenter on-site host for the NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, Stanley Cup Finals, Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
and covered national stories including Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major 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...
, National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and NCAA basketball for the network.
ABC Sports
Melissa Stark joined ABC Sports in June 2000. Melissa Stark was the lead sideline reporter for ABC Sports' Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
for three seasons, from 2000
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
-03
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, which included ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
in San Diego. Stark also served as a reporter for ABC Sports' coverage of figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, the NFL Pro Bowl and celebrity golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
events.
In 2001, Stark was detained in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
after a security guard, not knowing she worked for ABC covering an NFL game, refused her, Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
and Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
entry into the stadium where the game was being played. The detention
Detention (imprisonment)
Detention is the process when a state, government or citizen lawfully holds a person by removing their freedom of liberty at that time. This can be due to criminal charges being raised against the individual as part of a prosecution or to protect a person or property...
lasted a while before the matter was resolved and the charges dropped. Stark admits to being quite embarrassed that she couldn't communicate with Mexican police since Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
was one of her majors.
In addition to her sports casting career, Stark has appeared as a guest host on The View and was the co-host of ABC Entertainment's 2001 pilot presentation of The Runner
The Runner
The Runner is a 1985 film by Amir Naderi, one of the major directors of Iranian cinema before and after the Iranian Revolution....
, a prime-time reality-based program conceived by Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
and Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
.
NBC News and Sports
In July 2003, she joined NBC NewsNBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
as a National Correspondent for The Today Show and would also anchor MSNBC Live
MSNBC Live
msnbc Live is an American news / talk television program on MSNBC hosted by Thomas Roberts.Focusing on live news coverage, the program also consists of guest analysis and interviews around the stories of the day, in addition to feature-like stories, in-depth special reports, and The Weather Channel...
.
She made her NBC Sports debut in 2004 contributing reports and interviews for the network’s coverage of the Triple Crown
Thoroughbred Racing on NBC
Thoroughbred Racing on NBC is the de facto title for a series of horse races produced and broadcast by NBC Sports. Among its current personalites are hosts Tom Hammond and Bob Costas, along with analyst Gary L...
and other big horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
events for the network.*http://nbcumv.com/sports/bio_detail.nbc/2008summerolympicgames-0-melissa-stark1.html
In 2005, Stark participated as a reporter for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
coverage, hosted by Carson Daly
Carson Daly
Carson Jones Daly is an American television host. He is the host of NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, a late-night talk show that began airing on January 7, 2002. Before his role as host of that program, Daly was a VJ on MTV's TRL, and a DJ for the Southern California based radio station KROQ-FM...
. She left MSNBC Live and The Today Show in November 2006. She also hosted MSNBC's coverage of the 2009 Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
.
Melissa Stark did work her third Olympic Games for NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
serving as an anchor for MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Previously, Stark served as the speed skating
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over ten days, from 11 February to 21 February. Twelve events were contested at the Oval Lingotto.-Medal table:-Men's events:* Skaters who did not participate in the final, but received medals....
reporter during NBC's coverage of the Torino Olympics Winter Games and the swimming
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place in the Olympic Aquatic Centre with the athletes competing in 32 events. There was a total of 937 participants from 152 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:...
and diving
Diving at the 2004 Summer Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens, eight diving events were contested during a competition that took place at the Olympic Aquatic Centre, from 20 to 28 August , comprising a total of 125 divers from 30 nations.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Participating nations:Here are listed the nations that...
reporter at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
NFL Network
Melisssa Stark has also recently started doing field work for NFL NetworkNFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, more specifically, the shows NFL Total Access and Around The League Live.
Personal life
Melissa Stark is the daughter of Walter Stark, an eye surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.She resides in Rumson, New Jersey
Rumson, New Jersey
Rumson is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,122.Rumson was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1907, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, based on the results of a...
and is married to Mike Lilley.