Outside the Lines
Encyclopedia
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.
The primary host of the show, since it began, is long-time sportscasting veteran Bob Ley
along with contributors and fill-in hosts to the show which include Jeremy Schaap
, Mark Schwarz, T.J. Quinn, and Kelly Naqi. The program airs for 30 minutes Monday through Friday at 3:00 PM ET
and on Sunday at 9:00 AM ET, all on ESPN.
as a monthly one-hour program with Bob Ley
as host. After a noticeable increase in television ratings, ESPN decided to expand the program for thirty minutes to their Sunday morning lineup at 9:30 am ET, where the show covered one or two of the more notable sporting news stories of the week.
After the ratings continued to grow, on May 12, 2003, ESPN premiered Outside the Lines Nightly. The Sunday morning program was still seen at 9:30 am ET, along with the nightly show that was seen during The Trifecta
at midnight and noon on ESPN. On June 12, 2006, ESPN announced that Outside the Lines Nightly (now Outside the Lines First Report) would be moved to 3:30 pm ET as part of the afternoon lineup on ESPN.
Outside the Lines debuted its new 3D opening sequence and its current program logo in May 2008.
's platoon after he was killed in Afghanistan
. The program also is joined by former players and sports writers to get all different opinions of the subject at hand.
Some of the other memorable pieces the show has covered include: Two Man Band (about Patrick Hughes, a blind member of the University of Louisville
band and his dad), The Jason McElwain
Story (about the autistic high school basketball manager who came into a game and scored 20 points), Athletes Carrying Guns (about whether it is appropriate for athletes to carry guns), Katrina's
Impact
on New Orleans (prior to the Saints' first game back in New Orleans) and Steroids
Impact on the Little Leagues (and how much they affect them).
The program has also featured exclusive interviews with newsmakers such as: President George W. Bush
, Senator John McCain
, Pete Rose
, Phil Jackson
(after leaving the Lakers the first time) and the Army
Rangers
of Pat Tillman
's platoon about what really happened. More recently, former NBA
player John Amaechi
appeared on the February 11, 2007 edition to publicly come out
as gay
, and the May 11, 2008 edition reported that former USC basketball star O. J. Mayo
had allegedly received thousands of dollars in cash and merchandise from a runner for a sports agent
dating back to his high school career.
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....
that looks "outside the lines" and examines critical issues in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports on and off the field of play.
The primary host of the show, since it began, is long-time sportscasting veteran Bob Ley
Bob Ley
Bob Ley is a sportscaster for ESPN. He, along with Chris Berman, is one of only two original SportsCenter anchors still with the network.-Biography:...
along with contributors and fill-in hosts to the show which include Jeremy Schaap
Jeremy Schaap
Jeremy 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:...
, Mark Schwarz, T.J. Quinn, and Kelly Naqi. The program airs for 30 minutes Monday through Friday at 3:00 PM ET
North 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...
and on Sunday at 9:00 AM ET, all on ESPN.
History
The show premiered in 19901990 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1990-91 United States network television schedule.The year 1990 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1990.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
as a monthly one-hour program with Bob Ley
Bob Ley
Bob Ley is a sportscaster for ESPN. He, along with Chris Berman, is one of only two original SportsCenter anchors still with the network.-Biography:...
as host. After a noticeable increase in television ratings, ESPN decided to expand the program for thirty minutes to their Sunday morning lineup at 9:30 am ET, where the show covered one or two of the more notable sporting news stories of the week.
After the ratings continued to grow, on May 12, 2003, ESPN premiered Outside the Lines Nightly. The Sunday morning program was still seen at 9:30 am ET, along with the nightly show that was seen during The Trifecta
The Trifecta
The Trifecta was a one-hour programming block on ESPN of three twenty-minute sports news and information shows.-Format:The block, which originally consisted of Outside the Lines Nightly and two sport-specific programs, aired from April 5, 2005, to late in 2006 between midnight and 1 a.m. Eastern time...
at midnight and noon on ESPN. On June 12, 2006, ESPN announced that Outside the Lines Nightly (now Outside the Lines First Report) would be moved to 3:30 pm ET as part of the afternoon lineup on ESPN.
Outside the Lines debuted its new 3D opening sequence and its current program logo in May 2008.
Design
All of the different versions of the show, whether OTL Sunday, OTL Nightly or OTL First Report, share the same basic design. Like the program's title, the show looks "outside the lines" at some of the most controversial and even inspirational stories in the sports world today. The program also often interviews story makers, such as members of Pat TillmanPat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
's platoon after he was killed in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The program also is joined by former players and sports writers to get all different opinions of the subject at hand.
Segments
Listed below are the numerous segments that appear throughout OTL First Report. They include:- At This Hour: This segment appears at the beginning of the program when the host goes over the latest information on some of the hottest stories from around the sports world.
- Center Piece: During this segment a correspondent, such as 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:...
, Mark Schwarz or Kelly Naqi, delivers either an inspirational or controversial story. - Outside Opinion: At the end of the show, the host reads e-mails from viewers about their opinions on some of the stories covered throughout the program.
- SportsNation Question of the Day: After going over some of the biggest stories of the day, the host poses a question related to one of the stories.
Stories covered
Over the past few years, Outside the Lines has covered several Sports Emmy Award winning pieces such as Finding Bobby Fischer, Ben Comen, and Rainbow Man.Some of the other memorable pieces the show has covered include: Two Man Band (about Patrick Hughes, a blind member of the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
band and his dad), The Jason McElwain
Jason McElwain
Jason McElwain, , is a high-functioning autistic American; he came to fame on national news in 2006 when he played for four minutes during a high school basketball game and scored twenty points....
Story (about the autistic high school basketball manager who came into a game and scored 20 points), Athletes Carrying Guns (about whether it is appropriate for athletes to carry guns), Katrina's
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
Impact
Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
The effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans have been long-lasting. As the center of Katrina passed South-east of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, winds downtown were in the Category 3 range with frequent intense gusts and tidal surge. Hurricane force winds were experienced throughout the...
on New Orleans (prior to the Saints' first game back in New Orleans) and Steroids
Anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, technically known as anabolic-androgen steroids or colloquially simply as "steroids", are drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in the body. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of cellular tissue ,...
Impact on the Little Leagues (and how much they affect them).
The program has also featured exclusive interviews with newsmakers such as: President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, 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....
, 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....
, Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
(after leaving the Lakers the first time) and the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Rangers
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
of Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
's platoon about what really happened. More recently, former NBA
National Basketball Association
The 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...
player John Amaechi
John Amaechi
John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi OBE is a retired American-born British basketball player who currently works as a psychologist, educator and political activist in Europe and the United States....
appeared on the February 11, 2007 edition to publicly come out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, and the May 11, 2008 edition reported that former USC basketball star O. J. Mayo
O. J. Mayo
Ovinton J'Anthony "O. J." Mayo , is an American basketball player currently playing with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He signed with the team on July 8, 2008. He played college basketball for the University of Southern California...
had allegedly received thousands of dollars in cash and merchandise from a runner for a sports agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
dating back to his high school career.
Resources
- ESPN OTL show page
- Press Release: Outside The Lines Weekday Show To Debut July 24