Mike Pesca

Wrestlers Grapple To Save Sport From Olympic Chopping Block

Mike Pesca — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:24:00 +0000

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

How often do you find Iran, Russia and the United States united behind a single message? Well, representatives from all three countries were in New York City yesterday rallying support for the sport of wrestling, which could be excluded from the upcoming Olympic Games. It was quite a show of sportsmanship and diplomacy. Of course, there was time for some conflict among the wrestlers.

Broadcast Sports Pioneer Bob Wolff Shares His Archive

Mike Pesca — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:11:00 +0000

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Sports caster Bob Wolff is said to be the only announcer to call a championship game in all four major sports. Wolff is rare among sportscasters, not just for his longevity, a record 74 years and counting, but also his commitment to posterity. He recorded many of his broadcasts and now he's donated this trove to the Library of Congress.

NPR's Mike Pesca talked to Wolff about his career and legacy.

MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: A baseball fan can only dream of being able to pick Hall of Famer Tris Speaker's brain for tips on playing center field.

Louisville Triumphs Over Michigan 82-76

Mike Pesca — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:34:00 +0000

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

On a Tuesday, it's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Steve Inskeep is on a reporting trip this week in Venezuela. I'm David Greene in Washington.

The University of Louisville are the new champions of men's college basketball. They beat the University of Michigan Wolverines 82-to-76 last night in Atlanta.

Previewing Men's NCAA Basketball Championship

Mike Pesca — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:01:00 +0000

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

OK. People in Kentucky, don't call me a jinx, but there is the potential for some major celebrations in Louisville coming soon. Louisville is the school to beat in both the men's and women's college Division I basketball title games. The Lady Cardinals of Louisville will face Connecticut in the championship game Tuesday. We'll have more on that in a minute.

In The Zone, Syracuse Aims For NCAA Title

Mike Pesca — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:53:00 +0000

Any recreational league basketball team, any police athletic league squad and every group of 8-year-olds who wear the same uniform are, on the first or second day of practice, introduced to the 2-3 zone defense.

The coach will say, "On defense, you two short guys stay near the foul line, and you three bigger kids, you go down near the basket.

Why College Basketball Celebrates Final 4 Teams

Mike Pesca — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:40:00 +0000

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The NCAA men's basketball tournament resumes tomorrow. Louisville plays Wichita State and Syracuse faces Michigan. On the women's side, it's Louisville again. They're playing California. Notre Dame is playing Connecticut. These quartets of teams, of course, are known as the Final Four, and this stage in the tournament is a resume booster for teams and coaches.

Deflections: The Unofficial Stat That Measures Success

Mike Pesca — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:44:00 +0000

The Louisville Cardinals are among the teams dominating at this year's men's Division 1 NCAA basketball tournament, which resumes Thursday night. The team credits harassing, active defense for its wins.

But there's something else at work, too: deflections. The team puts a lot of stock in them, though deflections aren't an officially tracked statistic.

The way Mario Batali thinks about black truffles, the penchant Quentin Tarantino has for quoting Hong Kong martial arts films in his own movies — that's the way University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino talks about deflections.

March Madness Report From Lexington, Kentucky

Mike Pesca — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:38:00 +0000

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MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: And I'm Mike Pesca in Lexington, Kentucky where Marquette, Louisville, Butler and Colorado State all advanced. That was the big story for sure, but there was something else that had all the players talking. Other than the memories of a lifetime and the chance to keep living their dreams and all that, there was - as Jamil Wilson pointed out to this Marquette teammate Vander Blue - this amazing room they just walked by in the hallway.

JAMIL WILSON: It was, like, nuts.

Major League Soccer Finally On Solid Footing, But Hasn't Reached Big Time

Mike Pesca — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 22:01:00 +0000

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The Major League Soccer season starts tomorrow. Superstar David Beckham is gone and there aren't any new teams to get excited about this year. But the MLS is on solid footing, and as NPR's Mike Pesca reports, the league has big ambitions.

MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: Having just turned 18 years old, Major League Soccer is now in its own demographic. Young people are drawn to the league. It's very popular among Hispanics and lots of women watch, too.

Jimmie Johnson Wins Daytona 500 For 2nd Time

Mike Pesca — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:38:00 +0000

Five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson reclaimed his spot at the top with a late push in Sunday's race. Danica Patrick was the first woman to start from the pole, but she went on to finish eighth.

Inside Brooklyn's New Barclays Center

Mike Pesca — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:20:00 +0000

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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.

For the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, this season has been, in a word, new - new state, new city, brand-new arena. The team moved from Newark, New Jersey, to the New York borough of Brooklyn, which hasn't had a major pro sports team since the Dodgers left in 1957. Home court is now the Barclays Center. And as much as the move was supposed to bring new life to the team, it was also supposed to bring life to the neighborhood.

Lights Out For 49ers, Ravens Are Super Bowl Champs

Mike Pesca — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:38:00 +0000

The Baltimore Ravens are the new Super Bowl champions. They defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34 to 31 Sunday night in New Orleans. The game threatened to be overshadowed by a momentum changing 34 minute power outage.

Ravens Are Super Bowl Underdogs, But Are Stats On Their Side?

Mike Pesca — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:09:00 +0000

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Baltimore Ravens are the underdogs in this Sunday's Super Bowl, going up against the San Francisco 49ers. Now, there have been bigger underdogs. And yes, the Ravens are not the lowest-seeded team to make it to the Super Bowl. But the Ravens have beaten the odds in another way. NPR's Mike Pesca talked to some football numbers guys and has this report.

MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: The Ravens embrace the role of the underdog at the same time that they scoff at the very notion.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Colin Kaepernick?

Mike Pesca — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:17:00 +0000

There's always a question surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Years ago, people wondered whether the talented athlete would be good enough to start in college.

Then there was the question of what role he would play in the NFL. And after the 49ers took him, fans questioned whether he could throw enough to be more than a backup.

Now, the only question is: How do you stop Colin Kaepernick? The second-year quarterback out of Nevada is making just his 10th NFL start and is perhaps the most important player in the Super Bowl.

Patriots, 49ers To Meet In February's Super Bowl

Mike Pesca — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 08:41:00 +0000

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The match up for Super Bowl is set. In two weeks, the San Francisco 49ers, winners of the NFC championship, will play the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were big underdogs in their game, yesterday, against the defending AFC champions, the New England Patriots. Same teams as last season, but this time a different result.