Wednesday I had the honor of co-hosting the 25th Annual Sports Luncheon for the March of Dimes, with CBS' Jim Nantz..(."Hello friends!".)...Jim has been a buddy of mine through the years and we have both worked on many occasions for the March of Dimes. As a parent, I feel passionately about their work to bring healthier babies into the world and to educate new parents about what they can do to prevent birth defects. Also at the luncheon, three-time defending NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, who was honored as Sportsman of the Year. He was in the middle of a whirlwind week, doing press and celebrating his Championship with his entire crew here in the Big Apple. When I asked Jimmie how many of his guys at Hendrick Motorsports had made the trip...he told me it was really hard to draw the line somewhere, so they brought just about everybody--that's around five hundred people! Bet they had a blast! Meanwhile, countless members of the sports television community have supported March of Dimes over the years...to the tune of seven million dollars raised for this great cause. So thanks to everyone who was there (and all of your giving to charities this holiday season) for reaching out in these tough economic times and helping those who need it most.

I had a chance to go to Nashville last week and talked to all sorts of folks there who have checked out the new live morning sportscenter. it was great to hear that so many of you are enjoying the new show! lots of people have questions about it, including our colleagues at the multi-media giant Hearst....so thought you might enjoy the below interview thanks so much for watching and being a part of our latest adventure at ESPN! *Inside the Eye of the Storm: ESPN Networks' Hannah Storm* October 27, 2008 by Michael Baldwin Just before the Beijing Olympics Games this summer, ESPN announced a new live format for its flagship 'SportsCenter' morning show, replacing the hours of taped programming it used in the past. Along with that major change, came new co-hosts Hannah Storm, who was previously an anchor on CBS' 'Early Show,' and Josh Elliott, who was once the host of ESPN’s 'Classic Now.' Since Storm and Elliott started reporting live on the Olympics from ESPN's Bristol, Connecticut headquarters, 'SportsCenter' has been gaining steam. Every month, about 93 million people watch the show and ESPN continues to brainstorm ways to expand the program’s audience. 'SportsCenter' now airs live from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and offers sports fans in-depth reports, creative highlights and breaking news. (Storm hosts the program from 9 a.m. to noon). Live 'SportsCenter' shows have always been televised during the evening at 6 p.m., 11 p.m., and 1 a.m. With more than 25 years in the broadcast news business, Storm has covered it all and has interviewed everyone from Tiger Woods to President George W. Bush. Storm dishes to @Hearst about why she loves live TV and the reason she's a bit hard-headed. *Hearst:* What do you think of the show's live format? *Hannah Storm:* My favorite thing is breaking news, so I like it. I enjoy that there’s always news in the sports world, whether it’s someone getting fired or suffering a key injury, or the latest scores. There are constant updates happening on 'SportsCenter.' The live format works well. It’s not just a rehash of the last show, which I think is critical. It can’t just be the same stories people have already seen. Our viewers love it, because, frankly we’re in the information age. People want their news and they want it now. They don’t want to see it on a tape. We’re doing a service for them. We’re incorporating that idea of wanting to know and wanting to know now. *Hearst:* What’s it like to be the anchor, but also have a part in all the behind-the-scenes work that happens before the show airs? *Storm:* I enjoy it. When I was in news, I conducted a lot of research in advance of my interviews. A lot of studying was involved. Here, I have the chance to write lead-ins and review scoreboards and highlights. The workload that we have the morning of the show is significant because nothing’s really done ahead of time. You’re stretched in a bunch of different directions, so you really have to hit the ground running with this kind of show. I like the added responsibility. *Hearst:* What was it like it being so new to the show and then being thrown in to cover the Olympics right off the bat? *Storm:* I worked at NBC Sports for 10 years and had the opportunity to cover the Olympics from Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Salt Lake City. Jumping in to cover the Beijing Games for ESPN was amazing. That’s my wheelhouse, so I have a huge comfort level with it. It was a great way to kick off the live “SportsCenter." *Hearst:* You’ve opened doors for women in media, making history as the first female in American television history to act as solo host of a broadcast network's sports series and again in 1997 as the first play-by-play announcer for the WNBA. How did you become interested in sports broadcast news? *Storm:* When I was growing up, my father was a sports executive with a number of teams, mostly ABA basketball. For that reason, I had a very high comfort level around sports as a young girl. I was in second grade attending pro basketball games, and I got to know the names of all the referees because my mother was in the audience yelling at them. I liked the vibe of sports. It was in my mind. If people were more receptive to the idea of a woman finding work as a sports anchor, it probably would have been an easier road for me climbing the ladder in my career. I visualized what I wanted for my life. I wanted to cover the Olympics and be in morning television. It’s unbelievable that my dreams really came true. *Hearst:* Was there ever a point when you thought about giving up on your goal to be in sports news? *Storm:* Some suggested that I be a features reporter instead, because the path would be much easier for a woman. I couldn’t get agents to sign me. I even had news directors tell me upfront they wouldn’t hire a woman. Although tons of people tried to talk me out of pursuing my dream, I stuck with it. I guess I’m hard-headed. My dad told me all you need is one person to hire you, even if a hundred say no. When you think about the odds that way, they’re pretty good. *Hearst:* How did you get your first break in broadcasting? *Storm:* I got my first real sports job by answering a want ad in the trade magazine Radio and Records. An album-oriented rock station in Houston, KSRR-FM, was looking for a morning and afternoon drive sportscaster, who could also spin records on the weekends. I was working at a rock station in Corpus Christi at the time, so I wrote and recorded a mock sportscast and drove to Houston with my tape and resume. I went to the lobby of the radio station and asked the receptionist to point out the program director. As he was passing through the lobby, I quickly introduced myself, handing him the tape. It took so much nerve to do that. I was terrified! Luckily, he was a really cool guy and liked the fact that I went to the University of Notre Dame. I got the gig, and from there, landed a part-time job at the Houston TV station that televised the Rockets and Astros pre- and post-game shows. That was my big TV break. I would work all night at ballgames and then wake up at the crack of dawn to do radio. But I loved it. It was also a great time in Houston. People there still know me pretty well, so I consider it my adopted hometown. *Hearst:* You’ve also written two books, Go Girl! and Notre Dame Inspirations. What drove you to write them? *Storm:* I wrote Go Girl!, which was released in April 2002, when my daughters were young. At the time, I couldn’t find a good parenting resource so I wrote this book to address how sports can be used as a child-rearing tool. Sports are a good way to help boost kids’ confidence, enable them to see the value of teamwork, and even improve their academic performance. Notre Dame Inspirations was released in September 2006 and it really grew out of my wanting to know what makes people tick. I had the ability to contact a lot of different graduates from Notre Dame, including Joe Montana and Regis Philbin, to find out how their experiences at the University shaped who they are today. It is interesting that you can take any college in America and write a very similar book about how college really affects you in terms of life experience. I enjoyed working on both books. I’d always liked writing, but it’s just that in television, there’s not much of an outlet for that. *Hearst:* Tell me a little bit about the Hannah Storm Foundation. *Storm:* My foundation provides treatment for children suffering from vascular birthmarks. I understand what these children are going through because I dealt with similar issues as a girl. If I’m not wearing makeup, you’ll see that some of the skin on my face is discolored. It really doesn’t bother me anymore, but growing up I received a lot of hurtful commentary and stares. Now, there is laser technology to correct these sorts of skin problems, but it is extremely expensive. So I decided to connect with the top few surgeons in the world who were willing to donate surgery time to help these children. We raise money to help families pay for travel and hospital costs because one child can sometimes undergo 12 surgeries in a year. I just don’t want kids to feel limited or stigmatized. It’s heartbreaking to see that the technology exists and people can’t access it. I want to make it accessible to everyone. The work I put into my foundation comes from the heart. It is a passion of mine and a real part of who I am. Part One of our @Hearst ESPN series on the network's new Monday Night Football strategy can be found here. See the October 20th story.

As passionate as I am about sports, music is right up there too. It's been a big week for music with the release of country superstar Kenny Chesney's new album, "Lucky Old Son." Kenny is a great songwriter and I was so happy to see songs penned by his own hand on the new record. My favorite is "Way Down Here." It's really poignant and personal, and KC has one of the best voices on t he planet (Too bad he's such a bad football prognosticator - he picked my Irish to lose on College Game Day a couple of weeks ago and he was dead wrong. We have a running football rivalry about the Irish and their schedule.) Another new release is my favorite single, "Love Lockdown" by Kanye West. Word has it that this new album is amazing but it would be hard to top "Graduation." I listen to a lot of Kanye' s stuff on the long drive into work in the mornings. Talk about a wide spectrum of musical taste. Also during the past week, I attended two great events supporting the music community. One was for the Country Music Hall of Fame, headed up by Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell and Billy Bob Thorton. Definitely check out The Hall if you are in Nashville. I also went to a New York loft party benefiting the The Jazz Foundation. A lot of our greatest jazz legends were there - many of them displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Others are aging without health care and in need of assistance. It was great to see so many young New Yorkers come out to support them especially in such difficult economic times. And finally, this update: A few weeks ago I wrote about one of our producers shooting video from a fan camera at a Rascal Flatts concert. Well, it turns out, she is our very own Courtney Cox. Blair is all over the new "Bop That Head" video so check it out on their website. She's the one wearing a green sparkly top and dancing on stage (Of course).

So, we had quite a run of trash-talking this week…forget bulletin board material..this has been the stuff of billboards. OT Chris Marinelli bringing the art of trash-talking to a new level at Stanford…(wait…has anyone from there EVER trash-talked?) when he said of Saturday's opponent, Notre Dame.."I hate those guys, I hate that school" and "We're going to go out there and mash them up". Well, we all know how that turned out. And Ocho Cinco, promising he would score a touchdown in Dallas and kiss the Star. No TD, but he did kiss his head coach - does that count??? And this little gem from LSU's Ricky Jean Francois who said of Florida's Tim Tebow, "We're going to try our best to take him out of the game". He backpedaled from that Wednesday, insisting that he didn't mean they would try to intentionally HURT Tebow, just that they wanted to take him out of the game offensively. Sohmmmm….wonder why he was talking about Tebow going to the trainer's room to get medical treatment after the game??? Bottom-line…this kind of silly chatter only provides motivation for your opponent…insults a whole bunch of people, makes you look real classless….and, by the way, has absolutely no bearing on the field of play. That's why they call it trash. So take it out, and try to win the game while you're at it. Now THAT'S making a statement.

We don't get to see a lot of movies on our shift---a four a.m. wakeup call takes care of that…but I was not going to miss the premiere earlier this week of "Nights in Rodanthe". It is superbly acted by Diane Lane and Richard Gere and beautiful directed…a three or four tissue movie…but with some really funny moments also, and set in one of my favorite places on earth…the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The best part, though, is that it is written by my friend Nicholas Sparks, who just keeps crankinig out the best sellers. Nick was actually a track star at our alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, when he blew out his achilles tendon. He had hoped to make the Olympics but instead found himself on the couch over the summer, bummed out and bored. Finally, his mom told him to DO something with himself…and when he asked what, she replied "Why don't you write a book". And that was the start of writing for the young man who would go onto become the worlds thrid best-selling author. Nick has more energy than anyone I know…not only cranking out books (The Lucky One is coming out soon) but also screenplays (he's writing one for miley Cyrus)..founding a high school in North Carolina and, oh yeah, coaching a National Championship track team. Nick's passion remains track and field…and he has taken kids from near his home intiny New Bern, NC….most of whom come from families with no college graduates…and singlehandedly turned them into national champs who earn scholarships. And did I forget to mention he has five kids and is renovating a house? Nick also sits on the board of the Hannah Storm foundation because one of his kids suffered from a hemagioma; helping kids with those is a big part of our mission. And because he takes a lot of ideas from personal experience, a woman with a hemagioma is a key part of the movie. But I don't want to give anything else away…(in case you are one of the few who HASn't read the book!) You'll love the movie…don’t forget to appreciate the passion, energy and dedication of man who give those character such great warmth and depth.have a good weekend! Hannah

Hey guys! Hope you had a good Labor Day weekend. How great was it to have college football back? I was in heaven on Saturday checking out all the action, including Florida's anticipated drubbing of Hawaii. I had heard a lot about the Swamp over the years, but never actually had a chance to go there until last fall, when some friends invited me. It was the Fla-Tenn game...SEC football at its finest...and I fell in love with the atmosphere there. A picture perfect afternoon and the entire stadium, at coach Urban Meyer's request, was decked out in Florida colors. An incredible sight and an electric football team--even as a Notre Dame grad, I was mesmerized by Gator Nation . And that was before actually meeting their quarterback Tim Tebow. Obviously, like most of the nation, I had followed his football exploits and knew a little something about his mission work-but I got the chance to sit down with Tebow in July, and gain a real appreciation for the Gators leader as a person. As you may know, Tim was born in the Philippines, as the son of missionaries. Even though his family moved to Florida when he was three, they kept returning there to work in orphanages. Tim told me was he was about fifteen, this work became more than just something he did with his family--he truly embraced a calling to spread the Christian message and share his faith. Over breaks from school, instead of hitting the beach, Tim has made trips to minister to people around the world..and closer to home, he goes into prisons to speak in his spare time. I found Tim to be completely passionate about his faith, and very sincere..instead of being "preachy". It doesn't hurt that he has a great sense of humor and fun personality. This past spring Tim conceived and organized a powder- puff sorority football tournament, getting several Gators to coach the teams (an easy sell, he said!)..and raising 10 thousand dollars for orphans. Oh yeah, he also picked up the Heisman and now has his sights set on a national championship. The Swamp is a pulpit of sorts for Tim... his football celebrity gives him a wide platform to share his beliefs... ..But make no mistake...for Tim Tebow, football is NOT a religion, as so many fans are fond of saying. Football is game that he has very much in perspective, after so much time spend with those who are struggling in this world. And having that perspective contributes in no small way to his success. Check out our interview "here":http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3558518. And if you get down to Gainesville--stop by the football office to check out their brand-new trophy room complete with videos and touch screens. It's amazing..and who knows what Tebow might add to the display this season!

Thanks for checking in with my page, and for all your great comments. It's hard to believe we are only into the first week of our show and it feels like we've been here forever. We are already having a blast...thanks in no small part to a certain 23-year-old from Baltimore who is demolishing the Olympic record books. We may debate a lot of things here on SportsCenter, but there can be no question that what we are witnessing at the Water Cube in Beijing is a historic performance by the greatest Olympian of all time... and lets take that one step further...Michael Phelps is one of the greatest athletes of all time, pushing the limits and completing re-defining what was thought humanely possible in his sport. He is gathering golds and breaking records...race by race...and while it may seem methodical, make no mistake, Phelps is not a "machine". He is completely passionate about the sport of swimming--and he wants you to be too. We might obsess on the number of golds he's piling up, and on Spitz' record, and the Olympic records, but I can tell you that the record books were not Phelps' focus coming into these Games. when we talked just before the Olympics, I was surprised to learn that Michael and his coach Bob Bowman don't even mention the words "gold medal". Ever. Instead, they talk in terms of times. Times to hit. Times to beat. One for the prelims. One for the semis. One for the final. Phelps is swimming against the clock.... not against history...and as it turns out, not against anyone else either. He is in a class by himself...and yet as we can see, his greatest joy is reserved for team relays. Before the Games, I found him to be completely relaxed, totally confident...and downright happy. not weighed down by pressure, but instead, excited to go to Beijing and show the world what was possible---what could be achieved in the pool. He wanted to do what no other swimmer has ever done. Michael wanted people glued to the tube and the Cube.... and in the process ... if he made history...well, that was pretty cool as well. This is a pretty normal guy...his unparelled athletic talents notwithstanding. He listens to rap (very loudly) on his ipod, stays in the Athlete's village, takes a bus to and from the pool, crams in as many calories as possible and tries to get some rest. He can't wait until after these Games to go on vacation with his buddies, get up when he wants, eat what he wants, do what he wants. This is also the same guy who's mad that he can't break his world record by more than 6-100ths of a second...even as his goggles fill with water during the race. Phelps is freakishly talented, with an unmatched work ethic, and above all a real love for his sport. and we're falling in love with it too. So no matter how many golds you end up draping around that neck of yours, mission accomplished, Michael. And thank you...for an unforgettable week.

If you missed my chat with SportsNation from Wednesday, you can read it here. Thanks for all of your questions.