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ESPN scores big with Sports Emmys

Network leads the pack with 42 nominations

By STUART LEVINE

NBC's coverage of the Beijing Olympics received 12 Sports Emmy nominations, the most for any program. The Peacock scored 28 noms overall.

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ESPN leads all networks with 42 nominations for the upcoming Sports Emmy Awards, while the Beijing Olympics was the most recognized program, as NBC's coverage received 12 mentions.

The Peacock scored a total of 28 noms; Fox and HBO tied with 18.

ESPN's Sunday morning newsmagazine "Outside the Lines," hosted by Bob Ley, earned nine.

Nominees for live sports special were the U.S. Open Championship in which Tiger Woods defeated Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines Golf Course (NBC), NASCAR's Daytona 500 (Fox), the New York Giants upset over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII (Fox), the Wimbledon tennis finals between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (NBC) and the 14th edition of the X Games from Los Angeles (ESPN).

Sports series nominees were ESPN's college football and "Monday Night Football," NASCAR coverage from both Fox and TNT and NBC's "Sunday Night Football."

ESPN dominated in the studio show categories. "College Gameday," "Monday Night Countdown" and "Sunday NFL Countdown" were nominated for weekly studio show, along with NBC's "Football Night in America," "Fox's NFL Sunday" and Showtime's "Inside the NFL." This year was the first "Inside" aired on Showtime after moving over from HBO.

"Baseball Tonight," "Outside the Lines: First Report" and "Pardon the Interruption," hosted by Washington Post writers Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon -- all on ESPN -- were nominated in the studio show daily category. Other nominees were TNT's "Inside the NBA" and TBS' "MLB Postseason Studio."

Nominees for top studio host are Bob Costas (NBC, HBO), Bryant (HBO), Chris Berman (ESPN), Ernie Johnson (TNT, TBS) and James Brown (CBS, Showtime).

Al Michaels (NBC), Dan Hicks (NBC), Jim Nantz (CBS), Joe Buck (Fox) and Mike Emrick (NBC) are nominated for top play-by-play announcer.

NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol will receive the lifetime achievement award at the ceremony set for April 27 at Frederick P. Rose Hall in the Time Warner Center in New York.

The Sports Emmys are presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.