The regional sports network, tapping the various assets of parent Madison Square Garden Co.'s three business units, is serving up seven nights of themed programming under the "Summer Block Party" banner, beginning on Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer.
Filling in the gap provided by the absence of baseball programming from its lineup, MSG Network will showcase a pair of new originals Who Wore It Best? and 10 to One, anchoring its respective Monday and Tuesday night lineups. There will be boxing and basketball fare on Wednesdays and Thursdays, while supermodel Kate Upton and Fuse TV personality Allison Hagendorf will host a new schedule of concerts and music fare on Fridays. Actor Luis Guzman will host sports-related theatricals on Saturdays and Sundays.
As part of its "Classic Mondays," MSGN will unveil Who Wore It Best?, an examination of New York's most iconic uniform numbers from every sport to determine which athlete represented the digit(s) best. Hosted by Sirius XM radio personality Dino Costa, the show's panelists include: New York Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins; former athletes John Franco, Anthony Mason and Carl Banks; MSG broadcasters Walt ‘Clyde' Frazier and Al Trautwig; actors Nick Turturro and Vincent Pastore; comedians Jim Florentine, Jim Norton, Sherrod Small and Gary Gulman; writers Bert Sugar, Bill Scheft and Will Leitch; former MTV host Ed Lover; and radio personalities Evan Roberts and Scott Ferrall. The series bows on May 30.
Classic Mondays will also feature new episodes from the Emmy Award-winning MSG Vault. Gleaned from a library containing some 90,000 tapes, the show looks as memorable moments from "the world's most famous arena," including such new installments as 1991-92 Rangers: A Cup is Born.
New episodes of Game 365 and Halls of Fame, featuring Fran Healy interviews with top sports figures, bow in June.
The following night, May 31, MSGN tips off "Countdown Tuesdays." The night will be home 10 To One will begin listing the greatest athletes, past and present, who call(ed) Madison Square Garden home. Hosted by Brittany Umar, the 30-minute program will feature Knicks and Rangers players in categories such as greatest goalies, top scorers, greatest dunkers and top playoff performers, interspersed by footage from MSGN's vast archives.
A fast-paced show, MSG Countdown examines the top 25 moments in various categories from Knicks, Rangers, Devils and Islanders games. All-new episodes include: Fights, Brawls & Melees Part 2, Rangers Most Memorable Moments (2010-11), Most Memorable Rangers-Islanders Moments, Knicks Greatest Moments (2010-11), Greatest Playoff Moments and Most Memorable Game Calls.
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