Bob Ley
CT, US
Host of ESPN's Outside the Lines Nightly
Bob Ley, who joined ESPN on the network's third day of existence (September 9, 1979), is a co-anchor of the 6 p.m. ET weeknight SportsCenter, the network's sports news program. He also spearheads SportsCenter's aggressive coverage of breaking news stories and issues, and hosts ESPN's monthly and nightly Outside the Lines series which focus on issues beyond the playing field. When Ley was host of the original monthly Outside the Lines, the series captured eight Sports Emmy Awards for Sports Journalism and three CableACE Awards for Sports Information Series. SportsCenter has received six Sports Emmys and two CableACE Awards. Ley has also hosted two ESPN Town Meetings, including Race & Sports: Running in Place?, a live national television discussion on the issue of race in sports by panelists that included President Bill Clinton. Ley's efforts earned him Northeastern's 1995 Excellence in Sports Journalism Award from the University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, together with the University's School of Journalism. Ley, who handles play-by-play for ABC & ESPN's coverage of World Cup soccer games (including serving as the lead commentator for World Cup '98), received the Honorary All-America Award by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for his contributions to the sport in January 1999. Equally at home in the studio and in the field, Ley brings a relaxed, smooth style to his varied assignments. He hosted the 11:30 p.m. SportsCenter (August 1988-March 1992) and the network's NFL Draft coverage (1980-89). He also hosted ESPN's NCAA basketball tournament studio show (1980-89) which perfected the "whip-around" format that helped to raise the tournament to its current status. Ley has also taken viewers through two major events: he spearheaded ESPN's coverage of Pete Rose's suspension by Bart Giamatti, and provided the first national news coverage of the earthquake live from Candlestick Park in San Francisco at the 1989 World Series. He has also covered several NCAA basketball Final Fours, hosted live special events for ESPN, and done play-by-play commentary for college basketball, boxing, soccer and CBA basketball. A1976 magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications, Ley joined Suburban Cablevision (East Orange, N.J.) as Director of Sports/Public Affairs in September 1976,. During his three years there (1976-79), Suburban Cablevision won four local CableACE Awards for both sports and overall programming.
Bob Ley, who joined ESPN on the network's third day of existence (September 9, 1979), is a co-anchor of the 6 p.m. ET weeknight SportsCenter, the network's sports news program. He also spearheads SportsCenter's aggressive coverage of breaking news stories and issues, and hosts ESPN's monthly and nightly Outside the Lines series which focus on issues beyond the playing field. When Ley was host of the original monthly Outside the Lines, the series captured eight Sports Emmy Awards for Sports Journalism and three CableACE Awards for Sports Information Series. SportsCenter has received six Sports Emmys and two CableACE Awards. Ley has also hosted two ESPN Town Meetings, including Race & Sports: Running in Place?, a live national television discussion on the issue of race in sports by panelists that included President Bill Clinton. Ley's efforts earned him Northeastern's 1995 Excellence in Sports Journalism Award from the University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, together with the University's School of Journalism. Ley, who handles play-by-play for ABC & ESPN's coverage of World Cup soccer games (including serving as the lead commentator for World Cup '98), received the Honorary All-America Award by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for his contributions to the sport in January 1999. Equally at home in the studio and in the field, Ley brings a relaxed, smooth style to his varied assignments. He hosted the 11:30 p.m. SportsCenter (August 1988-March 1992) and the network's NFL Draft coverage (1980-89). He also hosted ESPN's NCAA basketball tournament studio show (1980-89) which perfected the "whip-around" format that helped to raise the tournament to its current status. Ley has also taken viewers through two major events: he spearheaded ESPN's coverage of Pete Rose's suspension by Bart Giamatti, and provided the first national news coverage of the earthquake live from Candlestick Park in San Francisco at the 1989 World Series. He has also covered several NCAA basketball Final Fours, hosted live special events for ESPN, and done play-by-play commentary for college basketball, boxing, soccer and CBA basketball. A1976 magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications, Ley joined Suburban Cablevision (East Orange, N.J.) as Director of Sports/Public Affairs in September 1976,. During his three years there (1976-79), Suburban Cablevision won four local CableACE Awards for both sports and overall programming.
2010