Mike Soltys
@MichaelJSoltys
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43 years in ESPNPR. ESPN Historian
Connecticut, USA
Joined December 2008
Today is 5 years since early detection, and good doctors, saved me from kidney cancer. My annual tweet to encourage you to see a doctor if you see a symptom, an important reminder now when many are hesitant to go.
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The first ESPN press release with Lee Corso’s name, as he called the 1983 Citrus Bowl. A legendary lineup that included Paul Maguire, Bud Wilkinson, Ray Scott and Jim Simpson.
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1983 PR memo to the press when ESPN began to receive Nielsen data. It wasn’t Big Data, but a 6.4 for the Aloha Bowl was Pretty Big Data.
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RT @NYSE: "All of ESPN. All in one place.". Who else is pumped for the ESPN launch of the network’s direct-to-consumer service & enhanced a….
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SportsCenter, the most televised show in history, starts a new chapter today with a personalized SportsCenter For You. Remarkable longevity, as it was ESPN’s first show on September 7, 1979
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A pod this epic demands a behind-the-scenes picture.
ESPN's first-ever mascot App-E joined the latest edition of '06010' the ESPN Communications podcast. @AlexFeuz 'chatted' with App-E about the excitement surrounding the launch of ESPN's direct-to-consumer service & enhanced app on Aug. 21. 📺
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ESPN with an impressive history of launch days.
Aug. 21 marks the launch of ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service. Celebrities from @MCHammer to @CindyCrawford have played a role in historic ESPN launches. As the new era begins, look back at several memorable 'launch day' moments ➡️
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Lee, following Hubie Brown, will become ESPN's second nonagenarian on-air. Pulling for @Dickiev to be the third in 2029.
Happy 9⃣0⃣th birthday to ESPN's Lee Corso!. LC's final @CollegeGameDay show will be Aug. 30 in Columbus. Our crew is going to have a very special send-off for all he's meant to college football.
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The origins of ESPN’s current equity partner Hearst, which made this lucrative acquisition in 1990 when it purchased the 20% from RJR/Nabisco.
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From a “neat experiment” to a daily show. The first story written about our draft coverage in 1980 and the new release
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40 years ago ESPN announced a championship wrestling deal and ties it on Tuesdays with Roller Derby for an action packed night of Slams & Jams.
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As #SC50in50 goes to Disney World we look back at the first ESPN The Weekend at Disney World, 21 years ago this weekend. Here @RobDibble49 shows his Mickey Mouse tattoo to Minnie.
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Celebrated Intern Day with a long chat with ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen, who got my professional journey started. 45 years later he remains inspiring.
On #NationalInternDay, ESPN celebrates the interns who have gone the distance. Learn more about past Communications interns & where they are now ➡️
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40 years ago this week, ESPN changed the look of your sports (and news) when it innovated with “28/58”. The screen was reduced to give you scores every 30 minutes. Viewers could watch their game and keep tabs on all the others.
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46 years ago, Chet Simmons became president of ESPN, as Getty Oil started to push out founder @Bill_ESPN For a successful launch, ESPN needed Chet's TV chops, Bill's vision/drive/enthusiasm and Getty's cash.
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The story captures the amazing Dickie V perfectly. What a life!.
The @SBJ story about @DickieV today is a tremendous read. Highly recommend: The historical photos in the piece are also remarkable. Top: Mike Fratello, Hubie Brown, Vitale, Richie Adubato.Bottom: Valvano, Larry Conley, Clark Kellogg, Bill Raftery, Vitale
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Latest interview for the ESPN launch doc is investor JB Doherty, who kept the idea financially afloat and provided keen guidance before Getty’s arrival. “The potential scale…was dramatically bigger than anything anybody had thought about before”
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RT @bhofheimer_espn: ESPN and the @BIGEAST announced a new 6-year media rights agreement today: ESPN's relationshi….
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As SportsCenter’s 50 states in 50 days begins, the swag from the original in 2005 still hangs in the garage—the one room I’m allowed to decorate.
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