View source for ESPN25

{{Short description|ESPN Anniversary}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2025}}
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'''ESPN25''' was a special event conducted to mark the 25th anniversary of [[ESPN]].{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

During the run-up to the anniversary date of September 7, 2004, the network counted down the top sports moments of the last 25 years (the "ESPN era"). Each Tuesday, a new 25-to-1 list was unveiled, as was the next headline in that 25-to-1 countdown. In addition, each day during ''[[SportsCenter]]'', the next moment in the list of the top 100 moments of the ESPN era was shown. The celebration concluded by declaring the [[Miracle on Ice]] hockey game between the United States and the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games the #1 moment, game, and headline of the last 25 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESPN.com - espn25 Index |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/espn25/index |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=www.espn.com}}</ref>

==The Headlines==
ESPN also had a weekly series, ''The Headlines'', hosted by [[Bob Ley]], counting down the top 25 stories since 1979, "stories that at some point jumped off the sports page, and onto the front page."{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

==Old School Week==
Several former ESPN anchors were invited back to co-anchor the nighttime Sportscenter broadcast with ESPN anchors of the time, during an "old school week".

* [[Craig Kilborn]], alongside [[Dan Patrick (sportscaster)|Dan Patrick]], broadcast Sunday, September 8, 2004; 
* [[Charley Steiner]], alongside [[Bob Ley]], broadcast Monday, September 9, 2004;
* [[Gayle Gardner]], alongside [[Stuart Scott]], broadcast Tuesday, September 10, 2004;
* [[Greg Gumbel]], alongside [[Chris Berman]], broadcast Wednesday, September 11, 2004;
* [[George Grande]], alongside Chris Berman, broadcast Thursday, September 12, 2004.

==Who's #1?==
Immediately following ''The Headlines'' (before ''The Headlines'' in the early portion of the summer), [[Stuart Scott]] hosted ''[[Who's No. 1?|Who's #1?]]'', which counts down the top 25 of the last 25 years in some category. ''Who's #1'' has since expanded into a weekly series on [[ESPN Classic]], with additional categories and a new host, [[Trey Wingo]].  In the weekly series, only 20 items are revealed, and, in a post-show segment, the "Second Guessers" debate the choices.

==Missing footage==
Conspicuously absent from the entire ESPN25 series was all but a few seconds of footage from [[National Football League]] games.  During the ''Headlines'' show about [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]], ESPN aired the entrance of [[Dallas Cowboys]] defensive back [[George Teague]] entering [[Texas Stadium]] with the [[American flag]] when the NFL resumed play after the attacks; otherwise, it had to air still photographs whenever the league was mentioned.  Neither the league nor ESPN explained why the footage was absent, but the network had just shown ''[[Playmakers]]'', a weekly [[drama]] show about a fictitious professional [[American football|football]] team called the Cougars.  The show's blunt treatment of off-the-field problems drew criticism from NFL officials, and reports surfaced that the NFL threatened not to renew ESPN's television contract with the league if ''Playmakers'' was renewed for a second season.  The show was not renewed.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Espn25}}
[[Category:ESPN]]
[[Category:2004 television specials]]