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September 7, 1979

The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network goes on the air.  After a jaunty jingle (“E! S! P! N! Everything worth seeing!”), host Lee Leonard set the early standard for calm understatement by uttering the first words on the network: “Yea, verily, a sampler of wonders.”  Those upcoming wonders consisted of a college football preview show and a doubleheader of professional slo-pitch softball.  (“Softball is one of those rare sports everybody knows something about,” Leonard said. “Why?  ‘Cause we all play it on Sunday when we drink a little beer.”)  But first, Leonard introduced George Grande at the anchor desk for one of the network’s innovations: an all-sports newscast. “Thanks, Lee, and welcome, everyone, to the ESPN SportsCenter,” said Grande.  “From this very desk in the coming weeks and months we’ll be filling you in on the pulse of sporting activity, not only around the country but around the world as well.  If it takes an interview, we’ll do it.  If it takes play-by-play, we’ll do it.  If it takes commentary, we’ll do that too.  That’s the way we’ll function from the ESPN SportsCenter.  We’ll be filling you in on further updates as the broadcast progresses.” 

And so they have.