There aren't any gold medals, but there will still be plenty of winners at the 2004 Sports Emmy Awards - and the ESPN Great Outdoor Games telecast has received its first nomination.
The Great Outdoor Games, up for a Live Audio/Sound Emmy, are one of 33 nominations for ESPN, the most of any entrant and a record best for the company. The nominations were announced March 4 by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; the winners will be announced April 19.
DOUBLES, ANYONE?
Fishing fans will enjoy a new competition at Great Outdoor Games V, set for July 8-11 in Madison, Wis. This year, bass anglers will team up with walleye fishermen for Freshwater Doubles, which will replace the bass fishing competition.
Six teams - consisting of one bass fisherman and one walleye angler - will compete for gold medals in the event. Invitations will be extended to 2003 Bass Fishing gold medalists Shaw Grigsby and Gary Klein as well as top anglers from the CITGO Bassmaster Tour presented by Busch Beer and the Professional Walleye Tour.
ARE YOU DISC DRIVEN?
Dogs who just can't get enough of catching Frisbee discs will have a chance to do it in front of packed crowds at the Great Outdoor Games this summer - and there are still 12 open berths for the first Disc Drive competition.
Dog-and-handler teams can enter one of the International Disc Dog Handlers' Association tournaments coming up this spring in order to earn spots in the Games. In addition to qualifiers in Japan and Germany, there will be two stateside competitions. The winners at the April 2 competition in Ball Ground, Ga., and the May 21 trials in La Mirada, Calif., as well as the international winners, will earn automatic invitations. The eight competitors with the longest catch from any round of any qualifying event will also earn berths.
Handlers may compete in the qualifiers with more than one dog but may only compete in the 2004 ESPN Great Outdoor Games with one dog.
Additional details and registration information can be found at www.iddha.com.
BACKSTAGE PASS
The Great Outdoor Games are free to the public ... but to get behind the scenes, fans have to volunteer. To assist at Great Outdoor Games V in Madison, Wis., volunteers must be over 18 years old and can sign up by visiting www.greatoutdoorgames.com.
For more information, call ESPN Outdoors Communications at (334) 551-2375.
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