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The Promise
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, ESPN; re-air 10 a.m. ESPN2)
SportsCenter (Sunday, 10 a.m. and 11 p.m., ESPN)
https://youtu.be/XYHqFKbE9O4
Rad Martinez is a 32-year-old Mixed Martial Arts fighter who has been told he must train 24/7 to reach the sport’s highest stage — the UFC. However, five years ago, he committed virtually every waking hour to another life course when he promised his dying grandmother he would take over as primary caretaker for his brain-damaged father. Martinez, a former All-American wrestler from West Jordan, Utah, was encouraged to give the MMA a try by his former Clarion University teammate Frankie Edgars, who is ranked the No. 1 MMA lightweight fighter in the world. After taking up the sport three years ago, Martinez has won nine of 11 matches. Outside the Lines presents the unforgettable story of a son’s love, told through his very own words.
“He never got to see me wrestle in college. He never got to see me wrestle at all. I think if he were well, and didn’t have brain damage, I think he would want to see that so I’m going to show him.” — Rad Martinez, on why he shows tapes of his fights to his father even though he may not grasp what he’s watching
“It’s ironic, when you step into the cage maybe, well some people would think, well now your caged in, but the real cage is at home. Stepping into that cage and fighting is kind of like taking off the shackles, unleashing a freedom. All of a sudden he’s got a life, he’s got freedom, he’s got space.” — Levi Martinez, on the freedom his older brother Rad feels when he fights
“Everybody says the exact same thing: ‘Wow, I don’t know if I could do that.’ That’s funny to me that people say that because I kind of know that a lot of people could do it. My grandma did it until she died. I’m going to it until: A. My dad gets better; B. My dad passes away; or C. I pass away.” — Rad Martinez, on the reaction he gets from people who learn of his story
The Home Plate Debate
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m., ESPN; re-air 10 a.m. ESPN2)
https://youtu.be/ozFTYmY3aDA
Collisions at home plate have been an exciting — and violent — part of baseball for years. But following Giants catcher Buster Posey’s season-ending injury, a debate has surfaced: should catchers be protected from collisions? Buster Olney reports on how those in the game are responding to catcher collisions.
“These guys are bigger, faster, stronger. I think it’s probably time for us to explore this, to see if there is a way we can protect these guys a little bit, because they’re getting busted up.” — Bruce Bochy, Giants manager and a former catcher
“Outfielders used to run into those walls all of the time, and all of a sudden they go, ‘You know what? Maybe we should pad the walls?’ Well, they protect everybody, but what about the catcher?” — Johnny Bench, Hall of Fame catcher
“In the rulebook you are allowed to block not only the plate, you’re allowed to block any base if you have the ball in your possession. If a catcher has the privilege to try to block the base, the runner has to have that privilege to try to knock the catcher over.” — Mike Sciosia, Angels manager and former catcher
Plays of the Month According to John Brenkus & Sport Science Team
Within Various programming
https://youtu.be/1WIBMkYhlPs
John Brenkus and the ESPN Sport Science Team dissect three top plays for the month of June. This month they focus on:
- Orioles OF Adam Jones using his “kinesthetic awareness” to track down a batted ball and catch it “in the sixth of a second between leaving the ground and colliding with the outfield wall.”
- Mexico’s Giovani Dos Santos sealing the win over the U.S. when, “Actually moving away from the goal, he plants his right foot perpendicular to the ball’s path and gets off the shot only a tenth of a second before two defenders close the window.”
- Bruins goalie Tim Thomas stopping back-to-back shots against Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Finals with flash moves of his right knee in 35 thousandths of a second, and his glove hand in less than nine-tenths of a second.
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