FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 15th, 2020

BILL BUCKNER, KIRK GIBSON & JEFFREY MAIER MLB GAMES; NADAL-FEDERER, BORG-MCENROE, VENUS-SERENA & GOLF’S “BATTLE OF BROOKLINE” HIGHLIGHT NBC SPORTS FROM THE VAULT, BEGINNING MON., MAY 18 ON NBCSN

Nearly 55 Hours of Classic Sports Moments from Notre Dame Football, the Orange Bowl, MLB Classics, Wimbledon, French Open, PGA TOUR & Ryder Cup

Historic Events Include 2006 French Open Men’s Final (Nadal-Federer), 1980 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final (Borg-McEnroe), 1990 Orange Bowl (#4 Notre Dame vs. #1 Colorado), 1986 World Series Game 6 (Red Sox-Mets), and Mickelson’s Win at the 1997 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Former Athletes to Provide Additional Commentary During Broadcasts

Content to Stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 15, 2020 – The second week of NBC Sports From the Vault begins Monday, May 18 on NBCSN, replaying nearly 55 hours of classic sports events from the past 40 years, featuring Notre Dame Football, the Orange Bowl, MLB classics, Wimbledon, French Open, PGA TOUR and Ryder Cup.

From Monday, May 18, through Friday, May 22 (starting at 7 p.m. ET), and Saturday, May 23, through Sunday, May 24 (starting at 8 p.m. ET), NBCSN will present nightly primetime programming from NBC Sports’ vault of historic games, spanning four sports across four decades.

Iconic athletes that will be featured over the course of the week include Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Phil Mickelson, and John McEnroe, as well as legendary postseason matchups featuring the Boston Red Sox-New York Mets 1986 World Series Game 6, Oakland A’s-Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series Game 1, and the 1990s Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. the Colorado Buffaloes.

Throughout the week, former athletes will provide commentary on the classic games, including a pair of former Notre Dame standouts – Heisman Trophy runner-up Rocket Ismail and All-American Reggie Brooks – former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and 1988 World Series MVP Orel Hershiser, former New York Mets pitcher Ron Darling, GOLF Channel analyst and 12-time PGA TOUR winner Justin Leonard, and 12-time European Tour (and three-time PGA TOUR) winner Ian Poulter.

Game presentations will include a specialized ticker featuring live tweets. Fans can tweet #NBCSNVault for the chance to see their tweets live on air.

Following is each night’s ‘From the Vault’ content:

    • Monday, May 18: “Breakfast at Wimbledon”
    • Tuesday, May 19: “Breakfast at Wimbledon”
    • Wednesday, May 20: French Open
    • Thursday, May 21: Notre Dame Football
    • Friday, May 22: MLB Classics
    • Saturday, May 23: PGA TOUR (Arnold Palmer Invitational) and Ryder Cup
    • Sunday, May 24: PGA TOUR (THE PLAYERS Championship) and Ryder Cup

 

Programming will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

MONDAY, MAY 18 – “BREAKFAST AT WIMBLEDON”

The first two days of next week’s NBC Sports From the Vault coverage feature “Breakfast at Wimbledon,” 16 hours of nostalgic Wimbledon finals. Tonight kicks off at 7 p.m. ET with Serena Williams defending her 2002 Wimbledon title by defeating older sister, Venus Williams, in the 2003 final.

Regarded as one of the greatest tennis matches of all time, Sweden’s Bjorn Borg defeated American tennis legend John McEnroe in an epic five-setter during the 1980 Wimbledon gentlemen’s final. At 12:30 a.m. ET, tennis legend Pete Sampras gave one of the greatest performances in a Wimbledon final when he defeated fellow American Andre Agassi in 1999.

NBC Sports feature reporter and host Jimmy Roberts will introduce the opening night of the week’s coverage.

EVENT TIME (ET) NETWORK
2003 Wimbledon Ladies’ Final 7 p.m. NBCSN
1980 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final 9:30 p.m. NBCSN
1999 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final 12:30 a.m. NBCSN

 

TUESDAY, MAY 19 – “BREAKFAST AT WIMBLEDON”

Coverage from London continues with a trio of classic Wimbledon matches spanning from 2005-09. In what John McEnroe called the greatest tennis match ever played, Rafael Nadal won his first Wimbledon title, defeating five-time defending champion Roger Federer in 2008. Federer’s 2009 Wimbledon win earned him his 15th Grand Slam title, breaking the all-time Grand Slam record held by Pete Sampras. In the longest ladies’ final match in Wimbledon history, Venus Williams defeated compatriot and world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport to win her third Wimbledon singles title.

Jimmy Roberts will introduce Tuesday’s Wimbledon coverage.

EVENT TIME (ET) NETWORK
2008 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final 7 p.m. NBCSN
2009 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final 10 p.m. NBCSN
2005 Wimbledon Ladies’ Final 1 a.m. NBCSN

 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 – FRENCH OPEN

Rafael Nadal, the “King of Clay,” headlines eight hours of French Open finals, including two matches against rival Roger Federer. Nadal defeated Argentina’s Mariano Puerta for his first French Open and Grand Slam title in 2005. In 2006, Nadal earned his second consecutive French Open title, handing Federer his first loss in a Grand Slam final. World No. 1 Nadal defeated Federer to win his sixth French Open title in 2011, tying former Swedish tennis star Bjorn Borg for the most wins at Roland-Garros.

NBC Sports’ French Open play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks will introduce Wednesday’s French Open coverage.

EVENT TIME (ET) NETWORK
2006 French Open Men’s Final 7 p.m. NBCSN
2011 French Open Men’s Final 10 p.m. NBCSN
2005 French Open Men’s Final 12:30 a.m. NBCSN

 

THURSDAY, MAY 21 – NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

Thursday kicks off with one of the most memorable games in Notre Dame football history: No. 8 Notre Dame hosting No. 22 Penn State on Senior Day in a November 1992 snowy thriller, known as the “Snow Bowl.” In the game, former Notre Dame running back Reggie Brooks caught a two-point conversion pass to push the Fighting Irish to a 17-16 victory over the Nittany Lions.

Thursday night also features back-to-back Orange Bowl games featuring the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Colorado Buffaloes. At 9:30 p.m. ET, the Fighting Irish handed the top-ranked and undefeated Buffs their first loss of the 1989-90 season. In a controversial ending, Thursday’s nightcap will feature Colorado earning its first national championship after Rocket Ismail’s punt return for a potential game-winning Notre Dame touchdown is called back on a penalty with 43 seconds left in the 1991 Orange Bowl.

NBC has aired each of the five most watched Orange Bowls on record since 1988. The 1990 Orange Bowl is the second-most watched edition of the annual game with 30.1 million viewers.

NBC Sports host Liam McHugh anchors coverage on Thursday night.

EVENT TIME (ET) NETWORK
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 22 Penn State (1992 Snow Bowl) 7 p.m. NBCSN
No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Colorado (1990 Orange Bowl) 9:30 p.m. NBCSN
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Colorado (1991 Orange Bowl) Midnight NBCSN

 

FRIDAY, MAY 22 – MLB CLASSICS

NBC Sports will showcase some of the most memorable postseason games in Major League Baseball history Friday night on NBCSN. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, punctuated by Kirk Gibson’s “impossible” pinch-hit, walk-off home run to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a win against the heavily favored Oakland Athletics. The Dodgers series victory marked the last World Series that legendary broadcaster Vin Scully and baseball legend Joe Garagiola would call on television. The game also averaged 30.3 million viewers, the second-most watched World Series Game 1 on record since 1987.

Coverage continues at 9:30 p.m. ET with Game 6 of the 1986 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, known for Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner’s error on a Mookie Wilson ground ball to give the Mets the victory in extra innings. The Mets would go on to win their second World Series and first in 17 years.

Coverage wraps up at midnight ET with Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. The game featured one of the more controversial plays in recent times, when 12-year-old Yankees fan Jeffrey Maier famously reached out from the right-field bleachers and caught an eighth-inning Derek Jeter fly ball, which was ruled a home run in a game the Yankees would win 5-4 in extra innings. The Yankees went on to win the ALCS and the World Series in 1996, the first of four World Series titles in five years.

NBC Sports host and reporter Ahmed Fareed hosts coverage on Friday.

EVENT TIME (ET) NETWORK
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Oakland Athletics (1988 World Series, Game 1) 7 p.m. NBCSN
New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox (1986 World Series, Game 6) 9:30 p.m. NBCSN
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles (1996 ALCS Series, Game 1) Midnight NBCSN

 

SATURDAY, MAY 23 – PGA TOUR (ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL) AND RYDER CUP

NBC Sports From the Vault’s golf coverage features back-to-back tournament comeback victories by the U.S. in the 1999 Ryder Cup and Phil Mickelson at the 1997 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET as the U.S. pulled off the greatest comeback in golf history during the 1999 Ryder Cup known as the “Battle of Brookline.” The U.S. erased a four-point deficit entering singles matches to capture the biennial competition from Europe. Justin Leonard became the hero for the U.S. team after a 45-foot putt on the 17th hole clinched the victory. The 1999 Ryder Cup stands as the most watched Ryder Cup telecast on record (1991-2018) with over 6.9 million average viewers.

From Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, the 1997 Arnold Palmer Invitational saw Mickelson fire a final-round 7-under-par 65 on the Championship Course for a come from behind victory, just three strokes ahead of Australian Stuart Appleby. The victory marked Mickelson’s 10th PGA TOUR win.

GOLF Channel and NBC Sports play-by-play host Dan Hicks will introduce Saturday’s golf coverage.

EVENT TIME (ET) NETWORK
1999 Ryder Cup 8 p.m. NBCSN
1997 Arnold Palmer Invitational 1 a.m. NBCSN

 

SUNDAY, MAY 24 – PGA TOUR (THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP) AND RYDER CUP

NBC Sports From the Vault’s second week of coverage concludes with a European comeback at the 2012 Ryder Cup and victory for Tiger Woods at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2013. At the first Ryder Cup held in Illinois, the 2012 tournament at the Medinah Country Club displayed one of the biggest comebacks in Ryder Cup history known as the “Miracle at Medinah.” England’s Ian Poulter kept Europe’s hopes alive after firing five birdies in a row to close the deficit to 10-6 on the second day. On the final day, Europe earned its second-straight Ryder Cup win against the U.S.

From TPC Sawgrass, THE PLAYERS Championship in 2013 saw Woods shoot a final-round 70 to claim his second PLAYERS title and 78th career win on the PGA TOUR. Woods finished two strokes ahead of runners-up David Lingmerth of Sweden and Americans Jeff Maggert and Kevin Streelman. THE PLAYERS Championship in 2013 is also the second-most watch broadcast for the annual tournament on record since 1988 with 7.6 million viewers.

Dan Hicks will introduce the final night of NBC Sports From the Vault’s second week coverage.

EVENT TIME (ET) NETWORK
2012 Ryder Cup 8 p.m. NBCSN
2013 PLAYERS Championship 1 a.m. NBCSN

 

–NBC SPORTS–