ESPN broadcaster to host Greater Cleveland Sports Awards | News

The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is proud to announce that Mike Tirico, ESPN Monday Night Football Broadcaster, will host the 2010 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on Feb. 10, 2011 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel.

Tirico has handled a variety of assignments for ESPN, ESPN Radio and ABC Sports since 1991, establishing himself as one of the most recognizable faces and steady voices across ESPN’s multimedia platforms and in the industry altogether. In 2006, he assumed one of the top positions in sports television as ESPN’s Monday Night Football play-by-play commentator, for which he garnered a Sports Emmy nomination in 2007. Tirico’s other roles include NBA and golf play-by-play/host, studio host for major events and ESPN Radio host. Tirico has always been one of the industry’s most versatile sportscasters, covering play-by-play duties for ESPN NFL games, Thursday and Saturday college football games, college basketball, NBA games for both networks (including hosting NBA broadcasts on ABC), and golf coverage on both ESPN and ABC.

This past summer, Tirico also hosted ESPN’s coverage of two major global sporting events which included SportsCenter segments from the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and golf play-by-play for The Open Championship for the first time.

Tirico will join the list of former Sports Awards emcee greats including Kirk Herbstreit, Jim Nantz, Bob Costas, Dan Patrick, Chris Rose, Roy Firestone, Greg Gumbel, Robin Roberts and Bill Walton.

Presented by Medical Mutual of Ohio and Collection Auto Group, the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards is the biggest sports show in Northeast Ohio, honoring the best and brightest of the area’s amateur and professional sports. The star-studded dinner event consistently boasts attendance levels exceeding 1,000 and features many national and local celebrity guests including Olympians as well as current and former Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers and Indians players. Award presentations include: High School Athlete of the Year, Collegiate Athlete of the Year, Amateur Athlete of the Year, Professional Athlete of the Year, the Cleveland Clinic Courage Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominees are chosen by the local media and finalists are selected by the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards committee. Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on autographed sports memorabilia and unique entertainment experiences in the silent auction.

Tables to the benefit are $7,500 for platinum; $5,500 for gold; $2,500 for silver or $250 per individual ticket. The Golden Ticket raffle, which will award one lucky sports fan two season tickets to each of the 2011 Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers and Indians home games, is also now on sale. Only 300 tickets will be sold with the winner to be announced live at the Sports Awards.

Tickets and additional information are available online at www.Cleveland.com/sportsawards or by calling the Sports Commission at (216) 621-0600. Proceeds from the event will help benefit the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.