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SorcererMickey
February 11th, 2006, 19:14
So Happy!!! Oswald finally comes home :hyper:

ESPN trades Al Michaels for “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit”

In an odd move, ESPN’s parent company, The Walt Disney Company, traded the contract of NFL play-by-play analyst Al Michaels to NBC Universal in exchange for various sports considerations and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character Walt Disney created 79 years ago but lost him to Charles B. Mintz when he created his own studio. Oswald is generally understood to be the precursor to Mickey Mouse.

http://www.endscore.com/blogimages/oswald_disney.jpg

Michaels, 61, will again join John Madden in the analyst booth for NBC’s Sunday Night Football coverage beginning in the 2006 season. This follows the announcement the previous day that Joe Theismann, Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser would be in the broadcast booth for ESPN Monday Night Football. It was previously believed that Theismann and Michaels would announce Monday Night Football for ESPN.

In addition to Oswald for Disney, ESPN got the following sports rights from NBC Sports:
* Friday coverage for the Ryder Cup golf tournaments in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, and the right to re-air Saturday and Sunday coverage from NBC.
* Expanded coverage of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes from 2006 through 2011.
* Expanded access to clips of Olympics coverage, beginning with the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino and ending with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
* Expanded access to clips of Notre Dame college football games from 2006 through 2011.
* Promotion of ESPN Monday Night Football during NBC Sunday Night Football through 2011.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was created in 1927 by Walt Disney for Charles B. Mintz, and distributed by Universal Studios. Disney directed 26 Oswald cartoons before a budget dispute with Mintz forced Disney to leave and create his own studio. Mintz, however, owned the rights to Oswald, and kept the character. Oswald soon was bought by Universal, who would continue to create Oswald cartoons on a regular basis until 1938. Most of the succeeding Oswald cartoons were directed by Walter Lantz, who would later become famous for Universal’s most well-known cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker. The rights to Oswald traded to Disney include the entire Oswald cartoon library.

Source: http://onlyidol.com/index.php/2006/02/10/espn-trades-al-michaels-for-oswald-the-lucky-rabbit/

tajainaz
February 12th, 2006, 03:04
Now, that's a good trade!

Definitely do not like Al Michaels. He talks too much when he should just shut up and let the action speak for itself!

uscwest
February 12th, 2006, 04:16
Actually I think Al Michaels is great, especially when you compare him to John Madden. But I think this is a tremendous deal for Disney. Walt would be very happy to have his origninal creation back.

eeyorewells
February 12th, 2006, 10:38
I have no idea who Michaels is as I live in the UK but.. a big whooooohoooo to having the prodigal son back home within Disney- WELCOME HOME OSWALD- Walt would be pleased.

JuniorMickey
February 12th, 2006, 16:51
I'm sad that Al Michaels won't be on Monday Night Football anymore. :sigh: I'm with USC regarding John Madden :rolleyes: BUT it is nice to have Oswald home where he belongs

d_dreamer
February 14th, 2006, 02:14
:woohoo: At last... Now all we have to wait for is for it to come to our homes via DVD