ESPN2's "Numbers Never Lie" Announces New Additions Jalen Rose and Hugh Douglas
Show to Relaunch with Michael Smith as host, Rose and Douglas as commentators
Numbers Never Lie will get a new look on Monday, September 10, when ESPN commentators Jalen Rose and Hugh Douglas join host Michael Smith in fulltime roles. The show, which launched in September 2011, offers lively debate and roundtable discussion with quantifiable answers. Numbers Never Lie has one host, two athletes, three opinions, but the analytics will end the debate.
The Numbers Never Lie studio will get a new addition as part of the relaunch, with the set centered around an "answer chamber," a pneumatic chamber that will deliver the answers up through the desk. The chamber was built by UK-based Dick George Creatives, which also built the automation for Hugo. The show airs from 4 to 4:30 pm ET on ESPN2.
"The new Numbers Never Lie trio have a combination of knowledge, experience, and opinions that should lead to dynamic discussion of the day's sports stories," said Jamie Horowitz, ESPN's vice president of original programming and production. "Together, they will be able to contrast the perspective from inside the locker room versus what the analytics predict will happen next."
Former NFL defensive end Hugh Douglas joined ESPN as a NFL studio analyst in August 2011. He appears on a myriad of studio programs such as SportsCenter, NFL Live, First Take and NFL32. A 10-year NFL veteran, Douglas played for the New York Jets (1995 - '97), Philadelphia Eagles (1998 - 2002, 2004) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (2003). He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1995 by both the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA).
Jalen Rose joined ESPN in 2007 as regular contributor to the network's NBA coverage and in 2012 added men's college basketball studio and game analysis to his responsibilities, including joining College GameDay. Rose has provided NBA analysis for news and information programming, including SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. He has also made frequent appearances on First Take and contributed to the network's Olympics coverage. Rose will continue NBA studio analysis during the Playoffs. He also runs the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit, MI.
Michael Smith joined ESPN in July 2004 as a NFL senior writer for ESPN.com, covering league news and major events such as the NFL Draft, NFL Playoffs and the Super Bowl. He was a correspondent for E:60, ESPN's first multi-themed prime-time newsmagazine program, which debuted October 2007. Smith regularly appeared on ESPN studio programs as an NFL reporter and insider, including SportsCenter and NFL Live. He is also a panelist on Around the Horn and periodically appears on Sports Reporters and First Take.
Fans can engage with Numbers Never Lie through its Facebook page and Twitter handles: @ESPN_Numbers, @BigHugh53, @JalenRose and @MichaelSmith.
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