The Hasselbeck Switcheroo

Here's what I wrote for Wednesday's Bristol Press about Elisabeth Hasselbeck's afternoon at ESPN:

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, co-host on “The View,” wowed her husband’s colleagues at ESPN when she filled in for him Tuesday.

“She did great,” said Seth Markman, senior coordinating producer for the “NFL Live” show who said Hasselbeck was well prepared and comfortable on television.

“It’s actually really refreshing to talk football,” she said, adding that she loves the game.

Hasselbeck and her husband, ESPN football analyst Tim Hasselbeck, agreed to switch places for a day. By all accounts, she passed with flying colors Tuesday and next Thursday, he’s due in the ABC studio in New York for his turn.

“Now the presssure’s on Tim,” said Markman.

The biggest difference she noticed at ESPN, Hasselbeck said, was the number of men and the way they exchanged ideas.

“There’s no crosstalk,” she said, unlike on “The View,” where she and the other women talk back and forth on a number of issues throughout the morning.

A mother of three young children, Hasselbeck said the early morning hours on “The View” are easier to handle than her husband’s ESPN schedule.

“I think I took for granted what he does everyday,” she said.

Hasselbeck said she felt her views were “incredibly respected” by her husband’s co-workers.

She first appeared on “NFL Live” with host Trey Wingo and analyst Tedy Bruschi, then on “The Doug Gottlieb Show” on ESPN Radio. She also taped a segment of “SportsCenter” with co-anchors Jay Harris and Brian Kenny.

“Everyone here has been incredibly nice and welcoming,” she said.

Bruschi said she did such a great job he’s ready to make the trade permanent.

“She was nervous at first. Tim gave her a lot of good tips,” said Bruschi. “You could tell once the camera was on how professional she is.”

Bruschi said he didn’t know Hasselbeck before she appeared on the show with him.

“I was actually nervous,” Bruschi said. “I didn’t know how it would go.”

But Bruschi said it was such a pleasure, he wouldn’t mind working with her again.

Watching in the “SportsCenter” studio as technicians fiddled with his wife’s microphone, Tim Hasselbeck expressed confidence in her ability to handle his job.

“I have way more worries about my appearance on ‘The View,’ than her appearance here,” he said.

Sports, said Tim Hasselbeck, formerly of the Washington Redskins, are a “friendly topic” that typically is without much controversy, unlike what he thinks he may encounter on “The View.”

“They touch a lot of hot button issues,” he said.

Bruschi agreed.

“That show she’s on is tough,” he said. “I think he’ll hold his own, but it’s going to be heavier lifting than she had today.”

There are “some “very opinionated women” on “The View,” Bruschi said.

“I think he’s in trouble. Good luck, buddy.”

Celebrity stalking at ESPN

Met the Hasselbecks. Met Tedy Bruschi, former New England Patriot player. Stalking celebs is not my cup of tea, but these are all very nice folks. Stay tuned for the full story.

Celebrity stalking at ESPN, the old switcheroo

I'm going to ESPN tomorrow, readers, to find out what happens when Elisabeth Hasselbeck tries to do her husband's job. Wish I could go to the studio in NYC, too, to see how he does hers. If you have any ideas about what I should ask her, I'm all ears.

Here's what ESPN sent about the switcheroo:

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a Daytime Emmy Award-winning co-host of ABC’s “The View,” and her husband, ESPN NFL analyst Tim Hasselbeck, are changing jobs – for one day.
Elisabeth will spend the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 19 on the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn., where she will appear in Tim’s place on ESPN programs, including NFL Live (4 p.m. ET), to discuss the NFL playoffs and other sports topics.
Tim will complete the job swap Thursday, Jan. 28, at the ABC studios in New York, where he will occupy Elisabeth’s seat on “The View” (11 a.m., ABC) alongside co-hosts Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters. The former NFL quarterback will share his perspective and match wits with the all-female panel as they discuss the latest news, celebrity gossip and events of the day.
“We think fun and sports should go together, and the job swap will be fun for our viewers and for fans of ‘The View’ who will get the chance to see and hear from Elisabeth and Tim in completely different settings,” said ESPN senior coordinating producer Seth Markman, who oversees NFL Live.
“So many times we ask, ‘How did work go today?’ ” said Elisabeth. “Undoubtedly we will be finding out the hard way as we switch jobs. The question then will be, ‘What have we gotten ourselves into?’ "
Added Tim: “Hopefully I can pull this off because I see her preparation on a regular basis each week – reading, and watching cable news shows, other television programs and upcoming movies. I will enjoy this because I know they will have fun with me at ‘The View’ and, of course, when I get back to work at ESPN. I’m sure I’ll have a greater appreciation for what she does on a day-in and day-out basis.”
The Hasselbecks have been married since 2002, and they first met at Boston College in the late 1990s. Tim was quarterback of the football team and Elisabeth captained the back-to-back BIG EAST Conference champion women’s softball team. No stranger to sports, Elisabeth also completed the 1999 Boston Marathon and participated in Survivor: The Australian Outback reality series in 2001, in which she finished among the final four contestants. A native of Rhode Island, Elisabeth is a fan of the old-school Boston Celtics and the Seattle Seahawks, whose starting quarterback happens to be Matt Hasselbeck (Tim’s brother). Tim spent six seasons in the NFL (2002-07), most notably with the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, for whom he served as backup to Eli Manning.