The Lineup: Buckets of ice drench ESPN commentators for good causes

Hannah Worster August 8, 2014

@PeteFrates3 pete, you are one popular dude…lots of people have lots of love for you…best to you pal

— Steve Levy (@espnSteveLevy) August 8, 2014

If there’s one thing the sports community always can be counted on for, it’s uniting behind worthwhile causes in efforts to raise awareness for particular movements or missions. Over the past month, ESPN commentators have joined prominent athletes, coaches and sports personalities in showing just how socially conscious – and dare we say, “cool” – they are.

Two of the prominent “challenges” making their ways around social and general media are the Kay Yow Cold Water Challenge or “#Chillin4Charity,” which is helping the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” which raises awareness for ALS. It’s the latter of those two that this week caught the attention of SportsCenter anchor Steve Levy and associate producer – and Boston College alum – Daniel Duquette.

“It was really the perfect ‘stunt’ for me. Having lived in Boston for 11 years, I’ve always felt a connection to that city and since [the Ice Bucket Challenge] started there with Boston College (and former Eagle baseball player Peter Frates) and then spread to the Bruins and then the Patriots and so on, I wanted to be involved,” said Levy, who knows Frates from a few years back. “Plus everyone who’s ever worked with me knows that I like to work in a very cold environment. I always want the studio nice and chilly. The NHL’s outdoor Winter Classic is also the perfect sporting event for me to cover.

So the Ice Bucket Challenge “fit me to a tee,” said Levy, who, speaking of tees, wore a “Hoosiers”-inspired, Jimmy Chitwood shirt for his ice down. “Who didn’t love Jimmy Chitwood in that movie?”

The challenges have kept their momentum by having those who have completed the icy shower calling out friends and colleagues to follow suit – Levy was challenged by Boston College football coach Steve Addazio.

“Beyond trying to raise awareness for a great cause to ‘K ALS’, the fun part was I got to issue the next challenge,” Levy said .”[ESPN hockey analyst] Barry Melrose had to be the guy, although we’ll never be able to tell if his hair actually gets wet, since it always looks soaked in gel to begin with.”

Enjoy this gallery of ESPN personalities chilling out for charity. Click on the highlighted names to see the associated video baths: