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Weekend Plans With ESPN’s Adnan Virk: Rolling Out The Red Carpet At The Oscars

ESPN’s ADNAN VIRK is most familiar to sports audiences as host of the net’s “Baseball Tonight,” but after launching his “Cinephile” podcast last year, he is carving out a new role in his career with a foray into film critiques and Academy Award predictions. Now the popularity of the podcast, along with being a featured “Oscar Expert” on Goldderby.com, has led to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Worldwide Leader’s resident film buff. This weekend, Virk will be on stage at the 89th Academy Awards as a correspondent for Oscar.com’s official second screen experience of the ceremony. Virk: “It’s surreal even to me. I want to say it’s a dream come true but honestly my dreams never went this high.”

THE LA LA LAND INVITE: BEN LYONS, whose father JEFFREY was the famous film critic, reached out in early January and said, "Listen, I’m trying to set up you being able to come to the Oscars." My first thought was, "Sure, life is full of broken promises." But then a few weeks later I get a call from my agent saying the Academy Awards of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences would like to have you as a host of one of the “Oscars All Access Shows” on Oscar.com. Growing up I wanted to be a sportscaster in a major market. Never thought I’d have the job I have today, never thought I’d have my own movie podcast. Now I’m going to be walking the red carpet.

READY FOR SHOWTIME: I’m flying into L.A. Friday for a dinner with all the producers and hosts of the show and Saturday we have rehearsal. Then Sunday obviously is the actual ceremony. Lyons and I are going to arrive around 3:00pm and as far as I know basically loiter on the red carpet for star arrivals. Maybe get some selfies with the heavy hitters. I’m half expecting this is going to be the most elaborate practical joke ever. I’m going to get there and get tapped on the shoulder with someone screaming "Gotcha!" So we’ll hang out on the red carpet and at some point I’ll probably get booted out for poor etiquette. For the show, Lyons and I are on the actual stage off to the side talking about the respective awards as they’re given out for Oscar.com.

AFTER HOURS: After the ceremony, we’re going to The Governor’s Ball, the official post-Oscars party. I’ll be in a tuxedo for the first time since my brother’s wedding 15 years ago. I cannot wait for someone to ask me, "Who are you wearing?" I’ve got a 5:30am flight home Monday morning so I don’t intend to sleep. I hope to be hellraising in some manner (not to soil my ESPN reputation,) but how funny would it be if I was spotted at In-N-Out at 2:00am in the tux?

A MAN WHO STOOD UP: I’m obsessed with MARTIN SCORSESE. It’s insufferable to people around me. While unfortunately his film "SILENCE" is only up for one award this year, I’m still holding out desperate hope he’ll be at the ceremony. I also had forgotten last year’s winners present this year’s awards, so I’m hoping to see LEONARDO DICAPRIO, BRIE LARSON and I’d love to meet DENZEL WASHINGTON, who’s up for “FENCES.” Honestly, whoever’s there I’ll be pumped to see, even that noted “overrated actress” MERYL STREEP.

CUTTING ROOM FLOOR:

  • One change to the Oscars you’d like to see: Be as inclusive as possible. It doesn’t always have to be these strictly art house movies. I personally loved “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA,” but last year I was just as thrilled with “MAD MAX: FURY ROAD,” which the Academy recognized. And comedies are always ignored. You’re never going to go back and watch “THE REVENANT” again, but you will rewatch “THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN.” 
  • Biggest Oscar upset of all time: Has to be when “DANCES WITH WOLVES” beat “GOODFELLAS.” I was 12 when I saw “Goodfellas” and it literally changed my life. When was the last time anyone said, "Hey, I’ve got three-and-a-half hours to kill, let’s fire up Dances With Wolves?"
  • How Hollywood treats sports films: I find the best sports movies generally don’t have a lot of sports in them. “THE FIGHTER” was a great sports film that really didn’t feature a ton of boxing. A decent number of sports films just have a hard time avoiding predictable storylines. That said, growing up I loved “EIGHT MEN OUT” and “MAJOR LEAGUE.” 

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