Jun 26, 2008: Giants Homestand Honoring United States Armed Forces and their Families; July 2 “Salute to the Military Night” and July 4 Celebration, Pregame Pageantry and In-Game Tributes

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – In celebration of the Fourth of July, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and the San Francisco Giants will honor the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their families with AUTHENTIC HEROES: TELECAST FOR THE TROOPS on Wednesday, July 2, as the Giants host the Chicago Cubs at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

AUTHENTIC HEROES: TELECAST FOR THE TROOPS is part of the Giants June 30 – July 6 homestand, which the Giants have dedicated to celebrating our country’s independence and honoring the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for our nation’s freedom. The Giants host the Chicago Cubs in a four-game series from June 30 to July 3, and on July 4th one of baseball’s most storied rivalries will begin when the Dodgers come to town for a three-game series.

On July 2, American troops worldwide will be able to watch Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s local telecast of the Giants-Cubs game live on American Forces Network, which will be available to 176 countries and over 200 U.S. Navy ships at sea. Coverage of AUTHENTIC HEROES: TELECAST FOR THE TROOPS begins at 6:30 p.m. PT with a special edition of Giants Pregame Live. Giants Pregame Live will present live pregame festivities; there will be a home plate ceremony honoring representatives from the five branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard); and the National Anthem will be performed by military representatives as well as the presentation of the flags by a military color guard.

In addition, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area will present related feature stories throughout the evening, including one on Barry Zito’s Strikeouts For Troops organization, which will participate in a pregame ceremony, and another about Operation: Care and Comfort. The broadcast will also focus on major league players who have served in the military, and it will include greetings from current Giants players to U.S. soldiers stationed around the world. First pitch for AUTHENTIC HEROES: TELECAST FOR THE TROOPS Giants-Cubs game is at 7:15 p.m. PT.

Following the game, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and the American Forces Network will stay on the air with a special edition of Giants Postgame Live. Giants Postgame Live will end the special evening following the game by presenting live coverage of the Chevron Fireworks Night in High-Definition for viewers at home and U.S. troops serving around the world.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area is encouraging members of the military, as well as friends and family members of those serving abroad, to submit email messages and pictures at www.comcastsportsnet.com. The messages and photos will be posted on the Comcast SportsNet Bay Area website beginning Friday, June 27, and many will be incorporated into the July 2 airing of AUTHENTIC HEROES: TELECAST FOR THE TROOPS.

The Giants are proud to honor our troops by inviting men and women of our Armed Forces stationed in the Bay Area to enjoy a memorable night at the ballpark for the July 2 “Salute to the Military” Giants-Cubs game. Military personnel who attend in uniform or show a valid military identification will receive a “Salute to the Military” ticket package for $10 (a 50 percent discount off the normal price) The package includes a seat in the “Salute to the Military” section and a commemorative military Giants cap. Tickets can be purchased at sfgiants.com/specialevents or by calling 415-972-2298.

Fans can show their appreciation for our troops’ courage and dedication by contributing goods at any AT&T Park gate to Operation: Care and Comfort, which will ship the donated items to the troops. Our troops especially appreciate DVDs, CDs, disposable cameras, beef jerky, granola or power bars, chewing gum, powdered drink mixes, toothbrushes and dental floss. Each fan who makes a cash donation of $5 or more or donates an item will receive a military support pin. Fans can also write a personal message to the troops that will be sent with the donated items.

“Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and the San Francisco Giants are proud to be a part of AUTHENTIC HEROES: TELECAST FOR THE TROOPS,” said Ted Griggs, Vice President and General Manager, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. “It is a great honor to pay tribute to all the U.S. troops stationed around the world. We are pleased to present this unique broadcast in celebration of the Fourth of July as a small gesture of thanks to all the brave men and women of our armed forces who serve to protect our freedom and security.”

The Giants-Cubs game will be called by Giants announcers Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow On-site reporter Amy Gutierrez will conduct live interviews with military veterans and family members of the troops in attendance. Giants Pregame Live is hosted by Greg Papa and F.P. Santangelo.

AUTHENTIC HEROES: TELECAST FOR THE TROOPS will be available in High-Definition and Standard-Definition to Comcast Cable customers and other affiliates of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. In addition, fans across the nation with MLB’s Extra Innings out-of-market package may see the AUTHENTIC HEROES: TELECAST FOR THE TROOPS game.

About Comcast SportsNet Bay Area Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reaches nearly 4 million households in Northern California and Northern Nevada. Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s programming includes Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants baseball, Golden State Warriors basketball, San Jose Sharks hockey, San Jose SaberCats football, and San Jose Earthquakes soccer.

Comcast SportsNet operates 10 sports networks that cover more than 2,400 live sporting events annually and deliver comprehensive sports news and analysis to nearly 40 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast SportsNet’s networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Comcast SportsNet West, SportsNet New York, The Mtn. – MountainWest Sports Network, and CSS. These networks provide live game coverage of 18 professional teams as well as college, minor league and other sports. For more information see ComcastSportsNet.com.

About the San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants is one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball. Boasting a 125-year history, the team moved to San Francisco from New York in 1958 playing a total of 42 years in Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park before moving into their current home at AT&T Park in 2000. Since opening its gates in 2000, AT&T Park has become internationally renowned as a premier venue in the world of both sports and entertainment. On the diamond, more than 25.4 million spectators have witnessed a trio of playoff appearances, the 2002 World Series and a bevy of magical moments. AT&T Park has also played host to some of music’s biggest acts, including the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Green Day, and Kenny Chesney. AT&T Park was the center of the baseball universe in 2007 when it hosted the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In 2008, the Giants are celebrating their 50th year in San Francisco.