Perfect timing for Mara

Paul Mara was never crazy about his birthday falling on Sept. 7. "Every year, it seemed to fall on the day we went back to school," said Mara, who grew up in Belmont and now plays defense for the Phoenix Coyotes.

The folks at ESPN, on the other hand, think it's the perfect birthdate.

So perfect that, as part of the extensive planning for its 25th anniversary celebration, ESPN went searching for athletes who shared the network's Sept. 7, 1979, birthday.

"We found a few, but Paul was by far the most prominent," said ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys. At 24, Mara now is a five-year NHL veteran.

Bob Ley, one of ESPN's "originals," remembers being in a new thing called an "earth station," in Bristol, Conn., watching the first "SportsCenter" when the switch was thrown at 7 p.m. on Sept. 7, 1979.

Meanwhile, about 105 miles away in Ridgewood, N.J., Bob and Lee Mara were awaiting the birth of their third child. At 9 that night, Paul arrived to join older brother Rob (now 28) and sister Kelly (now 25).

The family soon moved to Belmont. And, as ESPN grew, so did Mara.

"As far back as I can remember -- as soon as I could comprehend TV -- I would be watching `SportsCenter,' " said Mara last week at the ESPN Zone in Times Square, where he helped launch the anniversary celebration. On Sept. 7, he hopes to be in training camp with the Coyotes, but, if there's a work stoppage, the ESPN folks want him back in New York for their anniversary bash.

"ESPN was great for us as kids," said Mara. "We'd watch the highlights, then go out and try to emulate them."

Now, he's often part of them.

"My phone will ring anytime I'm in a Coyotes highlight on `SportsCenter,' " he said. "My dad, my brother, a friend. Someone always calls. Of course, it's always better when I'm shown scoring a goal or making a hit than when the other team scores."

He may be playing for Phoenix, but his heart remains in Boston. Mara is a Red Sox season ticket-holder (third base line). The first thing he did upon arriving in New York Tuesday night was check his phone service for the Sox score, then he watched Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals between Calgary and Tampa Bay. He could have been part of those highlights, too, having started his NHL career with Tampa Bay before being traded to Phoenix in 2001.

For him, it was a short trip to the NHL. Through two years at Belmont Hill, he had his eyes on playing collegiately. Then junior hockey came calling, a tough family decision was made, and Bob and Lee's youngest left home, headed for the Sudbury (Ontario) Wolves in major junior hockey, two years sooner than his folks figured he'd be going. By 19, he was in the NHL.

Still, some things never change.

"My mom still gets sad every fall when I leave for camp," he said.

The difference, now, is that he's no longer just the Maras' son. Now he's ESPN's baby, too.

And though the folks in Bristol are calling that Sept. 7 gala their anniversary bash, Mara has another name for it: his birthday party. "Live. On `SportsCenter.' "

Now that's a highlight.

Countdowns begin

Starting with tonight's 11 p.m. "SportsCenter," Chris Berman will begin to count down (from No. 100), "The Moments" of the past 25 years. The countdown will continue each day until No. 1 is unveiled Sept. 7. Among Nos. 26-100 are many Boston-related events: Ted Williams's All-Star Game appearance, Len Bias's death, several Larry Bird-Magic Johnson moments, Ray Bourque, Nancy Kerrigan, Tom Brady. Each is a certified "lump in your throat" moment . . . On June 8, Dan Patrick is host for a two-hour "Then and Now" special focusing on how athletes, leagues, technology, the media, salaries, and fans have evolved in a quarter-century. The following week, two 13-week series begin, each running until (surprise) Sept. 7. At 7 p.m., Stuart Scott will host "Who's No. 1," featuring a variety of top 25 lists from the ESPN Era. That will be followed at 8 p.m. by "The Headlines," hosted by Ley and examining the top 25 stories of the quarter-century. The first three "Headline" shows will include five stories each and the final 10 will be stories covered individually. "We've been able to get fresh perspective by getting people to talk for the first time about their involvement in these stories, people such as Ben Johnson and Tonya Harding," said Ley. "And we're getting non-sports figures to do essays on the events. I certainly can say it was a thrill for me to throw a broadcast to Walter Cronkite." . . . The anniversary coverage focuses on events and history until the final week, when ESPN becomes the focus of two specials: "SportsCenter The Next 25 Years" at midnight on Sept. 5 (Labor Day weekend) and "ESPN25: Silver Anniversary Special" at 8 p.m. on Labor Day.

Shifting positions

Don Maxim is moving from news to become Channel 5's sports producer, replacing Matt Smith, who left to work for the Patriots' in-house video productions. Maxim in past years would join Smith to collaborate on Channel 5's marathon coverage and other special sports shows . . . Channel 4 has tapped Terry Rielly to become executive sports producer. Rielly had been at FSN for the past eight years, working on "New England Sports Tonight" and Celtics telecasts . . . Tonight's "Red Sox This Week" (Channel 38 at 10:30, Channel 4 at midnight) with Dan Roche will have a roundtable with Sox relievers Keith Foulke, Mike Timlin, and Alan Embree, plus Sox player development consultant Dick Berardino, who managed Curt Schilling in the Sox system, as an in-studio guest . . . Tonight's "Sports Xtra" has a one-on-one with agent provocateur Scott Boras, who represents Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek . . . Lowe is on the golf course on "NEPGA.com," on NESN tonight at 7 . . . Need to catch up on football? FSN's "New England Sports Tonight" at 6:30 and 10 replays recent interviews with Troy Brown, Christian Fauria, Rodney Harrison, and Rosevelt Colvin . . . George Lopez and Armen Keteyian, both regulars on HBO's "Inside the NFL," write great TV material. But the sum of their collaboration on Lopez's life story "Why You Crying?" hits you so hard you'll gasp. It truly is, as the book's subtitle says of Lopez, "My long, hard look at life, love, and laughter." . . . Sox radio voice Joe Castiglione and team CEO Larry Lucchino were in New Haven Thursday to celebrate NESN being available on Comcast in New Haven County. Channel 2 in Hartford -- with host Duke Castiglione -- had tape of the event Friday, billing it as "Red Sox infiltrate Yankee Country." . . . Lesley Visser, a regular runner until stopped by a broken pelvis many years back, is back in training. After all, you want to be in shape when you've been asked to take part in the Olympic torch relay.

Bill Griffith's e-mail address is griffith@globe.com