Best SportsCenter anchor ever?

After Patrick and KO, Patrick and Mayne were a lot of fun, too. Always loved this commercial ...

 

The current Scott Van Pelt is the best sportscenter/anchor in their history. I've seen them all.


There may be a more annoying anchor than Neil Everett, but I'd be hardpressed to ever remember him or her. I won't watch him.
That he and the other guy have 'pose' illustrations for each of the 1-10 on the top 10 plays is so stupid, and strikes of so much self-importance.

 

Those 30-40 "This is Sportscenter" commercials are some of the best things I've ever seen on TV.

"So Charley says you're maybe the 50th best Heavyweight"
"In the world?"
"In ..Georgia"
and then the cup gets crunched.

Later on:
"Charley, come on out and get your whuppin"

 

Y2K.

Steiner: Follow me! Follow me to freedom!

 

The only problem with Olbermann and Patrick, a problem that is no fault of their own?

The number of idiots who tried to emulate them - and failed. At every level, including Bristol.

Funny how back in the day, the powers-to-be in Bristol did not like Olbermann and Patrick's "schtick," but were barely smart enough to leave a critical and ratings winner alone.

Now ... people are all about the "schtick" and ESPN gauges them on it.

Also ... Olbermann and Patrick suggested some more promotion in their day and ESPN said "no," claiming no one or ones were above the team. Now ... we get their mugshots and all sorts of crap as promo material marketing them instead of the collective.

 

I like that they got in trouble for calling the 11:00 show “the big show,” so they ironically began saying “this is sportscenter,” which became its marketing line for decades.

 

He was enjoyable enough until a few years ago.

 

Casey McCall and Dan Rydell

 

Kilborn dropped my all-time fave SC line during the Atlanta Olympics, shortly before he left, about a Turkish weightlifter:

"Olympic weightlifting is a PG-rated sport although it sometimes requires one to use the phrases 'snatch,' 'clean and jerk,' and 'Pocket Hercules' in the same sentence."

 

If I see Van Pelt, I'll stop and watch for a few minutes.

Best ever? Buffering...

Kilborn is why I got into the damn business. So smug, snarky and self-confident. Pretty much me at 19. And, some days, at 44.

Olbermann/Patrick was the gold standard for the five years they were on but the Kilborn/Haber "feel good" edition was a very close second. 80's Berman is on the Mount Rushmore. I also really liked the early evening Charley Steiner -- understated but always well-written. Eisen played off Stuart Scott well (I enjoyed them both). Gayle Gardner, Linda Cohn, Cindy Brunson lead the female division for me. Of the second wave -- largely through ESPNEWS whom I liked - Chuck Garfien, David Lloyd, Michael Kim, Jay Harris.

Tirico was too bland. Josh Elliott and Kevin Frazier were only "there" on their way to other gigs.

 

Their damn producer was a piece of work, however.

 

Maybe I'm a dork like that, but so much of "The Big Show" stuff I still think of today. When I see a curse word on air, I often say, "Gianluca Pagliauca." (which is Dan Patrick making fun of Gary Miller murdering a VO for the 1994 World Cup). "Hellooooooo!" "Houston, hello!" "Brought to you by..." "By the final OF!" etc. Obviously, those guys are the OGs, but there were several others around there I still carry.

Like I can't remember the last time I didn't do Rich Eisen's Skip Caray impression when Chipper Jones was mentioned around me. I go back to Charley Steiner laughing at Carl Lewis' national anthem "Francis Scott Off-Key" all the time when I need a laugh, and any number of Kenny Mayne's deadpan bits and on and on...