I’ve been watching Sportscenter Old School this week, and I’ve noticed just how much it makes me dislike the current SC. This week the logo, graphics and music have all been downplayed, and the old-school announcers have been refreshingly free of hackneyed catchphrases. How much fun was it to see Bob Ley and Charley Steiner on again? Is there any chance we can just keep going?
Now, not all has been perfect. Crag Kilborn returned to remind everyone what a condescending jerk he was, and they stuck poor Gayle Gardner with Stuart Scott of all people. Did you see the fist-tap greeting her gave her yesterday? Look, Stu, I know you have a rep and all, and Gayle was cool enough to be the first woman on Sportscenter, but remember she’s a middle-aged white woman, don’t make her do that. And tonight Greg Gumbel returns, which is good. He returns with Chris Berman, who hasn’t been funny in about 13 years. Biggest flaw? Look, I don’t care how difficult the relationship still is, but damnit, Keith Olberman needs to be here. Yeah, he’s a great big jerk, but without him, the show as we know it might not exist.
That might not be a bad thing…
Posted by Frinklin at August 11, 2004 05:12 PMI have half a memory that the first woman on SportsCenter was a woman called Sharon Smith. I think she covered horse racing.
I'm working from fuzzy memories, but I can remember when ESPN started (MTV too - boy was that great when they actually played music).
I haven't seen much of SportsCenter over the past dozen years - only when I'm in the US on vacation. We don't get it here in Ireland. {We do, however, get Baseball Tonight and other ESPN shows like ATH and PTI.}
Posted by: John at August 12, 2004 02:59 AM