The Sports Reporters

Infobox Television | show_name=The Sports Reporters


format = sports talk/ debate
runtime = 30 min.
starring = John Saunders with various personalities
country = USA
network = ESPN (1988-)
first_aired = 1988
last_aired = Present
location = ESPN Zone at Times Square, New York, NY

"The Sports Reporters" is a sports talk show that airs on ESPN at 10 a.m. ET every Sunday morning (and replayed at 12:30 p.m. ET the same day on ESPNEWS). It is broadcast from New York City, New York at the ESPN Zone. However, before 1999, it was broadcast from a studio in Manhattan. [http://www.espnmediazone.com/press_releases/2008_10_oct/20081002_TheSportsReporters20thAnniversarySunday.htm] The format of the show is a roundtable discussion among four sports media personalities, with one regular host and three rotating guests. The show began in 1988, patterned to some extent after the successful Chicago-based syndicated show called "Sportswriters on TV".

Hosts and panelists

"The Sports Reporters" was originally hosted by Gary Thorne and later Dick Schaap. The host of the show since the death of Schaap is John Saunders. The first year featured four rotating panelists, but since then there has been three rotating panel members. [http://www.espnmediazone.com/press_releases/2008_10_oct/20081002_TheSportsReporters20thAnniversarySunday.htm] Regular panelists include Mike Lupica of the "New York Daily News", John Feinstein of the "Washington Post", Mitch Albom of the "Detroit Free Press", Michael Wilbon also from the "Washington Post", Bob Ryan of the "Boston Globe", William C. Rhoden of "The New York Times", Stephen A. Smith of "The Philadelphia Inquirer", Bryan Burwell of the "St. Louis Post Dispatch", and formerly Jason Whitlock of the "Kansas City Star". As the show is based on New York city, the panelists are usually from the norteastern portion of the United States. For a long time there were no women serving as regular panelists on the show, but in celebration of Title IX one show in 2005 included three female sports journalists. In recent years, Selena Roberts of the "New York Times" has made regular appearances on the show. When Saunders is on assignment, Lupica is usually the designated substitute host. Jeremy Schaap also sometimes guest-hosts.

Format

The majority of the show is discussion of issues posed by the host. The subjects vary from predictions for upcoming events to on- or off-the-field controversies, and the discussions occasionally get heated. The hallmark of the show is the final segment, "Parting Shots", in which each of the four panelists delivers a short monologue. The Parting Shots are often a time for the journalists to address a subject that they think is not being sufficiently covered. They are frequently humorous, and usually intended to be thought-provoking.

eptember 16, 2001

The show was expanded to an hour to cover the sports perspective from the September 11th attacks. It also proved to be Dick Schapp's last show as he underwent surgery and later died from complications. In fact, he delayed the surgery in order to be on that show. [http://www.espnmediazone.com/press_releases/2008_10_oct/20081002_TheSportsReporters20thAnniversarySunday.htm]

Lupica/Whitlock controversy

When Jason Whitlock was interviewed by sports blog The Big Lead [ [http://thebiglead.com/?p=1038 The Big Lead » Blog Archive » Oh Damn, Did Whitlock Really Say That? A Q&A With Jason Whitlock ] ] , he disparaged two of his ESPN colleagues. Whitlock labeled Mike Lupica "an insecure, mean-spirited busybody", and referred to Robert "Scoop" Jackson as a "clown", saying that "the publishing of [Jackson's] fake ghetto posturing is an insult to black intelligence." Jackson and Whitlock are both African-American.

After those comments were made public, Whitlock stopped appearing on ESPN and soon announced to "The Kansas City Star" readers in September 2006 that he was fired altogether from ESPN as a result of his remarks; he wrote that the company doesn't tolerate criticism and acted as they saw fit [Whitlock, Jason. [http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/columnists/jason_whitlock/15608294.htm Freedom to speak has price] "Kansas City Star", 24 September 2006 (Retrieved 27 November 2006).] . After being fired from ESPN, Whitlock was quickly hired as a columnist for AOL Sports; Whitlock's first AOL Sports column was published September 29, 2006.

Whitlock now reports for FoxSports.com.

References

* [http://espnzone.com/newyork/ ESPN Zone New York]

External links

* [http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnShow?showID=TALK ESPN.tv show page]
*imdb title|id=0800296|name=The Sports Reporters
* [http://www.jumptheshark.com/s/sportsreporters.htm Jump The Shark - The Sports Reporters]