The Best Shows on ESPN: A Guide for Sports Fans and Non-Fans Alike

If you are a sports fan, then you no doubt watch a lot of ESPN. So you may enjoy reading this, if only to disagree with me. If you are a sports fan and haven’t watched much ESPN lately and are wondering what shows are worth watching, then keep reading. If you’re looking to impress your date, husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, or boss with your sports knowledge and ESPN savvy, then definitely keep reading.

Of course, the following picks are based on my (extensive) viewing experience and not ratings or “critic” picks. These shows offer the best blend of sports and entertainment value. They are in descending order, with the best show being #1. So here goes…

1) SportsCenter

This is ESPN’s flagship program and easily the most popular show on ESPN. It is a staple of any sports fan’s daily routine and perhaps the favorite TV show of many sports fans. The show features two sportscasters (often with their own colorful personalities) introducing and narrating highlights from the important sporting events of the past 24 hours or so. There are often live interviews with athletes and live analysis by one or more of ESPN’s army of analysts in all sports.

There used to be only a few live SportsCenters a day, but now there is a live show ever few hours during the day all the way through late night. The sportscasters are paired up well, often with complimentary personalities or great chemistry. The back-and-forth banter and jokes between the sportscasters makes the show even more entertaining. There are plenty of female hosts, which makes the show even better. Every SportsCenter fan has his or her favorite sportscaster.

The show starts with the biggest, often breaking, story of the day. SportsCenter is a great way to keep up to date on all the latest happenings in the world of sports. The show ends with a “Top 10” list of the day’s best plays. This list is changed on Fridays to the “Not Top 10” list and features the week’s best sports bloopers.

All in all, SportsCenter is a must for any true sports fan. And if you looking to beef up your knowledge of sports and get current to impress your significant other or your boss or to fit in at a Super Bowl party, SportsCenter is a must see. You can catch SportsCenter at almost anytime if you tune in to ESPN.

You can watch the latest SportsCenter clips here:

http://espn.go.com/video/

2) SportsNation

This one is a personal favorite of mine. It is relatively new to the ESPN line-up having started in 2009. It features two hosts, Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle. Colin Cowherd is an experienced radio personality, and does a daily radio show for ESPN. He is known for his bold style, often challenging the conventional wisdom on hot button issues. Michelle Beadle is relatively new to ESPN but has won over many fans with her humor and sarcasm. Together, Cowherd and Beadle make a great team.

The show itself, though it is primarily a sports show, has a lot of pop culture infused in it. This makes the show very entertaining and appeals to everyone from hard-core sports fans to casual sports fans and people looking for good entertainment. There are a lot of “games” on the show where the two hosts assume different characters and costumes. There’s great use of technology (such as interactive screens) to enhance the entertainment value of the games.

A very appealing facet of the show is the fan interaction (fans are collectively called “Sports Nation.”) Almost every game played on the show has fan polls incorporated in it. This makes the show very interactive for fans; you can vote on a variety of topics and questions while watching the show.

SportsNation is a very entertaining show. Sports fans may think there is not enough pure sports in the show, however, more casual fans will find this show entertaining. SportsNation usually airs on ESPN 2 weekdays from 4-5 pm.

You can check out the show’s ESPN page and Facebook page to learn more and see clips:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/

http://www.facebook.com/sportsnation

3) First Take

This show has been around for a number of years. It was called “Cold Pizza” during its first few years on the air but the name was changed to “First Take.” Although this show has some entertainment elements added in, it is definitely more of a true sports fan’s type of show. There are two main hosts Dana Jacobson and Jay Crawford (who has been with the show since its inception). They run the show and its various elements, including interviews, highlights, analysis, and debate.

A very popular and compelling element of the show is the debate part entitled “1^st and 10.” This is broken up into four segments, First Down, Second Down, Third Down, and Fourth Down. In each segment, one of the hosts moderates a debate between Skip Bayless and a guest debater on the day or week’s hot button sport issues. The gust debater can be an athlete, entertainer, sportswriter, or ESPN analyst. Skip Bayless is a veteran sports reporter known for his incisive commentary and controversial views on hot sports topics.

First Take is a solid show for any sports fan. It usually runs on weekdays from 10am-12pm on ESPN 2 and is repeated from 12-2 pm on the same channel.

Check out the show here:

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/index?page=firsttake

4) Pardon the Interruption

As far as sports and debate go, no show does it better than Pardon the Interruption (also known as PTI). The show has been around for a number of years and features two veteran sports reporters, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. The two hosts run through the hottest topics of the day in sports and debate them, often expressing their own views about the particular issues.

Although the two hosts each have considerable experience in sports reporting and are highly respected, it is the chemistry between the two that makes the show what it is. They often go at each other, but manage to keep it light and entertaining. You may agree with one host on an issue and completely disagree with him on another. That’s what makes the show fun to watch.

There are a number of different game segments on the show that keep the show fresh such as “Good Cop Bad Cop” where one hosts serves as the good cop on a hot sports issue and the other as the bad cop. The show ends with a short “Errors and Omissions” segment where the hosts are told what they missed or misquoted, with the hosts often reacting in a humorous way.

PTI airs weekdays on ESPN 2 from 4-5 pm. You can find out more about PTI here and see come clips:

http://espn.go.com/espntv/espnShow?showID=EOPT

5) Mike and Mike in the Morning

This is definitely a show for sports fans. It is more dry sports talk than the other shows on this list. This is because Mike and Mike is in fact a radio show. It airs on ESPN radio weekday mornings from 6-10 am. It is simulcast on ESPN 2. The show has been around for over ten years.

There are two hosts, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic (hence the name Mike and Mike). Mike Greenberg is an experienced ESPN sportscaster and has been doing SportsCenter (among other things) for a number of years. Mike Golic is a retired NFL player who played for a number of teams during a nine year NFL career.

Even though the show is meant primarily for radio, it has some entertainment value on TV. The chemistry of the two hosts (who are often combative and make fun of each other) really comes across on TV. The two hosts are pretty funny together and their banter makes the show entertaining. Beyond this, the show is mostly about sports commentary and analysis, and therefore, is probably much more appealing to hard-core sports fans rather than casual or non-sports fans.

Here’s where you can find out more about Mike and Mike in the Morning and check out some clips:

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/show?showId=mikeandmike

I hope you enjoyed my list of the best shows on ESPN. Be sure to vote for your favorite show in the poll below and also leave a comment letting me know why you love that show.