The Sports Reporters
Encyclopedia
The Sports Reporters is a sports talk show that airs on ESPN
at 9:30 a.m. ET every Sunday morning (and replayed at 10:30 a.m. ET the same day on ESPN2
). It is broadcast from Bristol, Connecticut
at the main ESPN studios. However, before 1999, it was broadcast from a studio in Manhattan
. and from 1999-2010 it was recorded at the ESPN Zone
at Times Square
in Manhattan before it closed. 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
.
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. 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 ESPN
, Bryan Burwell
of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Former panelists include Jason Whitlock
of the Kansas City Star, Tony Kornheiser
of The Washington Post
, and Bill Conlin
of the Philadelphia Daily News
. As the show is based on New York city
, the panelists are usually from the northeastern 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.
'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.
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
at 9:30 a.m. ET every Sunday morning (and replayed at 10:30 a.m. ET the same day on ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
). It is broadcast from Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol is also home to...
at the main ESPN studios. However, before 1999, it was broadcast from a studio in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. and from 1999-2010 it was recorded at the ESPN Zone
ESPN Zone
ESPN Zone is a Southern California-based chain of two sports-themed restaurants that include arcades, TV studios, and radio studios that are currently franchised, but formally owned by the American cable network ESPN. The first ESPN Zone opened in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 11, 1998, in the Power...
at Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
in Manhattan before it closed. 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
Sportswriters on TV
The Sports Writers on TV was a sports talk show produced by John E. Roach for the Chicago-based SportsChannel and syndicated to most of the other ones across the SportsChannel America network...
.
Hosts and panelists
The Sports Reporters was originally hosted by Gary ThorneGary Thorne
Gary Thorne is a play-by-play announcer for ESPN and ABC, working Major League Baseball, College football and Frozen Four hockey contests. He is also the television play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles...
and later Dick Schaap
Dick Schaap
Richard Jay Schaap was an American sportswriter, broadcaster, and author.-Early life and education:...
. 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. Regular panelists include Mike Lupica
Mike Lupica
Michael Lupica is an American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.-Biography:...
of the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, John Feinstein
John Feinstein
John Feinstein is an American sportswriter, author and sports commentator who wrote the top two best-selling non-fiction sports books in history, A Good Walk Spoiled and A Season on the Brink.-Early life:...
of the Washington Post, Mitch Albom
Mitch Albom
Mitchell David "Mitch" Albom is an American best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide...
of the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
, Michael Wilbon
Michael Wilbon
Michael Ray Wilbon is a former sportswriter and columnist for the Washington Post and current ESPN commentator. He serves as an analyst for ESPN and co-hosts Pardon the Interruption on ESPN with former Post writer Tony Kornheiser, and has been doing so since 2001.-Career:Wilbon began working for...
also from the Washington Post, Bob Ryan
Bob Ryan
Bob Ryan is an American sportswriter for The Boston Globe. He has been described as "the quintessential American sportswriter" and a basketball guru and is well known for his coverage of the sport including his famous stories covering the Boston Celtics in the 1970s. After graduating from Boston...
of the Boston Globe, William C. Rhoden
William C. Rhoden
William C. Rhoden is a sports columnist for The New York Times. He has been in his current role since March 1983. Previously, he was a copy editor in the Sunday Week in Review section since October 1981 when he joined the newspaper....
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith
-Early years:Smith was raised in the Hollis neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. He lived with his parents and four older sisters.He attended Winston-Salem State University, a historically black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Bryan Burwell
Bryan Burwell
Bryan Burwell is an American sportswriter and sports television personality. He currently writes for the St. Louis Post Dispatch and formerly worked as an on-air talent at 101 ESPN Radio in St. Louis. He has also been featured on ESPN's Jim Rome is Burning and ESPN's The Sports Reporters...
of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Former panelists include Jason Whitlock
Jason Whitlock
Jason Lee Whitlock is a sportswriter for Foxsports.com, as well as a former columnist at the Kansas City Star, AOL Sports writer, contributor to ESPN, and radio personality for WHB and KCSP sports stations in the Kansas City area.-College and sports:Whitlock was an all-state offensive lineman at...
of the Kansas City Star, Tony Kornheiser
Tony Kornheiser
Anthony Irwin "Tony" Kornheiser is an American sportswriter and former columnist for The Washington Post, as well as a radio and television talk show host...
of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, and Bill Conlin
Bill Conlin
William "Bill" T. Conlin is an American sportswriter and long-time columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. Prior to joining the Daily News, he wrote for the Philadelphia Bulletin. He is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and a voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame.Conlin won...
of the Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
. As the show is based on New York city
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the panelists are usually from the northeastern portion of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. For a long time there were no women serving as regular panelists on the show, but in celebration of Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
one show in 2005 included three female sports journalists. In recent years, Selena Roberts
Selena Roberts
Selena Roberts is an American author and sportswriter, currently a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. She joined the New York Times in 1996 and became a columnist in 2002...
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
Jeremy Schaap
Jeremy Schaap is an American sportswriter, television reporter, and author. Schaap is a six-time Emmy Award winner for his work on ESPN's E:60, SportsCenter, and Outside the Lines.-Biography:...
also sometimes guest-hosts.
September 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 SchaapDick Schaap
Richard Jay Schaap was an American sportswriter, broadcaster, and author.-Early life and education:...
'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.