When did ESPN’s “Embrace Debate” era begin exactly? Well, the phrase was first introduced in August of 2012, when Stephen A. Smith joined First Take.
I don’t know that it’s fair to say that is when the era began though. That might just be when ESPN put a name on what it was doing with their mid day and afternoon shows.
Really, we need to look back to October of 2001. That is when ESPN launched Pardon the Interruption and wrapped its arms around opinions and threw itself headlong into competitive argument.
PTI has shaped so much of what the network looks for in original programming now. Sometimes that’s great. ESPN and producer Eric Rydholm have come up with some creative spins on the “two people shouting at each other” formula. Sometimes it’s counterproductive and you end up adding argument segments to shows that don’t need it, like Outside the Lines.
The “embrace debate” model has shaped so much of sports television as a whole. This list though is focused on ESPN. Here are the top 7 shows of the era for the network.
7. HIGH NOON
High Noon was a really good show. It unfortunately was something of a square peg in the “embrace debate” round hole. The show featured Bomani Jones and Pablo Torre discussing topics in an intelligent way with a unique television presentation.
The audience that consumes most of the “embrace debate” content wasn’t ready for High Noon. It also didn’t help that the hosts agreed more often than not. Bomani and Pablo are smart guys with interesting things to say, and the show was a lot of fun, but the audience for this format seems to want a little less camaraderie and a little more conflict.
6. SC6
Jemele Hill & Michael Smith’s take on the 6 o’clock SportsCenter lasted just over a year, so you certainly can’t argue that it stood the test of time. But I don’t think you can argue that it got cancelled because it wasn’t good. Ratings were down, Hill’s outspoken stance on politics made her unpopular with some viewers, and in December of 2017, the duo lost its internal champion when John Skipper exited the company.
SC6 makes the list though, because it represents an acknowledgement by ESPN that its flagship program needed to evolve. In the age of the smartphone, SportsCenter had become as obsolete as a newspaper with younger demos. Rebuilding the show around debates and personality, you could argue, was a throwback to the days of Dan & Keith, and even though Hill & Smith didn’t last, the format did in the form of individual segments used on current editions of SportsCenter.
5. SPORTSNATION
A lot of the “embrace debate” experience has been about ESPN trying to figure out what other show formats it can mix sports talk with. In looking for a TV presence for Colin Cowherd, the network stumbled upon the idea of variety television.
Sports Nation would make stars out of Cowherd, Michelle Beadle, Charissa Thompson, Cari Champion and more. On top of that, the SportsNation format was blueprint for so much that came after it, whether it was another ESPN property like Highly Questionable or Jimmy Fallon’s take on The Tonight Show.
4. HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE
What makes a show great in the “embrace debate” era isn’t the content. It’s finding the right mix of personality. When ESPN added Bomani Jones to the Le Batard kitchen, it took Highly Questionable to a whole new level of relevance. Now the show was built around Jones and Dan Le Batard, two really smart guys that could deliver nuanced thoughts in a way that didn’t seem out of place when surrounded by videos of European basketball players getting kicked in the nuts. Why? Because Papí was there to constantly deliver the perfect one-liner to remind you that none of this is important.
The show moved to The Clevelander, Bo left, Papí retired, and the show found a way to retool and remain relevant with a co-host rotation that includes Izzy Gutierrez, Elle Duncan, Sarah Spain, among others. Since the Cover-19 pandemic hit and the show has rebranded as Highly Quarantined, it has been one of the best shows in the ESPN lineup in terms of looking different but feeling familiar.
3. PARDON THE INTERRUPTION
I am going to be honest, and a lot of you are going to think I am crazy. I don’t like Pardon the Interruption. I recognize that it set the table for this whole list, but between the penguin dance Kornheiser’s been doing for 15 years and Michael Wilbon constantly shouting about how much he hates the internet, people talking, or sports in general, I just feel like I’ve passed the show by.
That doesn’t mean my opinion is the only one that matters. In fact, it probably doesn’t matter at all. Hell, I only wrote this list so you people would click on it.
PTI remains the most successful show in ESPN’s afternoon lineup. It’s a heritage brand that constantly lives up to its audience’s expectations and has proven to be a juggernaut in a time when sports television is ever-evolving. That isn’t an easy thing to do, and the fact that the show that started this era of sports television is the one to accomplish that feat certainly means it has earned its place in this discussion of the GOATs.
2. AROUND THE HORN
I have often described the ESPN daytime lineup as “argument for sport.” There is no better picture of that than a show that literally gives points for making points. Taking a game show approach to sports talk is literally one of the most unique approaches to the format anyone has ever tried.
Shuffling up the roster of panelists brought a diversity of opinion and a new experience everyday. Changing hosts and changing the set have also been important steps in keeping Around the Horn fresh. I’ll acknowledge that PTI came first and has earned the right to be considered the gold standard of these shows, but Around the Horn is undeniably the most original.
1. FIRST TAKE
If yours is the show with Stephen A. Smith, it stands to reason that you are probably going to top a list of shows built around people shouting at each other. The real testament to First Take’s influence is every show that has come after it.
The media that follows the sports media dubbed High Noon “the thinking man’s First Take. Get Up! was supposed to be “First Take meets The Today Show.” Hell, FS1 stole one half of the show’s formula to create its own version of the show, Skip & Shannon: Undisputed.
First Take created the “embrace debate” format’s marquee personality in Smith and he has been able to turn anyone sitting across from him into the perfect foil for his stardom and his point of view. It is a testament to the entire crew that a show, built around sports journalism’s two biggest wind bags, could lose one of said wind bags and not miss a beat.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
