I could call it the little show that could, but that would be an insult to the talented professionals behind the scenes and in front of the camera, so let’s instead go with hidden gem. I am talking about CBS Sports HQ Spotlight on the CBS Sports Network, a daily panoply of news, analysis, interviews, commentary, and slick repartee.
While HQ Spotlight does not have the over-the-top notoriety of ESPN’s SportsCenter, its quick pace, variety of topics covered, and most of all, strength of its on-air talent, should make it appointment viewing on your sports TV roster.
On the Monday, April 29 edition, host Chris Hassel drew me in with an off the cuff, good natured teasing of co-host Amanda Guerra. Apparently, Guerra, a Dallas Stars fan, attended Game 3 of the Stars-Golden Knights NHL playoff game in Vegas and left before the overtime period. Guerra’s Stars won the game 3-2 in OT.
Hassel lightheartedly chastised Guerra for leaving the game early, but the feisty Guerra came right back at him, saying that she knew he was going to give her some back talk about it because there was no set topic in the show open script. Personally, I love it when hosts tear down that wall of perfection on a production and give viewers an inside look at the inner workings. It is in the mode of the legendary David Letterman.
Mind you, this was the start of a network sports show. There was no trite “Let’s get to the highlights” or “This is what’s happening in sports.” Instead, Hassel doubled down on the subject teasing Guerra for traveling all the way from South Florida to Las Vegas to watch her favorite team and then leaving before overtime.
Guerra looked into the camera as if to get support from the viewing audience and responded that she knew her Stars would win, plus she was in Vegas and wanted to hit the strip with her friends. Her sarcastic and casual retort was wonderful.
After the fun exchange, Guerra adeptly segued into a discussion on the Minnesota Timberwolves with CBS Sports NBA analyst and cohost of the Beyond the Arc podcast Ashley Nicole Moss. The pair focused on Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and veered into a discussion on the Phoenix Suns being swept by the Timberwolves. This was a really good exchange between Guerra and Moss.
From there, the show moved back to Hassel and an interview with NFL Draft analysts Ryan Wilson and Pete Prisco. Hassel, who joined CBS Sports in 2017 after an impressive run at ESPN, carries a tremendous on-air presence. The square jawed, blue-eyed, strong-voiced host looks the part of a TV maestro and proceeded to conduct an informative exchange with Wilson and Prisco.
I really enjoy watching Prisco’s regular turns on HQ Spotlight. He is an old school football writer who takes no guff and pulls no punches. His commentary is gritty, down to earth, and bare bones – no flash or flowering, just straight up truth.
HQ Spotlight also effectively uses graphics to back up what the personalities are discussing. It was really refreshing to be just 15 minutes into a show having already enjoyed humorous host banter, NBA playoff talk, and NFL Draft chit chat. On many Monday sports programs, the hosts are still droning on about what they did over the weekend or stuck overanalyzing the same topic.
HQ Spotlight holds a frantic yet rhythmic strength. Hassel and Guerra effectively move things along with insightful commentary, lively debate, and pure enjoyment for the audience. Hassel continued the pigskin parlance talking with former NFL defensive lineman Leger Douzable about rookies who could make an instant impact for their respective teams in 2024.
Again, efficiency was the watchword as Hassel and Douzable offered deep and solid information in a relatively short segment. I learned something without the conversation dragging on ad nauseum. Hassle is a dominating presence on the screen, combining wit and wisdom in the mode of Rich Eisen.
Guerra provided some quick-hitting headlines on NFL signings as well as golf highlights from the Zurich Classic adding another sport covered in less than a half hour of viewing. In addition to Guerra and Hassel, HQ Spotlight features some really interesting commentators ably plying their wares. Joining Moss to talk more NBA hoops were Tim Doyle and Chris Walker. They brought personality, enthusiasm, and knowledge to the table, and I really liked listening to their different points of view.
It might not seem important, but the talents on HQ Spotlight really seem to truly like each other. This was evident at the top of the show with the Hassel-Guerra back and forth and runs throughout the production. At one point, Walker said he had to remove his glasses because they were steaming up due to the hot takes from Moss and Doyle.
The mingling of technology and talent on HQ Spotlight is excellent. As the panelists are dolling out knowledge, well placed graphics support their words with lists and stats. While Hassel may be the backbone of the show, Guerra is unquestionably the heart and soul. Her effervescence and smile absolutely explode through the screen.
She is smart, quick-witted, and can dish out the sass as well as take it. There’s just a real comfort to her performance. She welcomes viewers into the conversation and holds them with her ability to ask the right questions. Her clear enjoyment of what she is doing is contagious.
Guerra is also sly and funny. She was in the middle of a conversation about the Chicago Bears with Wilson when Hassel interjected with an unrelated anecdote about Bears QB Caleb Williams and punter Tory Taylor. The thought was oddly irrelevant, and Guerra snidely replied, “OK, do you want to do the segment with Ryan?” Loved it.
As I kept watching HQ Spotlight, I realized that this afternoon sports cavalcade was quite the unexpected pleasure. Draft expert Wilson provided a tour de force on this episode not only dissecting this year’s picks but providing an early look at his 2025 NFL Draft big board with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at the top of the list.
Todd Fuhrman joined the program to talk NHL playoff hockey and some betting odds, and once again, the daring Guerra went off script and let the audience in on some inside info. She said that she had two complaints about Fuhrman.
First, she blamed him for telling Hassel that she left the Stars-Golden Knights game early, and second, she revealed that Fuhrman had promised to meet her at the arena wine bar after the second period and was a no show.
Fuhrman tried to wiggle out of it and obviously, Hassel was listening. The show closed the way it opened with Hassel joshing Guerra about going to a wine bar at a hockey game. Guerra took a breath, smiled, and deadpanned the all-important question, “What’s wrong with having wine at a hockey game?”
All due respect to Hassel, Guerra wins this one. I mean, you’re in Vegas. Leave the game early and drink anything you want anywhere you want. That’s a definite, as is my total recommendation to check out HQ Spotlight on CBS Sports Network. It is an all-encompassing look at the news of the day with hosts who understand the fun of sports and pass this fun along to viewers. Find it, watch it, or just head to a hockey arena wine bar near you and toast it.
John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
