The Sportswriters on TV vs. The Sports Reporters

Sportswriters on TV was the pinnacle of the medium. Sports Reporters never came close, even at its best.

 

People have fond memories of SWOT for the same reasons they have fond memories of the 6-page SI swimsuit issue in 1977.

That's all there was. When you're starving, pretty much anything tastes like Baked Alaska.

 

BT, I honestly believe it was that good. I don't think this is a case of remembering the past in too positive a light.

 

True. The production values were horrible. But it was something besides SportsCenter and I'm glad the crappy cable company we had in the '80s and early '90s carried Sportschannel.

 

The production values, though, don't override the fact that these guys were entertaining and smart.

 

And if you look the empty spot at the table, it seemed like they would offer you smoke and shake your hand.

The Sports Reporters? Can you imagine Lupica's reaction if you sat at his table?

 

I guess my affinity for both comes from my love of Dick Schapp. I'm sure TSR wasn't his best work, but the atmosphere surrounding those shows reminded me of a college classroom. TSOW was more of a bar feel -- and that's not bad, just different.

 

The Two Bills -- Jauss and Gleason, a great Cubs/White Sox battle, in and of itself -- were national treasures. Rick and Ben weren't/aren't too shabby, either.

 

We got SWOTV for a while out here when we had SportsChannel. When we didn't, a couple of us had a guy in Illinois tape them and send the tapes out periodically.

I'll never forget Ben Bentley wearing a do-rag on his head.

 

The production values of TSWOTV were perfect for what it was trying to be.

I think they had about 3 cameras -- a wide shot of the whole table, then a couple of side cameras which would zoom in on the guy talking.

What more do they need? Of course they couldn't show them drinking beer on live TV, but that's all it was missing.

If they dressed it up with a lot of quick cuts, effects, drop-in videos, etc etc, it would have been ruined.

TSR was not too bad for the first few years mainly under the reign of Dick Schaap. But right from the get-go, it was people sitting on a bright, clean, well-lit, obviously prefabricated set. Never had the same atmosphere as TSWOTV.

The bar vs. college classroom comparison is a good one.

 

Kay was only part of it (though, I agree with you!). It was when Dick Schaap died. The quality dipped after that. Thanks Loopy!

I would get Sportschannel Chicago in N.E. Iowa. Sportswriters on TV was the coolest, smartest, classiest sports roundtable show I have ever seen.

TSR is basically "Crossfire" for those who were getting bored of the Sunday morning political talk show circuit.

Gleason, Bradley, and Co. were exactly what sports fans envisioned when it came to talking sports: a bar-like setting, sitting around a table smoking cigars and drinking brandy.

It was awesomeness..

 

Appreciate the sentiment, but a classic definitition of sportswriter mental health is not giving a living shit about the answer to that question.