[New post] The BSM Staff Celebrates 20 Years Of PTI
BSM Staff posted: " Where does the time go? That is a sentiment usually reserved for a cousin's child's graduation: hollow but wistful. It's a nice way to acknowledge that you don't really have the history with someone or something, while at the same time acknowledging "
That is a sentiment usually reserved for a cousin's child's graduation: hollow but wistful. It's a nice way to acknowledge that you don't really have the history with someone or something, while at the same time acknowledging that you could have had that history if you made an effort.
Today, "where does the time go?" is a question worth asking, because Friday, October 22, marks the 20th anniversary of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption. Say what you will about Stephen A. Smith and First Take, it was Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon that truly kicked off the "embrace debate" era of sports talk. If you are of a particular age, the fact that this show is turning 20 probably hits you in a very particular way.
Courtesy: ESPN
Pardon the Interruption simultaneously seems like it has always been on and like it just started last year. ESPN has previously celebrated with a documentary and a podcast series. Now, the BSM columnists have assembled to reflect on Mike, Tony, the show and what it has meant to our industry.
"PTI has a nostalgic effect on me. When I think about the show, it immediately brings me back to my childhood and the early stages of my love of sports. From that standpoint, what Tony and Michael have accomplished really means something to me. Shows on ESPN have come and gone but this was has enjoyed longevity. Why? Great chemistry is everything." - Tyler McComas
"What I love most about PTI is the mixture of silly and serious. From opening jokes about Uranus to adult topics about race, PTI's formula is the original Inside the NBA; the hosts can be serious and they can also make you laugh. PTI is also a great example that evolving isn't always necessary. The show is straightforward; a 95 mph fastball down the heart of the plate. It's two crotchety -- yet lovable -- dudes bickering about sports like grumpy old men in quick-hitting fashion. It works. And if the wheel works, there's no reason to reinvent it." - Brian Noe
"From the masks, to the sound effects, to the two main protagonists making fun of each other, I really enjoyed PTI for a while. I think they may have invented the "rundown" graphic on the side of the screen to show you what was coming next. It was a cool way to follow the show. Mike and Tony played off each other so well in the early days of the show. When they were in the studio together the show was at its best. They both know their sports and each had a different, yet entertaining, way to present it all." - Andy Masur
Courtesy: ESPN
"Truth be told, I've never seen an episode of Pardon the Interruption. For years, I thought PTI was a crime show on CBS but then realized that esteemed journalists Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon hosted this sports debate show. I have always respected the careers of both of them, and respect the opinions they either wrote about or said on the radio.
"Still, I never understood who its audience was. I never watched TV as an adult in the late afternoon. While they are too smart to be the drivel that a show like First Take would prattle on about, it still never felt like appointment television to me.
"When I learned they were celebrating their 20th anniversary, it recalled a time when ESPN was the king, when sports radio was a blooming business, and no one ever heard of a podcast or streaming service. Bravo on their longevity, even if I was never their target demo." - Seth Everett
"I'm not too fond of shallow sports takes, but I do like funny ones. And that's what has always appealed to me about PTI. Kornheiser especially has over-the-top east coast humor that has occasionally made me laugh out loud. At the same time, generic two-sentence sports takes aren't great. BUT, I don't think there is one sports news event that would make me want to tune in those two for a hot take anyway. The format lends itself to mindless background noise with an occasional laugh, that's it. But that's why I watch it. And I like funny guys in their 60's and 70's. Same with newspaperman Woody Paige, who stunts on Around the Horn. It's FUNNY, and I get a few headlines of the day. NEXT!" - Jeff Caves
"PTI used to be comfort food TV for me as a sports fan, that's where I went at the end of the day to see if my sports opinions aligned with what the pros thought. In its infancy, it felt like a one-of-a-kind show. But now, to be honest, I forgot it was still running.
"It amazes me that the show is still on the air with all of the new and somewhat innovative shows that have been spawned from the PTI's of the world. And on top of it, they haven't changed anything! From the theme music, to the silly banter at the start/end of the show, to Tony saying "welcome to PTI boys and girls". In a world that is every evolving, this show is exactly the same. I can't tell if I admire or detest that to be honest." - Brandon Kravitz
Courtesy: ESPN
"I wish I was clever enough to be the first one to call PTI 'the show America watches on treadmills and at airplane bars.' It is the perfect tribute to the ubiquitous nature of the show. You don't have to go looking for PTI. PTI will find you. When we talk about the individual shows that have defined ESPN since its inception, SportsCenter may be the only one you would mention before it." - Demetri Ravanos
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