For the last several years, I have been unable to stomach ESPN's
SportsCenter.
This is primarily because of the people delivering the information on the program.
There is an emphasis on smarminess and lame humor that usually has me rolling my eyes a few minutes into the program.
Plus, the anchors provide a steady dose of editorializing.
They have their pet teams they support, and it shows.
However, in recent months, I have been warming up to the program somewhat. A lot of the same problems remain, but the network has made some smart changes regarding its weekday morning format. Instead of showing repeats of the previous night's broadcast over and over again, the broadcasts are now being done live. The most important ingredient of this has been the hiring of Hannah Storm as one of the anchors.
Prior to SportsCenter, Storm was one of the hosts on The Early Show on CBS. Before that, most sports fans remember her from her stints at CNN and NBC. She has a personality that communicates warmth, plus she is razor sharp when it comes to knowledge of sports. Not all of ESPN's on-air talent have those two traits. Storm has brought some new blood to SportsCenter that was desperately needed.
Let us hope ESPN executives leave her alone so she can do what she does best.
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