Pardon the Interruption

I used to love this show, but now half of the dialogue is Wilbon complaining about something new & telling us that the athletes he grew up with were more impressive than any modern athlete.

For years I've watched Sportscenter and X-Games as my reason to watch ESPN. That, and some of their original scripted programming that didn't last long. That is, until PTI came along. This show, famous for its split-screen format with the guys bantering about sports and a rundown graphic of what's coming up, delivers on all goods. Even though it's not in HD on ESPN HD (it will come fall of 2010), it's full of humor, banter, bias, buzz, and plain fun. There have been shows that tried to duplicate the success of PTI and its sister show, Around the Horn (a game-show like interview show), but none can match the reign of ESPN's talk shows. PTI remains a hallmark of sports journalism at its wittiest.

*No spoilers included, since there is no plot to give away. It's a sports show :)*

Yes! Finally, a sports commentary show that doesn't have to use scantily clad women and crude humor (Best Damn Sports Show Period) or childish, insults to get viewer attention by using "shock value" (anything with Jim Rome). Tony and Michael have amazing chemistry. They play so well off each other and play to each other's strengths, which only strengthen the show itself.

The format of PTI is easy to understand and fast-paced, which is good. Too often, sports shows drag a particular subject on and on for eternity and beat the dead horse even further. PTI usually allows 2:00 for each subject and then moves on, no matter where Kornheiser and Wilbon are in discussing it. The two tackle the big headlines in sports and even shift to other areas (like Paris Hilton, Saddam's capture, etc.), but mix it perfectly with their meal ticket of sports.

The hosts have a perfect mix of argument, agreement, criticism, and praise. The rapid-fire delivery and organization make PTI the best sports show on TV today. While the hosts fire at each other, Stat Boy delves into the numerical arguments that are being heaved and deciphers which are accurate and which need correction. I love that feature. Rather than banter on about a subject and invent numbers to support a position, PTI corrects itself every show.

Bottom line is- if you are a sports fan, WATCH THIS SHOW. You will not be disappointed.

Rating- 9/10

This is definitely one of the best sports shows I've seen in awhile. Washington D.C. sports writers Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon have heated debates on the goings-on in sports and a bit of pop culture to boot. They always come up with some great bits in these tete a tetes and have great chemistry. Tony's New York City brogue meshes great with Wilbon's Midwestern sensibilities. The quick and dirty debates, the interview with a prominent sports figure that's in the current news, the always entertaining third segment (which rotates around different themes); it's all good. It's best asset is that it makes "Off The Record", the show that follows it on The Sports Network in Canada, even better because you're hungry for more sports debates. The only bad part: TSN only shows it Monday-Wednesday because TSN has a contract with the PGA to show the first two rounds of their golf tourneys. Still, three days a week are better than none. This is a definite must-see if you're a sports fan.

I have always enjoyed PTI. However. Michael Wilbon is getting more and more annoying. He seems to think that his opinion is the only one that ever matters and quite often he's wrong. He used to be a lot more objective about certain players, teams, and results. Unfortunately, it seems that all he does these days is rant. It seems that a success has basically gone to his head. Without Tony PTI would be a disaster. Every show where Pablo replaces Wilbon seems to be a better show. He also seems to have a habit of not really listening when Tony has a take and then goes on to miss characterize exactly the points that Tony had made. He used to be excellent on the show but not anymore.