Sportscenter is one of the best TV sports programs ever to grace the small screen. Punchy, informative and slick - it's entertaining to watch. I love the magazine style that telescopes the big stories across the show (unlike sports tonight and its reverse pyramid that has a few headline stories up front and then gets straight into female para-water-polo and alpine bmx equestrian for the remainder).

What an absolute travesty it is that from 16 January we're going to have to put up with an ocker version of sportscenter. As if fox sports news isn't enough? As if Seven, Nine and Ten don't have enough local sport?

Now we're gonna have to put up with Russell Barwick in his rough backstreet brawler style presenting a rehash of the same old stuff we've seen already countless times elsewhere...

Why does Australia always think it has to have a freaking local version of everything?

They've also snagged Tiffany Cherry who is a pair of tits with a microphone, and ex sports tonight presenter Ryan Phelin (or however you spell it)

Its not going to replace USA Sportscenter?

Freaking Redskins better not upset the G Men..


January 16 marks the launch in Australia and New Zealand of ESPN’s marquee sports news and information program, SportsCenter, making it the 11th international version of ESPN’s flagship news show. The program will have up to two live editions airing daily, Tuesday through Saturday, starting at 7:00am local time. Innovative and entertaining, SportsCenter covers major sporting events and stories of special interest to sports fans in Australia and New Zealand, as well as a broad range of international sports that appeal to local viewers.

They held out, but they'll be murdered next week.




So long as it doesn't replace the brilliant American version with the end of PTI i don't mind a more local sportscenter...or sportscentre.

There's a bit of irony with SC - I've read a fair number of times on US sports blogs that ESPN is widely hated for dumbing down sport coverage so that it appeals to casual fans with little working knowldge of players, clubs, universities. It's heavy on human interest and light on analysis. Chief culprit is Sportscenter.

Back in April May of 06 I was house-sitting for some mates who had Fox. I watched SC most days. If this was my only source of daily sports coverage then all I would really know about the vast world of American pro and collegiate sport is that baseball consists entirely of the Yankees, Red Sox and Barry Bonds, Duke Lacrosse had got themselves into a spot of bother over a stripper and the only two players eligble for the NFL draft were Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.

Over the course of a month I didn't learn much from SC because its such a repetitve and superficial show. They pick the very cream of stories and stick with them day-after-day. Everything else gets ignored.

And this'll add nothing to sports coverage in Aus. Just like the AUstralian version of PTI.

You know, this isn't that bad.

However, the fact that it has also replaced USA Sportscenter is a disgrace.