OT - ESPN's Around the Horn

[ISiddiqui]

Now, I know many people dislike this show. They think it is a ripoff of PTI (Pardon the Interruption) without Kornheiser and Wilbon, but....

I can't be the ONLY one that likes this show, can I? I mean, I watch AtH daily. I don't mind if I miss PTI, but I don't like missing Around the Horn. I need my Woody Paige fix, but if he's not there than Mariotti and Simers will make me happy.

Am I nuts or are there others who actually like this wonderful show?

[Taur]

Once I learned that the show was "Fake" I lost all respect for it. This show is rehearsed before the final airing so all reporters involved have already practiced the answers they are going to give to all the questions.

When the host asked one of the reporters a question reguarding Jenifer Lopez the Reporter responded by replying that he did not like the question in rehearsal and he still didn't like the question now. The host responded "You are not supposed to mention rehearsal" and muted him.

But, I thought Hollywood squares was unrehearsed too...

[ISiddiqui]

Aren't most of those shows rehearsed? I mean, PTI is rehearsed (which was very obvious in that one show where Mia Hamm just showed up after they segwayed on a topic and started talking about her) and I don't mind.

[stkelly52]

All news shows are rehearsed. That is just the way that it is done.

[Malificent]

I love both shows - they're entertaining and its fun to get some perspective on the sporting news events of the day.

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah, and especially because Bob Ryan is banned from tv for a month, you don't have him hogging all that airtime ;).

[sabotai]

Geez, imagine what it would be like if they didn't rehearse? I'm willing to bet it'd be one really crappy show.

And I like both shows.

[RainRaven]

I like both shows... rarely get a chance to watch them both anymore but I do like them.

[ISiddiqui]

If they didn't rehearse, Woody would probably say wierder stuff than he does now ;).

[Anrhydeddu]

What really gets me is not that shows like these or the local news banter or supposedly "reality" type stuff on HGTV is rehearsed (it obvious is), but they act like it isn't rehearsed and that it is spontaneous. In other words, they think the audience is really stupid and therefore, insult to our intelligence.

[sabotai]

A, just because it is rehearsed doesn't mean that some of it isn't spontanious. I highly doubt they are stting there saying "Ok Woody, you say this now...and Max, after 2 seconds, you mute him for this reason"...

What I would imagaine rehearsal is like is they probably just go over the questions, make up their responses, make sure they'll have enough time to give their answers, things like that. (This is just guessing on my part so if anyone KNOWS that it's done differently, then please correct me)

[TroyF]

They have to be rehearsed to some degree. For one, all of the reporters need to have some idea what they are being asked about for the show. Nothing wrong with that at all.

That said, I don't really like the show that much. Woody is an idiot. I try to avoid reading his articles or listening to him in the Denver market already. Mariotti isn't far behind. He also spent a lot of time in Denver.

TJ is a good guy, but his columns are much funnier and well executed than he is on the air. Some of the other guys I like, but they aren't on enough. PTI is a much better show IMO.

TroyF

[tucker342]

It's a pretty good show... PTI is a whole lot better IMO.

[ISiddiqui]

Ah, so people actually do like it. I'm not nuts :D.

FWIW, I like AtH much better than PTI, but that's just me :D.

[sabotai]

I like PTI more, simply because they touch on more topics and since there's only 2 of them, they can adequatly cover those topics.

[Draft Dodger]

I think ATH sucks, whether they rehearse or not.

[Bishop]

Annoying show, with annoying announcer and host.

I just catch it every once in a while because i'm waiting to watch PTI if I don't catch it in the afternoon.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I don't go out of my way to watch AtH, and I don't think I've ever made it through an entire episode, but if I happen to notice it while I'm surfing, I'll usually stop & watch them go through a topic or two.

[ISiddiqui]

Ah, the haters ;).

Well, at least I'm not the only one that likes it... but I may be the only one that likes it more than PTI :D.

[Rich1033]

I have to throw my hat into the 'likes it' crowd. Woody Paige is a roit and the others are usually decent. As for PTI, I enjoy watching it once it a while but it gets stale. The variety of opinions on Around the Horn are what keep me wanting to watch it day after day.

Those are both good shows. However what I saw of the first Rome is Burning was a disaster. Im not a Jim Rome fan but I could sit through The Last Word. This new show was just horrible. An hour is just too much for him to fill on TV IMHO.

[sterlingice]

Around the Horn bugs the hell out of me because it seems like all the journalists fall into two categories. The first set tries to suck up to the host, parrot him, and get points. The second don't care, jump on their soapbox and disagree at the top of their lungs just to be obnoxious.

Then again, I feel the same way about Kornheiser. He vascillates between sounding like a moron and trying to sound like an authority. At least it's not his radio show where the talk isn't even sports talk seemingly half of the time.

SI