It may be hard to believe, but we’ve reached the quarter-pole of the 21st century. And in the 25 years since Y2K and the year 2000, our world has undergone a rapid transformation. The sports media industry is no exception.
Twenty-five years ago, we all still got our highlights from SportsCenter. The idea of watching a live game on your phone would have been crazy talk, let alone being able to bet on it across the country legally. Social media consisted of AOL Instant Messenger, and nobody had yet spoken a word on a podcast. Michael Jordan hadn’t yet suited up for the Wizards, Tiger Woods was the most famous athlete in the world, and Tom Brady was still just a sixth-round draft pick.
But as times changed and the worlds of sports and media involved, there were people along the way who changed both worlds.
With that in mind, here is the Awful Announcing list of the Top 25 most influential sports media personalities of the 2000s.
25. Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd has been a fixture in national sports talk going all the way back to the year 2003. And he’s had lengthy tenures with both ESPN and Fox Sports. While many personalities have come and gone, Cowherd has maintained a level of relevancy that few have been able to match. However, it hasn’t come without controversy. Cowherd left ESPN in ignominious circumstances after controversial remarks about Dominican baseball players. And in recent years, he hasn’t always seemed on top of things across the sports world. But he’s shown an incredible ability to move and adapt with the times, as evidenced by his successful podcast network, The Volume.
24. Ernie Johnson
There are few people as beloved in the sports media world as Ernie Johnson. The captain of the Inside the NBA ship is one of the finest hosts in all of television, forget about just sports. And through many changes, including the shocking loss of the NBA, he has remained loyal to Turner Sports. The 2000s also saw Johnson expand his duties to play-by-play for MLB postseason coverage and hosting the NCAA Tournament through a partnership with CBS Sports. And through it all, Johnson has always won fans over with his sense of humor, broadcasting skill, and class. Thankfully, his time on Inside the NBA isn’t over just yet.
23. Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan did it all during a Hall of Fame career with the New York Giants. But he makes this list not because of what he’s done in sports broadcasting, but as a mainstream media host and personality. The NFL on Fox analyst has shone as a host for ABC’s Good Morning America and has even done game shows. His work there has opened the door for other former NFL players like Nate Burleson to cross over and have many more broadcasting opportunities than just discussing Xs and Os.
22. Tony Romo
Speaking of opening doors, not many analysts have changed the sports media industry as much as Tony Romo. When he burst onto the scene, it was an incredible gamble by CBS to immediately place him alongside Jim Nantz as their top game analyst. However, Romo was so gifted at predicting plays and breaking down the action that other networks tried and failed to replicate a similar success with recently retired stars like Jason Witten, Drew Brees, and possibly even Tom Brady. Unfortunately, Romo’s work has not met the same standard as those early years, but there is no doubt that he raised the bar significantly for lead analysts, especially when it comes to their paychecks.
21. Pardon My Take’s Dan “Big Cat” Katz & Eric “PFTCommenter” Sollenberger
It’s almost impossible to believe that next year, Pardon My Take will turn ten years old. In many ways, Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Eric “PFTCommenter” Sollenberger represent the power of modern media in the 2000s, given that they have put together arguably the most successful and popular sports podcast of their time. That’s a credit to their chemistry, their ability to connect with listeners, and their unique skill in getting the top names in sports to show a new (often humorous) side. It’s also a testament to the meritocracy of the sports media age. Who would have ever thought 25 years ago that the next Mike and the Mad Dog would be a Barstool Sports staffer and a guy built on a parody of a Pro Football Talk commenter? Speaking of…
20. Mike Florio
Love him or hate him, nobody has meant more to the sports blogosphere and the evolution of sportswriting than Mike Florio and Pro Football Talk. The site has been around for almost the entirety of the 2000s, and Florio is still writing just as much now as he did when PFT started; his work is perhaps more relevant than ever before. In fact, it’s fair to say that no person has written more sports articles this millennium than Mike Florio. And at NBC, he has also become a star on television for good measure, too.
19. Dan Le Batard
A Miami Herald columnist making this list is an achievement in itself. But Dan Le Batard’s career arc has been anything but a straight line. He began earning reps at ESPN as a persnickety and often contrarian sports columnist. He was never afraid to push the envelope, whether it be giving away his Hall of Fame vote or trolling LeBron James with billboards. However, by the time he left Bristol, he had his own television show, radio show, and numerous other ventures. Then he went on to build his own company at Meadowlark Media, where his influence continues to spread through the many careers he has helped support.
18. Mina Kimes
If you think of game-changing personalities of the 2000s, very few would be more impactful than Mina Kimes. Although her career began in business and sports journalism, she has become a household name as a football analyst. In this role at ESPN, she has been a trailblazer in her ability to break down the game, despite never having played the game herself. Her excellent work has opened the door to countless others who may not look or sound like your typical sports analyst. See, Ryan Clark, it is possible.
17. Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott left us just over ten years ago in 2015. But his influence on the sports industry has far exceeded his time in it. Scott wasn’t just a trendsetter; he was the trend. And as much as he influenced generations to come with his catchphrases, pop culture references, and overall stylishness, he was just as graceful in his public battle with cancer. Upon his passing, then-President Barack Obama said, “Over the years, he entertained us, and in the end, he inspired us — with courage and love.”
16. Dan Patrick
The track record of individuals who left ESPN and went on to find greater success after Bristol than before is short and sweet. The fact that Dan Patrick is on that list after being arguably the greatest SportsCenter anchor of all time is an incredible accomplishment. DP went on his own with his radio show in 2007 and hasn’t slowed down since with a nationally acclaimed program. He also had a successful stint with NBC, hosting Football Night in America and the Olympics.
15. Jim Nantz
How do you rate the influential qualities of a play-by-play announcer? For the most part, they are supposed to fade into the background and be content with letting their analysts take the spotlight and the game be the star. Therefore, their impact and influence must be measured by the respect, appreciation, and admiration they receive from fans and colleagues alike. And it’s hard to imagine anyone ranking higher in those categories than Jim Nantz, the face of CBS Sports, who has called dozens of Masters, Super Bowls, and Final Fours.
14. Kirk Herbstreit
Much like Jim Nantz has been the play-by-play announcer for the 2000s, you can say the same about Kirk Herbstreit as an analyst. Herbie has done it all: College GameDay studio analyst, championship-level college game analyst, NFL game analyst, and America’s most famous dog owner. Herbstreit has arguably become the preeminent voice in college football, with millions of dollars changing hands based on his commentary; however, he has also extended his reach beyond the sport. While he has been exceedingly neutral throughout his career, he hasn’t been afraid to mix it up more recently. Maybe his growing partnership with Pat McAfee has rubbed off on him.
13. Bob Costas
Bob Costas began the 2000s as the voice of the NBA Finals with NBC Sports. He ended his announcing career just last October, calling games for MLB Network. However, in between, most of his influence was felt as he walked the line between sports and society. His Sunday Night Football essays made genuine headlines. He never shied away from social issues during Olympic hosting duties. He conducted one of the most infamous interviews ever with Vince McMahon on his HBO show. Now, in his emeritus era, he’s as willing as ever to call it like he sees it.
12. Joe Buck
The run on play-by-play announcers ends with someone who started the 2000s as one of the least popular sports broadcasters and ended its first quarter-century as one of its favorites. Joe Buck had to travel a long and winding road to get there, of course. We’ve come a long way from Randy Moss’s “disgusting act” and that Artie Lange interview. Buck also had to weather some serious medical issues, amongst other battles. He was part of a seismic move from his longtime home at Fox to ESPN, where he and announcing partner Troy Aikman are thriving. In the end, Buck found his voice and will go down as one of the greatest to ever do it.
11. Skip Bayless
It may not have been for the best, but Skip Bayless’ influence on the sports media industry in the 2000s was substantial. When debate was first embraced, it was Bayless and Woody Paige as part of the forgotten Cold Pizza. But over time, the debate segments would devour the entire morning show. From ESPN to FS1, Bayless has unleashed decades of hot takes that have been unmatched, as sports talk became a game of who could yell the loudest, troll the hardest, and never admit to being wrong about anything. Ultimately, Bayless crashed and burned as a national sports figure, but not until years of Frankenstein’s monster running amok after escaping the lab.
Read on for top ten!
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