| The Best Damn Sports Show Period | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sports Talk show |
| Presented by | See:Hosts |
| Composer | Al Eaton |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Jermiah Bosgang Mark Mayer George Greenberg Robert Lifton John Entz |
| Producers | Eric Weinberger Eric Shanks Tally Hair Jason Cahill Graham Hughes Brian DeCloux Michael Hughes Dana Leiken Laura Mickelson Laura Marcus Joel Santos Matt Schnider |
| Production locations | Fox Network Center (Fox Studio Lot Building 101), 10201 WPico Blvd,Century City,Los Angeles,California |
| Running time | 45–48 min |
| Production company | Fox Sports Network |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox Sports Net |
| Release | July 23, 2001 (2001-07-23) – June 30, 2009 (2009-06-30) |
The Best Damn Sports Show Period is an American sports television show that aired onFox Sports Net from July 23, 2001 to June 30, 2009. The show regularly featured irreverent and opinionated interviews with top athletes, coaches, celebrities, and entertainers. It also airedTop 50countdown shows and other sports specialty shows. Since its debut on July 23, 2001,BDSSP welcomed thousands of guests and aired more than 1,300 episodes. The last original show aired June 30, 2009; however, FSN taped a handful ofTop 50 specials.
The show aired weeknights at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time, usually afterFSN Final Score, or later if there was a local live sporting event that ran longer than expected, depending on the region and telecast schedule.
In 1999,FSN's nightly sports news show -Fox Sports News, later renamed to theNational Sports Report - was losing ratings ground toESPN'sSportsCenter. The executives at FSN wanted a 2-3 hour show that could provide consistent, original programming on nights when there were no local basketball, baseball, or hockey games being broadcast inFSN regions.[1]
The decision was made to do a sports roundtable type of show with the same camaraderie and energy as theFox NFL Sunday pregame show.Fox NFL Sunday, which debuted in 1994 on FSN's network brother,Fox Sports, quickly became the top-ratedNFL pregame show due in part to the personalities of NFL veteransTerry Bradshaw andHowie Long. However, the new show on FSN would focus on not just football, but every sport, as well as the entertainment world. Fox Sports' president David Hill modeled many aspects of the show fromThe Footy Show, a sports talk show which covered theAustralian Football League in Australia (Hill's home country).[2]
The preliminary idea for the format of the new show for FSN would have one main host and different ex-athletes as hosts for each major sport. It would interweave sports talk with comedic sports-related content.[3]
In June 2001, the producers started doing screen tests with over 30 different TV hosts and former athletes.Tom Arnold was one of the celebrities called to try out as the "comedian" of the show. He was reluctant to do it at first, and "didn't know what to expect", but he wasn't doing much at the time because he was waiting forTrue Lies 2 to be green-lit (the 9/11 attacks a few months later halted those plans).[4] He was a part of one of the last test-runs of the panel and was signed to the show. One week before the show was to launch,National Sports Report sports anchorChris Rose was called to help sit-in and host one of the show test runs. What was a temporary rehearsal turned into a permanent gig, as Rose was named main host.[2]
The original cast was set:Chris Rose,Tom Arnold, formerNBA playerReggie Theus, formerNFLDefensive endDeacon Jones, and formerPhiladelphia Phillies 1st basemanJohn Kruk. The show debuted quietly at midnight on July 23, 2001, as a one-hour weeknight show on Fox Sports Net with former NFL greatJim Brown as its very first guest. The network deliberately launched the show without much fanfare and hype, in what was called a "soft launch", knowing that there still might be adjustments and changes after the show made its TV debut. Within two months, formerDetroit PistonJohn Salley replaced Reggie Theus andSt. Louis Rams' linemanD'Marco Farr replaced Jones.Lisa Guerrero sat behind the anchor desk, reporting on sports updates and highlights.[2]
The show led off with all the hosts talking about three to four current sports issues and topics. Sports media writers were quick to pan the show, with one sports columnist writing:
If you're looking for high-minded talk... this isn't the show for you. To enjoy [the show], you must suspend your intelligence and good taste before turning on the TV. The show is locker-room humor at its best, or worst, depending on your point of view."[5]
In November 2001, theLos Angeles Times wrote: "It's certainly not the worst either, and it's getting a lot better."[2]
A growing amount of high-profile athletes and celebrities started to attend the show, with its relaxed, entertainment-focused approach.[6] The show quickly gained more credibility in its first few months with big-name guests such asArnold Schwarzenegger,Sammy Sosa,Shaquille O'Neal, andTerrell Owens. A main part of the show's set was "The Cage", where guests performed varying athletic challenges with the hosts. Some of the initial memorable "Cage" moments were Terrell Owens in a touchdown celebration competition, Shaq donning a blond wig and recreating famous movie scenes fromCasablanca andJerry Maguire, andGary Payton leading atrash-talking competition. The competitions that were too large in size were brought outside theBest Damn set into the Fox backlot. Such an example was a tricycle race between the hosts andLance Armstrong. By November 2001, the show was expanded to 90 minutes, and by mid-December it jumped to a 2-hour format.[7]
The sports talk in the show was mixed in with different pre-produced comedy bits and features which many times lead the show to commercial break. One of the first comedy segments within the show was the "Nightly/Daily Sports Report", hosted by Ken Rudulph, aDaily Show-type satirical look at the latest sports news reported at an anchor desk, which soon became a daily staple in the show for its first year. The show would end with Tom Arnold's "Things You Would Never Say To..." A different athlete was highlighted each day, and Tom Arnold would belt out around 10 different lines you would never say to that athlete. One example was "Things You Would Never Say toPatrick Ewing": "Hey, Ewing, don't worry about the swelling on your fingers. It's not like you have any rings to put on them!"[5]
February 2002 saw the cancellation of theNational Sports Report, leavingBest Damn as FSN's flagship show; indeed, the rapidly-increasing popularity ofBest Damn was cited as a reason for theNSR's demise. FSN then opted to provide news capsules during primetime programming, as well as extended news reports duringBest Damn, as a substitute for theNSR.[8][9][10]
Also in 2002, formerDallas Cowboys wide receiverMichael Irvin joined the roundtable as the main football analyst and was known for his outlandish and eccentric wardrobe on the set. FormerPhiladelphia Inquirer columnistStephen A. Smith made his TV debut on the set and via satellite as an NBA insider for the show. ModelLeeann Tweeden came on board to report on features and be a correspondent on the road. In addition to athletes, the show drew many hot celebrities to the guest chairs such asAdam Sandler,Matt Damon, andBen Affleck.
Many critics argue that this time period was the strongest for the show's cast with Rose, Tom Arnold, John Salley, Michael Irvin, and John Kruk presenting an "irreverent mix of entertainment and insight in sports that you cannot find anywhere else on TV."[11]
In June 2002, FSN launched its biggest advertising and promotional blitz for the show with the "Best Damn All-Star Summer", with superstar athletes and celebrities appearing on the show, along with a barrage on newspaper,billboard, and radio advertising to help garner more recognition just before the show's one-year anniversary.[6]
Part of the campaign included aBest Damn celebrity roast for Tom Arnold, aBest Damn awards show entitled the "Best Dammies", special guest appearances byWill Smith,Tony Hawk, andCharles Barkley, andCounting Crows performing a summer concert outside theBest Damn set on the20th Century Fox backlot in Los Angeles.
In mid-2003,Best Damn had to deal with the departure of the entertaining personalities ofJohn Kruk andMichael Irvin toESPN. They experimented with numerous guest hosts to a varying degree of success. Among just a few of the names to sit in theBest Damn chairs alongside Rose and Salley as part-time hosts wereBryan Cox,Ray Crockett,Ron Darling,Rocket Ismail,Kevin Kennedy,Brian Bosworth,Eric Dickerson,Herschel Walker,Jason Sehorn,Steve Lyons, andTony Bruno.
At times, the show would struggle to find its camaraderie among its cast because of the frequent changes to its main panel. Different themes and specialty weeks were tried for the show. One example was "Best Damn Decades Week", in which every day of the week represented a different decade in sports.Jim Brown,Terry Bradshaw,Joe Montana, andPhil Jackson appeared on the show on separate days to represent the respective decades they dominated.Bob Eubanks even appeared to host a "Best DamnNewlywed Game" for "1970s day", in which theBest Damn hosts brought in their actual wives for a real game show on air.Rick Springfield brought his entire band on the set to perform the classic hit "Jessie's Girl" for "1980s day". In October,Best Damn did a "Date the Pros" contest, where girls entered a competition to win a date with former wide receiverJohnnie Morton.[12]
In late October, all the hosts dressed up in costume for the entire show to celebrateHalloween. All guests on set and on satellite also dressed up in costume. Since then, it has been a yearly Halloween tradition on theBest Damn set, along with a custom-carvedBest Damn pumpkin for each of theBest Damn hosts.
On October 27, 2004,Best Damn partnered with professional wrestling promotionTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) to produce a two night television specialThe Best Damn Wrestling Event Period which aired on November 10 and 11.[13]
The beginning of the year presented a crossroads for the show, as its ratings had plateaued and after being on the air for over three years, some felt it needed to be reinvented. In January 2005, following theChristmas/New Year's break, the program was revamped to appear like alate-night talk show. Original host Rose was dropped, and Arnold was made the headlining star with Salley as his sidekick. Sitting behind a desk, Arnold did comedy bits and an opening monologue, similar to other late night shows such asLate Night with Conan O'Brien andLate Show with David Letterman.
In February 2005, with the new format, the show traveled toJacksonville,Florida to tape a special episode of the show aired on theFox Broadcasting Company, as a part of Fox Sports' pregame coverage ofSuper Bowl XXXIX. The special's title was changed toThe Best Darn Super Bowl Road Show, Period ("Darn" being substituted for "Damn") so it would not offend network executives or viewers. (A similar temporary change was later made to the show's name for the duration of one show so thatKansas City Chiefs head coachHerm Edwards, who disapproves of profanity, would appear as a guest.)[14]
With the new direction, they would feature either Top 50 or 100 moments related to sports such as bloopers, dangerous mishaps, or historic moments. Because of the witty tone, sometimes videos indirectly related to sports would appear in the Honorable Mention segments such asFidel Castro infamously falling hard after his speech.[citation needed]
Although the "late-night" format drew notable guests such asSnoop Dogg,Dennis Rodman,Bob Knight,Chris Rock,Derek Jeter, and even former presidentJimmy Carter; many loyal long-time viewers were confused and felt abandoned by the new format. The show had taken a big step away from what had always been its sense of purpose - a group of athletes sitting around and talking sports as an ensemble-cast.
By March 2005, the show was quickly formatted back to its original concept, with Chris Rose returning as the main host. John Salley would stay aboard. Two weeks later, former NFL QBRodney Peete and former MLB closerRob Dibble were named as permanent hosts alongside Rose and Salley. Tom Arnold left the show as a host, and would return occasionally only for special events and/or segments. The show also stopped running many of its pre-produced comedy bits and segments. The show was now back down to an hour long, which remained that length for the remainder of its run.[15]
In March 2006,BDSSP had a week-long celebration to commemorate its 1000th show. The show counted down its Top 100 moments ofBest Damn history. Former hostsMichael Irvin andTom Arnold came back to the set to help celebrate the achievement, along with some of Best Damn's favorite guests such asJerry Rice,Pam Anderson,Michael Strahan, andDeion Sanders.
March 1, 2006, was officiallyThe Best Damn Sports Show Period's 1,000th show. It was proclaimed "Best Damn Sports Show Period Day" by the Mayor of Hollywood (who was a guest on the broadcast).
The show broadcast its most memorableApril Fools' Day prank with a fight betweenTom Arnold andMichael Strahan, that not only fooled viewers but also cast members and producers. On Friday, March 31, 2006, Tom Arnold returned to the show to promote his "new tell-all book", which blasted his formerBDSSP hosts and colleagues as well as many notable athletes, including manyNew York Giants players. Strahan became heated at Tom Arnold after an uncomfortable two-segment interview. He became so angry, he started wrestling Arnold, and Arnold retaliated by tackling him to the ground. Strahan pretended to be very hurt by screaming and clutching his shoulder as the cameras cut to black. It fooled cast members Rodney Peete and Rob Dibble enough to have them intervene in the fight. Rodney Peete went so far as to give Tomrabbit punches while he broke up what he thought was a real fight. The next day, the New York Giants' media relations reported that they received several calls about the injury status of their star defensive end. It also worked enough to fool the popular internet sports siteDeadspin into reporting it as a real event immediately after it was broadcast.[16]
In summer of 2007,Best Damn addedOlympic Gold MedalistAmanda Beard to their TV roster. Amanda would serve as a correspondent for the show and also give reports and a behind-the-scenes look at her preparations for her appearance in the2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.Charissa Thompson also was added as one of the main hosts for the show.
In May 2008, Rodney Peete and Rob Dibble left the show after over three years on theBest Damn set. FSN decided to replace the duo with rotating guest hosts to work with regulars Chris Rose, John Salley and Charissa Thompson.
After the change, some of the guest hosts included former running backEddie George, formerNew York Giants defensive endMichael Strahan,University of Kentucky and formerUniversity of Memphis men's basketball coachJohn Calipari,Arizona Diamondbacks left fielderEric Byrnes, former NBA guardGary Payton,Baltimore Ravens linebackerRay Lewis andFox MLB analystMark Grace.
At the same time, the network noted that the use of rotating guest hosts is keeping the show fresh and allows viewers to take a glimpse at the current and ex-athletes who shine in front of the TV camera.[17]
In July 2008,Best Damn celebrated its seven-year anniversary. Up to that date, it had aired over 1600 original shows and had welcomed over 3000 guests.[12]By then, it had spawned a specialty show on the Internet, as it broadcasts new 30-minute podcasts every week throughiTunes and itsFoxSports.comBest Damn home page.
On June 30, 2009,Best Damn aired its last show. While the series would continue to air new episodes throughout the summer, Fox Sports Net announced that a small number of top 50 specials would be taped to add to its current stable of shows. Chris Rose and Charissa Thompson hosted a retrospective introducing some of the best video clips from the past eight seasons. At the end, former co-host Tom Arnold bid the show farewell
AnnouncerTomm Looney was the announcer for the show's entire run and currently does sports updates and co-hosting onJT the Brick's show onFox Sports Radio.
