5) Rich Eisen
Years Active: 1996-2003
When Rich Eisen left ESPN in 2003 to become the face of NFL Network, it was a major risk at the time. In 2003, SportsCenter was one of the few brands in sports media that brought a wealth of fame, opportunity, and job security. Leaving for NFL Network was a significant leap of faith. But because of Eisen’s success as a SportsCenter anchor, NFL Network took a chance on him. And Eisen has arguably gone on to the most successful post-Bristol career of any former SportsCenter anchor.
4) Stuart Scott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JO_TkUzLcw
Years Active: 1993-2014
Perhaps the one name most synonymous with SportsCenter is Stuart Scott. Any list of the most famous catchphrases will be populated with more quotes from Scott than anyone. Some of them are so popular, they’ve even made their way to Australia. But Scott made a far greater impact outside the studio with his heroic battle against cancer. His inspiring 2014 ESPY Awards speech will always be remembered.
3) Scott Van Pelt
Years Active: 2001-Present
If you had to make one choice for the current face of ESPN, it might just be Scott Van Pelt. When SVP came to ESPN in 2001, he was a Golf Channel alum coming into the network’s stacked rotation of anchors. Fifteen years later, ESPN would take the extraordinary step of creating a special Midnight ET edition of SportsCenter just for him that is unlike anything the program has ever done before. The SCSVP is targeted towards the new age of media consumption where it’s a combination of highlights, interviews, and monologues. Van Pelt’s biggest highlight as solo host may have just been when he welcomed this man back on set though…
2) Dan Patrick
Years Active: 1989-2006
The top two names on this list will be no surprise as they are joined together as the first two names out of most fans’ mouths when you ask them who their favorite SportsCenter anchors are. Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann. The Big Show.
It’s Patrick that comes in first on our countdown as Steph Curry highlights just aren’t the same without an “en fuego” or two these days. And although his time at ESPN could have ended more amiacably, his broadcasting talent has seen him go on to great success on radio and at NBC.
1) Keith Olbermann
Years Active: 1992-1997
I’ve never seen anybody do SportsCenter as well as Olbermann. Nobody. It hasn’t even been close. – Karl Ravech
Although SportsCenter had thousands of episodes by the time these two became their top anchor team, Patrick and Olbermann helped take the show to its cultural apex. Olbermann’s return to ESPN this millennium was one of the true “hell freezes over” moments in all of media. Since leaving ESPN he had worked for a number of different networks and even became one of the more prominent liberal political commentators in the country. But he was never better than he was at the anchor desk and he showed that in his ESPN return, although it was unfortunately cut short.
Read through the testimonies of his co-workers in Jim Miller’s ESPN oral history. Olbermann had his troubles, yes, but he’s also recognized as the most talented sports anchor ESPN had and the best SportsCenter anchor of all-time.
Honorable Mention: Dave Revsine, Chris Berman, Chris McKendry, Steve Berthiaume, Stan Verrett, Robert Flores, George Grande, Hannah Storm, Bill Pidto, Karl Ravech
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