10) John Buccigross
Years Active: 1996-Present
When Fox Sports 1 launched as “the one for fun” and tried to paint ESPN (and SportsCenter specifically) as stodgy old stuffed shirts… it didn’t make a lot of sense because ESPN has some legitimately humorous people working for them. The creator of the #bucciovertimechallenge is one of the most beloved SportsCenter anchors of the present day and probably the funniest as well. But it’s not just overtime hockey he loves, it’s buckets of chicken as well.
9) Charley Steiner
Years Active: 1987-2001
Speaking of funny SportsCenter anchors, has there ever been an anchor that delivered as many laugh-out-loud or off-script moments than Charley Steiner? Make no mistake, he was a great anchor and has established himself in the baseball play-by-play world calling games for the Yankees and Dodgers. But who could forget him hiding from Evander Holyfield or “follow me, follow me to freedom!”
8) Kenny Mayne
Years Active: 1994-Present
When it comes to entertainment value, very few SportsCenter anchors, or anyone working in television for that matter, can match Kenny Mayne. Thankfully, after a hiatus from anchoring SportsCenter, he’s returned as an evening host with a fresh, new contract. Mayne’s personality has evolved over the years from the catchphrase-heavy funnyman to the more traveled and more outspoken personality of more recent times. Through the last two decades though, he’s been one of ESPN’s most distinguishable on-air talents.
7) Linda Cohn
Years Active: 1992-Present
The ESPN record-holder for most SportsCenter episodes anchored is quite the honor when you consider just how entrenched the show is in American culture. Cohn hosts her 5,000th episode on Sunday and it’s a fitting achievement for someone who has been a consistent presence on the show and tied together so many different eras at ESPN.
6) Bob Ley
Years Active: 1979-Present
Bob Ley isn’t just one of the longest tenured employees at ESPN, he’s one of the most respected sports broadcasters in America. You can even remove the “sports” qualifier, there. Ley is one of the most respected broadcasters working today, period. Ley isn’t a SportsCenter regular anymore as he leads ESPN’s soccer coverage and investigative journalism at Outside the Lines. However, when a major news story breaks, there’s one person that ESPN wants at the SportsCenter desk to carry live coverage – The General.
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