This week, we’re celebrating the highs, the lows, the best, and the worst of the year with The Awfulies. We introduced our end-of-year awards last year, and we’ve expanded the categories even further this time, with the entire Awful Announcing staff voting for who they think should take home the coveted golden microphone. Keep an eye on category and winner reveals all week long. And be sure to let us know who your pick would have been for the winners.
We conclude the 2023 edition of The Awfulies with the biggest award we can bestow. And no, Taylor Swift was not eligible.
The Sports Media Person of 2023
This year had its fair share of icons, characters, and newsmakers in the world of sports media. Stephen A. Smith continued his reign atop the ESPN food chain while also carving out space for himself with his podcast and presumed plans for world domination. Chris “Mad Dog” Russo entered his second (third) era by introducing himself (loudly) to a whole new generation of sports fans, for better or worse. Sean McManus capped an illustrious career in the industry by announcing his retirement from CBS Sports. And we have to give a shoutout to Dick Vitale, who beat cancer and is still planning a return to the ESPN airwaves. And you could make the case that from the Super Bowl to SNL to Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce was ever-present in all our lives this year.
Ultimately, only one person received more than one vote from the Awful Announcing staff, and that person ran away with the award as the person who best represents the year in sports media.
Winner: Pat McAfee
An acquired taste and certainly a very polarizing personality prone to constant controversy (many of which were arguably quite avoidable), nobody in sports media has had a bigger and more impactful year than Pat McAfee. His monster five-year $85 million deal sent shockwaves through the industry. McAfee and his entourage now hold court for two hours on ESPN each weekday where he scores (albeit sometimes by paying for) some of the most notable interviews of the day.
Meanwhile, the iconic College Gameday seems to be reorienting the program around McAfee and his on-campus Friday shows ahead of GameDay consistently drew thousands of his superfans. McAfee is clearly ESPN’s antidote for younger fans who have eschewed cable and the network in general. With McAfee now a huge part of ESPN’s plans, it’s clear they’re betting that by making him a featured personality across the network, enough of his 2.4 million YouTube subscribers will, over time, take the plunge to get ESPN, using ESPN Bet, or subscribers to ESPN’s future OTT service.
Love him or hate him, all signs point to even more exposure for Pat going forward. – Ben Koo
Check out all of the 2023 Awfulies winners here.
