A Modern Classic (?): SportsCentury (1999)

At the turn of the century, ESPN launched its own answer to Biography with SportsCentury, which not only profiled athletes, but historical events.

Chris Fowler, who ended his run as anchor of College GameDay last season, and will continue to call college football for the network, served as host/narrator. The success of SportsCentury may have prompted the New York Yankees, when they launched the YES network 3 years later, to create their own version, Yankeeography, with radio announcer John Sterling as host.

ESPN Classic, now a premium channel in some places, ran SportsCentury into the ground during its 8 years on the air (1999-2007), airing it on a nightly basis, trying to copy Biography on A & E. To give you some idea, here's a profile on Pete Rose.



Rating: A-.