'THE HORN' DON'T BLOW NO MORE: The second-most reviled cable talk show to emerge in the past year (after you, Mr. Donahue), ESPN's "Around the Horn," is still on the air, and while it's still about 1/100th the show "Pardon the Interruption" is, after some tweaking it actually appears to have finally turned the corner.
Hosted by 28-year-old boxing analyst and lifelong Yiddish enthusiast Max Kellerman, the show got off to a weak start due to Kellerman's uneasiness as host, plus its bizarre "McLaughlin Group"-meets-"Wheel of Fortune" format- Kellerman asks questions about sports to four regional sportswriters, awards them points based on the cleverness of the answers, and awards the winners with "face time" at the end of the show.
"Around the Horn" has gotten better in recent months mostly because Kellerman has gotten sharper and more comfortable on the air, and the show has also did a better job in changing up the lineup of sportswriters. There's also been less lately of Woody Paige, the Denver Post columnist and Kellerman's designated whipping boy- Paige recently disclosed that he has suffered from depression in the past; therefore, is it really such a good idea for him to go out there every day and be insulted on national television?
And ever since ATH launched its been slammed repeatedly by Sports Illustrated's "Scorecard" section; this week ESPN got the last laugh by placing an ad for the show in that very section.