National Sports Journalism Center

NFL players and the NFL itself found the ESPN drama series, Playmakers, to be an unrealistic and insulting depiction of professional football, Sports Media Watch writes in introducing its 10 Worst Sports Shows of the 2000s. "Then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue even said the show was ‘one-dimensional and traded in racial stereotypes’ (Sports Business Daily, 12/4/03)," the site writes. "The very existence of the show threatened ESPN’s relationship with the NFL — which was and continues to be the most powerful league in sports. But ESPN’s drama series Playmakers was supposed to ruffle feathers. That was the reason it existed. Why else would ESPN put a show on the air featuring drug use, nudity, expletives, and a reporter — played by then-ESPN reporter Thea Andrews — coming onto players in the locker room?" Topping the List? Hint: The show’s still on the air — and on the same network that gave us Playmakers.