Long before "The Sports Reporters", "Around the Horn" & "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN, the popularity of sports talk radio & the Internet, this was the groundbreaking show that developed a cult following from 1986-2000 on the former SportsVision, SportsChannel & FOX Sports Net Chicago after originally debuting on WGN Radio 720 in 1975.

It was taped in a dark, smoke-filled room, and featured Ben Bentley as the moderator, along with the Trib's Bill Jauss, South Bend Tribune/Daily Southtown's Bill Gleason & at the time, Sports Illustrated's Rick Telander, now of course with the Sun-Times. It would also feature occasional appearances from the Sun-Times' Mike Mulligan, also with 670 The SCORE, the AP's Joe Mooshil, and veteran sports legal analyst Lester Munson, now with ESPN, joining the guys at the table. Even big name Chicago celebrities such as the late Mayor Harold Washington, the current Mayor Richard M. Daley, "Cheers" star George Wendt & Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan would join the guys from time to time. At the start of every show, Bentley would remind viewers, "This show was taped Monday. For those of you watching later in the week, you'll know why these guys make even less sense than usual. Thanks so much for watching."

That show was "The SportsWriters on TV", which won a Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award and a National Cable ACE Award during its 14 year run. Now, thanks to Comcast SportsNet, "The SportsWriters" are making a comeback. Even though Bentley & Gleason are no longer with us, CSN will start airing classic episodes of the groundbreaking sports talk show Fridays & Sundays at 11p, beginning September 10th. The shows will feature classic conversations tailored towards the season when they originally aired, but CSN will add more modern, newer segments that'll serve as a postscript to the original topics discussed. The old/new shows will be available 1 hour after they air on CSNChicago.com, plus will be available for future viewing anytime online. CSN has access to over 600 classic "SportsWriters on TV" episodes in its archives, and needless to say, both producer John Roach & CSN V.P. & General Manager Jim Corno, Sr. are very excited to bring the classic "SportsWriters" back to life. I'll be interested to see how the tapes hold up to this day. After all, it's been about a decade since the "SportsWriters" had aired.

This is better than CTL reruns

I remember watching SportsWriters late at night when I was a kid.

_________________

SJ, "CTL" has been bumped at 11p all week for "Jay Glazer's Training Camp After Party" and tonight by "Bellator Fighting Championships", which was taped earlier tonight at the Chicago Theatre.

Decades old sports talk. Great.

_________________
You never miss your wealth, till your well went dry
Seem like only yesterday, you were here smiling
Now you gone away, but I know you in a better place
No traces of you, what can I do?
Alone and confused