Shark Bytes

As unnecessary as it became once networks like ESPN hit the air, it was still fun to watch George every Sunday night. A few minutes of highlights from that day's sports, followed off by a human interest story that capped the half hour. Or better yet, the Plays Of The Month. Hey, GMSP producers, how about a DVD with all the Plays Of The Month on it - 23 years worth? Damn, I'd buy that in a second! The end of the months will never be the same without you, George. Thanks for 23 great years.

At some point, George needs to just pay up the fees for the usage or logos or just swallow his pride and show logos and running scoreboards.

When George removes logos and running scores by doing a close-up, the picture is distracting and looks wrong.

George Michael Sports Machine is a legendary program based upon Mr. Michael and his delightful, though archaic, "machine" of mainstream and sometimes obscure sports. This show was national since 1984 and I have been watching it the entire time. I really miss the glory days of the program but it held up very well through even the 1990s until today and I have to say it's a great way to watch the highlights one last time before hitting bed. The proliferation of "Sportscenter" is only a small detriment to the program, seeing how GMSM is a predecessor to SC and the latter seems to have degraded into a show full of itself that would rather stand around talking about entertainment topics like Britney Spears and Kevin Federline rather than report or present actual sports. It seems to the newcomer or casual observer taht the show may have jumped when they went from the switch to the pushbutton of the Sports Machine. Nothing could replace the original reel-to-reel machine with the lever, but the pushbutton isn't too bad although the touchscreen is completely ridiculous. Oh yeah and the blonde they have on the show really perked it up, but I don't hear anybody mentioning it jumped when they brought her along. Maybe this is because George has had other sidekicks over the years, including at least a couple of females. But yeah I think she's really great and half the reason I still watch. George's wig has always been there so can't really say they jumped the shark as a result of that! But I'm glad he's calling it quits on "his terms"

This show is garbage. It features poor video quality and focuses on local sports that only the most die hard of sports fans care about. Its host is an uncharismatic zombie. This show airs right before the movie review show Ebert and Roeper. When games run over, many an unhappy movie fan finds themselves forced to endure this pitiful program in the time slot during which E&R SHOULD be airing. With the advent of Tivo and Digital Video Recorders (DVR), the show became EVEN MORE hated because it is often recorded in place of Ebert and Roeper due to the time delay, irritating film fans in a way that could be avoided if the show was postponed until AFTER E&R (it DOES follow 4 straight hours of sports programming after all). Lets hope this waste of time and energy gets the axe soon.

I used to stay up on Sunday nights to make sure I caught the Sports Machine in my early teen years. It was the only sports show I had since my parents deprived me of cable TV. Since I have gotten cable the show had lost its necesity for me. However I still got a kick that goofy set with the big ol' buttons. I was pretty upset recently when I checked in on the Machine to find updated set and a touch screen for George. It was a big letdown.

George was one of the BEST dj's in Philadelphia history on the classic WFIL--had a great way of making you feel you knew him. Then he left to do sports, his real love. Not the best career move, but OK, it was his passion. But Howard Eskin? People, we in Phila know this guy as a major hack who has been thrown off TV for his egocentric behavior and his increasingly childish desire to spread rumors that get his employers in legal hot water. I'm not even going to get into the fuzzy situation with him and a married woman who was murdered. Eskin is one of those guys who like many in our administration in DC say an opinion and if you dare to disagree, shout you down or say "You're an asshole" until you give up. He makes everything low class just by opening his mouth.

Before I got ESPN, this show was the best with the NFL highlights. I liked the actual Sports Machine itself. I thought it should have been featured more. You know, like have technicians in lab coats servicing the Sports Machine as George talked. Maybe even through in some cheesy "do-do-de-do" sci-fi effects. You gotta admit, the Machine had more charisma than ole' George.

When they decided to put Howard Eskin on. For those of you who don't know, or who live outside of the Philadelphia area, Eskin is a sports talk host on 610 WIP. He does this whole "insider" thing, but usually just spreads rumors that remain rumors. There used to be an even split among people who loved or hated him, but I don't think too many people take Eskin seriously anymore.

Who the hell is Howard Eskin?? And it is pretty damn obvious that he is pre-taped, yet George talks to him as if he's right there. How the hell does this guy know what's going on? Who cares what this guy thinks is going on in sports?

Probably from the beginning with it's annoying use of fake crowd noise while showing highlights. Also that easy listening music coming back from commercials is just the cure for Sunday night insomnia. And I haven't even gotten to the 50's era move of pushing the football button to show football highlights, etc.

Never did for me!!! My now-teenage son was just getting interested in NFL football at age 7 or 8, and we didn't have cable at the time. GMSS was the only way we got to see NFL highlights, but it aired at 11:30 Sunday nights in our area, so as a result we have about two full years of episodes on videotape. George was da man, and yes the set was hokey, but it was still cool. And he had great blooper reels!!!

With Sports Center around, there is no reason why this show should still be on the air.

Once they switched from George's old pull down lever to the big button the sports highlights were never the same. I think this took place in the summer of '94. Big mistake.

I've always liked this show but I have to agree about one thing. The set looks like one of those Busy Boxes you put in a baby's cribs with all the big buttons you push and levers you pull. Or maybe that machine that made the everlasting gob stoppers in Willy Wonka.

I used to watch this show while I was doing my homework in High School (ok, so we didn't have cable). How can anyone say this show jumped? The man has a sports machine people! A sports machine! Tell me you wouldn't want one...