Webmaster Note:
Originally written by Mac Slocum for WhatNext
(now
OnTap) in September, 1997.
You can also read
the
site review as well.
Website: The SportsCenter Altar
Creator: Chris Harris
Age: 22
Location: Chicago, Il.
Job: Computer Consultant
Do you hum the SportsCenter theme at inopportune times? Are your conversations littered with
SportsCenter catch-phrases like "Jumanji!" and "en fuego?" Do you remember where you were
when Craig Kilborn and Keith Olbermann left the show? If you still have a clue as to what
I'm talking about, you've got to visit Chris Harris' SportsCenter Altar.
Meshing the best catch-phrases with background on the show and real-life testimonials
from SportsCenter fans, the Altar is the definitive ESPN fan site.
The Altar was assembled on a whim. Any avid fan of SportsCenter spends most of his or her day
reciting the quick-witted phrases peppered throughout each episode -- and Harris was no different.
Unlike most fans, Harris recorded his favorite catch phrases, so when it came time to
assemble The Altar he was up for the task. The site made its debut in January, 1996.
The Altar began as a virtual warehouse for catch-phrases, but Harris has expanded it
to include online polls where visitors can vote for their favorite phrases and moments. For the
truly inspired, or psychotic, there's the "Junkies' Diaries" section. Here overzealous
fans can relay testimonials of inspired SportsCenter moments. If you enjoy the show,
you're going to love the stories.
The site has attracted more than just SportsCenter enthusiasts -- the anchors know about it
too. A few months ago, Harris says, a writer from "Inside Sports" asked an employee at
ESPN headquarters if they kept track of the anchor's phrases. "The person said they didn't have a list,
but they told the reporter to check out my site, so I guess they know about it," Harris says.
Harris has yet to meet any of the anchors, but there's always the chance. So after all this
what is Harris' favorite phrase. It's a tie between...
1. "No soup for you!" -- Rece Davis (by way of "Seinfeld")
2. "It must be a Homer Simpson because the pitcher just said 'doh!'" -- Kenny Mayne.
da-da-da...da-da-da...
