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Awful Announcing Names Most 'Influential' Sports Media Personality Of 21st Century

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated Sep 10, 2025 2:47 PM ET

The sports media landscape has been continuously evolving over the past past 25 years, and according to Awful Announcing, one person in particular is most responsible for what we see today.

With no shortage of influential people and voices to choose from, the publication narrowed its list down to 25 names that have had the biggest impact on sports and how they're covered.

Here's a look at how the most "influential" sports personalities stack up in the eyes of the sports media website:

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 28: ESPN logo on a camera cover prior to the UFL football game between the St. Louis Battlehawks and the DC Defenders on April 28, 2024, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

The 25 Most 'Influential' Sports Personalities Since 2000

Bill Simmons
Stephen A. Smith
Charles Barkley
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon
Adam Schefter & Adrian Wojnarowski
Scott Van Pelt
Doris Burke
Dave Portnoy
Pat McAfee
Erin Andrews
Skip Bayless
Joe Buck
Bob Costas
Kirk Herbstreit
Jim Nantz
Dan Patrick
Stuart Scott
Mina Kimes
Dan Le Batard
Mike Florio
'Pardon My Take'
Tony Romo
Michael Strahan
Ernie Johnson
Colin Cowherd

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Bill Simmons claims No. 1 spot

Bill Simmons resume speaks for itself at this point, but Awful Announcing delved a bit deeper into why it ultimately went with him over longtime ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith — pointing to his ability to be at the forefront of several different movements in the industry throughout the 2000s.

"Simmons was a pioneer in sportswriting as The Sports Guy at ESPN’s Page 2, bringing the everyman fan approach to the mainstream. He did the same for podcasting through 'The B.S. Report.' He did it again for long-form prestige sportswriting at Grantland. And was a massive driving force to the definitive series in the growing realm of sports documentaries through '30 for 30,'" the publication wrote.

"Then, when his time with ESPN was done, he went out on his own at The Ringer, which helped pave the way for independent media ventures."

"But it’s not just through Simmons’ own work where that influence has been felt; it’s through the scores of individuals who have come through the Simmons universe who have made their own marks elsewhere in the sports media industry and beyond," AA noted.

"Every impact that Bill Simmons has had throughout sports media during the first quarter of the 2000s will still be felt in the second quarter of this century. And that’s why he’s the most influential sports media personality of the 2000s so far."

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 07: HBO's Bill Simmons speaks onstage during "Ahead of the Curve - The Future of Sports Journalism" at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on October 7, 2015 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)Mike Windle/Getty Images

Fans had their share of complaints about the low placement of Colin Cowherd and the absence of several other names, but the list is the list, and its hard to argue that Simmons isn't deserving of the top spot with the empire he's been able to build.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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