Gayle Roberts (Farrah Fawcett) and Bobby Tannen (Ryan O’Neal) were the argumentative co-hosts of Sports Central, an information programme on the Rappaport Broadcasting System ASCN (All Sports Cable Network).
Gayle was a former model. When her picture appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the sexy pose so impressed ASCN owner RJ Rappaport that he immediately hired her as the network’s first female sportscaster. She was an instant hit with the channel’s male sports fans.
Bobby had been a star football player until he received serious injuries at the hands of a fellow player after publishing a tell-all book. An attempt at a singing career (as ‘Downtown Bobby Tannen’) failed and Bobby was working as a pizza delivery boy when RJ Rappaport happened across him (when he ordered a pizza), remembered his football career, and paired him with Gayle.
Gayle and Bobby also hosted Sports Chat (an interview show) and Sports Brief (sports updates feature).
RJ Rappaport (Lane Smith) ran the station like a military general. He also owned Rap-Ha-Port – a 24-hour comedy channel – and with his “yes man” John McKinney (Brian Doyle-Murray) had a morning radio show called Mac and Rap in the Morning.
One of his other companies, Rappaport Airlines (“the airline with fewer fatalities than any bicoastal airline”) were the sponsors for Sports Brief.
Gayle Roberts
Farrah Fawcett Bobby Tannen
Ryan O’Neal RJ Rappaport
Lane Smith John ‘Mac’ McKinney
Brian Doyle-Murray Jeff Mussberger
Cleavant Derricks
