I, Max
Encyclopedia
I, Max was a sport
s commentary show
featuring host Max Kellerman
and Michael Holley
that aired nightly on Fox Sports Net
. The concept of the show involved Kellerman and his ego (explaining the name of the show) against the world, represented by Holley, broadcasting via satellite from Boston, with producer Bill Wolff
, the former "Disembodied Voice" from Around the Horn
, appearing live via satellite from Washington, D.C., as the "impartial" mediator.
The show was divided into segments, with topics in each segment being scored as "rounds" (not unlike boxing, which Max has a background in as an analyst for HBO and previously ESPN 2). The show was originally scored on a 10-point scale system like a boxing match, with the loser of the round scoring 9 in most cases (8 or less if Wolff determined the argument to be weak enough to warrant it). This later was changed to the winner of the argument getting credit for winning the round. Originally a 15-round format, the show later reduced the rounds to 12.
The show was conducted as follows:
Late in the show's run, the format changed. The first round would still feature the same debate between Holley and Max, but they were no longer scored. The next two segments usually consisted of Kellerman conducting interviews, although there was an occasional second segment game from the previous format that Holley would participate in (otherwise, his time on the show ended after the first segment). The final segment saw Bill Wolff make his first appearance of the show and again saw Max answer emails from viewers, with Wolff arbitrarily deciding after the segment was over whether Kellerman would receive love or hate mail.
, the last episode of I, Max aired on February 18, 2005, nine months after it debuted. Max Kellerman, on the other hand, has a different explanation for the demise of I, Max. According to statements made by Kellerman frequently on his radio show
, the show was the highest-rated show on Fox Sports. The cancellation of I, Max, according to Kellerman, was due to his not agreeing to making changes to the show's format that he viewed would damage the show.
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s commentary show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
featuring host Max Kellerman
Max Kellerman
Max Kellerman is an American boxing commentator and sports talk radio host based in Los Angeles. He currently appears as a color commentator on HBO World Championship Boxing and HBO Boxing After Dark and as of January 3, 2011, is hosting a midday talk show on 710 ESPN radio in Los Angeles.Prior...
and Michael Holley
Michael Holley
Michael Holley is an American television and radio sports commentator, sports reporter and author. He formerly wrote columns for the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, The Plain Dealer, and Akron Beacon Journal.-Career:...
that aired nightly on Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
. The concept of the show involved Kellerman and his ego (explaining the name of the show) against the world, represented by Holley, broadcasting via satellite from Boston, with producer Bill Wolff
Bill Wolff
Bill Wolff is the vice-president of prime-time programming for the cable news channel MSNBC, as well as the executive producer of The Rachel Maddow Show. At MSNBC, he was previously the executive producer of The Situation with Tucker Carlson - later called Tucker - before his promotion in 2005...
, the former "Disembodied Voice" from Around the Horn
Around the Horn
Around the Horn is a daily, half-hour sports roundtable on ESPN filmed in Washington, D.C. It airs at 5:00 pm ET, as part of a sports talk hour with Pardon the Interruption. The show is currently hosted by Tony Reali.-History:Around the Horn premiered on November 4, 2002, hosted by Max Kellerman...
, appearing live via satellite from Washington, D.C., as the "impartial" mediator.
Format
Each show opened with Kellerman relaying three bits of information he has heard/been told of. He always concluded by saying, "but I, Max, say wrong, wrong, wrong" and would add a pithy comment afterward.The show was divided into segments, with topics in each segment being scored as "rounds" (not unlike boxing, which Max has a background in as an analyst for HBO and previously ESPN 2). The show was originally scored on a 10-point scale system like a boxing match, with the loser of the round scoring 9 in most cases (8 or less if Wolff determined the argument to be weak enough to warrant it). This later was changed to the winner of the argument getting credit for winning the round. Originally a 15-round format, the show later reduced the rounds to 12.
The show was conducted as follows:
- Segment 1: Kellerman and Holley argued over the day's sports topics, with Max being presented with the argument from the World's side and countering it with his own opinion while Holley would defend the World's side. Max could stop Holley -or Wolff- from commenting at any time with the use of the "MeVR", a button that immediately paused their video screens and prevented them from talking. Kellerman would often use the button on Holley in order to interject so he could respond to Holley's argument without talking over him. His use of the button on Wolff was often used as a comic annoyance, with Wolff feigning frustration on camera afterward.
- Segment 2: The second segment of the show saw Kellerman and Holley square off against each other in a rotating series of argument-based segments. One was called "I Object," where Max and Holley took turns presenting cases for a certain sports subject, with the other side almost always jumping in by saying "I object" and presenting the opposing view. Wolff served as the "honorable judge" (dressed as a barristerBarristerA barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, even down to a powdered wig) and would either sustainSustainIn music, sustain is a parameter of musical sound over time. As its name implies, it denotes the period of time during which the sound remains before it becomes inaudible, or silent.Additionally, sustain is the third of the four segments in an ADSR envelope...
(give the round to the objector) or overrule (give the round to whoever was presenting the case) the objection accordingly. Another segment was "The Great Flip-Off," where Wolff (dressed as an old card shark dubbed Willie "12 Fingers" Wolff) would arbitrarily give Max and Holley two sides of an argument and would score based on who made the better argument for their side. After this segment Holley's involvement with the show ended, although he would appear during the final segment (usually gloating if his side won, which was often immediately met with Kellerman hitting the MeVR). - Segment 3: An interview with a sports figure, ranging from sports columnists to athletes. The entire segment was scored as one round, and if Kellerman performed well enough the round went to him. The World was credited with the round if he didn't.
- Segment 4: Max read short emails about topics (sports or otherwise) written by viewers in a rapid-fire segment. Max would then give his opinion on the topic that was the subject of the email. If Max's opinion wasn't considered strong enough, Wolff gave the round to the World side. If there was not enough time to finish all the rounds before the end of the show, Wolff had the power to arbitrarily end the fight after one of the arguments. This would be regarded as either Kellerman or The World being "knocked out." If The World won, Wolff read a brief hate e-mailHate mailHate mail is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient...
from a viewer. If Kellerman won, Wolff read a positive fan e-mail, referred to as "love mail".
Late in the show's run, the format changed. The first round would still feature the same debate between Holley and Max, but they were no longer scored. The next two segments usually consisted of Kellerman conducting interviews, although there was an occasional second segment game from the previous format that Holley would participate in (otherwise, his time on the show ended after the first segment). The final segment saw Bill Wolff make his first appearance of the show and again saw Max answer emails from viewers, with Wolff arbitrarily deciding after the segment was over whether Kellerman would receive love or hate mail.
Cancellation
The show was never particularly popular, however, as many people thought the show to be too similar in style to Max's former show, Around the Horn. Despite (or because of) average ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, the last episode of I, Max aired on February 18, 2005, nine months after it debuted. Max Kellerman, on the other hand, has a different explanation for the demise of I, Max. According to statements made by Kellerman frequently on his radio show
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
, the show was the highest-rated show on Fox Sports. The cancellation of I, Max, according to Kellerman, was due to his not agreeing to making changes to the show's format that he viewed would damage the show.