Decades on from Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann’s arch run anchoring ESPN’s ‘Big Show’, it’s clear that parodying sports is a lot harder than it looks. “Sports fans take this stuff really seriously,” Jones says. “You’re not just gonna get in here cracking jokes. They need it to come from somebody they take seriously.”

Bomani Jones

The newest home for the thinking fan’s pundit’s longform, nuanced takes on sports and culture is Game Theory, a new late-night show on HBO which debuts on Sunday.