Pardon the Interruption

Pardon the Interruption, also known as PTI is a television show on ESPN. It features syndicated columnists Tony Kornheiser, and Michael Wilbon, both of whom work for the Washington Post. It is a debate show with a similar format to CNN's Crossfire. Unlike Crossfire which debates current issues in politics, PTI debates current events in sports.

Segments

The show is divided into four segments. Segments included in all shows are:

• Headlines: Tony and Mike debate four or five issues. Normaly they are alloted up to two minutes a topic.

• Five Good Minutes: Tony and Mike interview a sports figure for five minutes.

• Happy Happy Time: Here they note a sports figure's birthday, aniversery, or departure (happy trails).

• Errors: Their "Stat Boy," Tony Reali, informs what statistics Tony and Mike messed up during the course of the show.

• The Big Finish: The last 45 seconds, they make a few comments on stories they missed.

They have varible bits during third segment, including "Mail Time," where they read and respond to viewer mail, or "Role Play" where they argue from the perspective of a sports figure (Kornheiser refers to this as "heads on sticks").