I Wanna Be....FANARCHY!!!!

As most know...I enjoy when fans duke it out and debate issues. It probably is why Defend Your Fandom is the favorite segment on my podcast when it gets pulled off right. Furthermore, the title of this post was likely inspired by listening to the Sex Pistols as I was watching VH1 Classic. Oh how I love that channel.

Fanarchy debuted on Sunday but starting Tuesday, the 16th will be on Tuesdays permanently at 10:30pm ET on Versus. It gives the sport fans a chance to have their voices heard and well to have their moment or two or three even. The show is hosted by Zach Selwyn (Dream Job runner-up -- ESPN). Many felt he should have won...he was a natural for ESPN but on Fanarchy he can be even more himself.

Time to quote that press release from Versus...then a bit more after the leap.

What do you get when you combine rabid, loudmouthed sports fans from across the country, webcams and a national television platform to debate the hottest topics in sports? You get total FANARCHY - a neworiginal series from VERSUS. The weekly half-hour series, hosted by Zach Selwyn, will debut on Sunday, June 7, at 11 p.m. ET and will air regularly on Tuesday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET, beginning June 16.

Each FANARCHY episode will feature seven very opinionated sports fans appearing on-air via their personal webcams. From on- and off-the-field athlete antics and bogus referee calls to what they would've done if they were the coach or owner, FANARCHY guests will be giving their unvarnished take on everything and anything outrageous and controversial currently happening in sports in a frenzied back and-forth style.

"This show is for every armchair quarterback, sports superfan and maniacal critic who has either become your best friend or annoyed you at your local bar," said Selwyn. "This is a chance for fans with real opinions to stand up for their beliefs and let the fate of their unique preaching and soap-boxing be decided on television, in front of a national audience. Plus, it sure beats taking your shirt off at Lambeau Field in January."

As host, Selwyn's job is to keep the peace among the webcammers and hand out onscreen awards, ultimately rewarding the top fan with a brief platform for an unrestrained rant on the topic of their choosing. Webcammers will stay on the show for as long as their opinions and antics keep them there. Each week the two participants who can't keep up with the trash-talking of the other guests will be eliminated. The week's top participant, who displays the best combination of wit
and wackiness, will be granted immunity from elimination for that week only. "FANARCHY is a show by the fans for the fans, bringing the robust online world of sports banter to life on television," said Andy Meyer, Vice President of Original Programming for VERSUS. "What makes sports fans so fascinating is how passionately they believe what they believe - whether it's right or wrong. Their sports are like religion to them and this show is the first opportunity to really
tap into that passion on television."

Sports fans who think they have what it takes to be a weekly guest on the show and keep up with the most intense sports fans in the country can go to www.VERSUS.com/FANARCHY and upload their webcam audition videos for a chance to appear on future episodes of FANARCHY. The website will also feature highlights from the show, information about the weekly guests as well as an area where fans can vote on which audition videos make it into the "On Deck Circle" and receive extra consideration to be a guest on the show.

"Launching original shows that complement our tremendous array of live sports offerings is a major initiative for the network," said Jamie Davis, President of VERSUS. "On television, sports fans are typically relegated to the sideline when discussing the most pressing issues in sports, so in this new multi-platform era it's only fair to give them a seat at the table and the ability to be heard on FANARCHY."

Selwyn was the 2004 runner up on ESPN's Dream Job and most recently was a correspondent on G4's Attack of the Show! He has also served as the guest host of ESPN's Around the Horn and was the color commentator on the Game Show Network's Extreme Dodgeball. In addition to his TV credits, Selwyn heads the Los Angeles-based band, Zachariah and the Lobos Riders. He is a native of Tucson, Ariz. and a USC graduate.

Personally it may take several episodes to get into the show but I have a feeling you will get hooked very quickly to this show. At a sports fan's core is the ability to be able to present your opinion and go toe to toe with someone that may disagree with it. It is why we have podcasts, radio shows, and tv shows. Look at Around The Horn, PTI, etc...etc. and that is all the reason you need to watch Fanarchy but there is one major difference. The fans control this and not some big shot execs or people that mostly write for newspapers.

The "average Joe" angle is a bold step for Versus and it will be nice to see how it complements their programming. The more original programming...the more accessibility to viewers. That is something Versus is definitely shooting for. So if you want to see what its all about or even may want to step up and take your shot.....go watch Fanarchy Tuesday Night on Versus!!