The 64 'Most Annoying' People In Football Media
Stephen A. Smith won the title of the "most annoying" person in football media in 2024.
The prominent ESPN personality, who is reportedly the owner of a $100 million contract, is known for his spicy takes, given out daily on "First Take" and across social media. Smith, arguably the face of all sports media in 2025, didn't hold back on being in our bracket in 2024.
He took some issues with seeding, too.
"Most annoying people in football media. That's what this is about. I don't know how I ended up on this list, but let me say a couple of things," he said last year. "Number one, The Spun, your list is trash. Your bracket is trash. First of all, how the hell do you have Charissa Thompson on that list? She's gorgeous, she's smart, she's good people, she's my friend. Who does she annoy? Really? C'mon now...You wanna throw Skip Bayless up there along with myself? Alright. That's just haterade. Alright. Feel free. I know you all love me. You certainly talk about me enough."
Unsurprisingly, Smith and many of his colleagues are back in The Spun's Most Annoying People in Football Media bracket in 2025.
The full bracket can be seen below.
The 2025 edition of the Most Annoying People in Football Media is highlighted by the four No. 1 seeds, two of which might be somewhat controversial, but they made waves on social media during the 2024 season and 2025 offseason.
Stephen A. Smith, Nick Wright lead the way
Smith, the winner of the 2024 bracket, leads the way as the No. 1 overall seed in 2025.
Wright, who won the bracket six years ago, is on the other side of the bracket, as a No. 1 seed.
But it's two new No. 1 seeds - Kirk Herbstreit, Mel Kiper Jr. - that have made the most noise on social media over the past couple of seasons.
Herbstreit, to some, has annoyed fans with his presence on ESPN's "College GameDay." He has several golden retrievers, if you didn't know. He's also taken shots at Ohio State's fan base, roasting the "lunatic fringe" that criticized Ryan Day for losing four straight games to Michigan.
Kiper Jr., meanwhile, lands a No. 1 seed following his performance during the 2025 NFL Draft.
No one in NFL Draft history has been more angered by a player slipping than Kiper Jr. was when Shedeur Sanders dropped to the fifth round.
Kiper Jr. took a lot of heat on social media for his meltdown.
"Mel Kiper was angry last night instead of celebrating 32 kids seeing their dreams fulfilled… he tried to turn the whole production into a show about Shedeur Sanders not getting selected here's 9 minutes of Mel's agenda taking over the night," NFL analyst Warren Sharp shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Dave Portnoy could be high up in 2026
While Portnoy didn't land in the bracket in 2025, he could be high up in 2026.
The Barstool Sports founder will officially be part of Fox Sports' college football coverage in 2025. Portnoy, an avid Michigan fan, will be a weekly part of FOX's "Big Noon Kickoff."
Portnoy is sure to ruffle some feathers with his performance on the air in 2025 and beyond.
Fans have joked that former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who works on "Big Noon," will soon grow tired of Portnoy's antics. It's going to be fun to watch.
***
Who do you think should have been seeded higher or lower in our annual Most Annoying People in Football Media bracket for 2025?
Sound off in the comment section below.
The 64 'Most Annoying' People In Football Media first appeared on The Spun on Jul 30, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
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