The Worst Episodes of Sports Night
Every episode of Sports Night ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Sports Night!
The offbeat cast and crew of a sports news show deal with professional, personal, and ethical challenges while functioning in a pressure-cooker work environment.
Lowest Rated Episodes Summary
The worst episode of "Sports Night" is "Dana Get Your Gun", rated 7.5/10 from 131 user votes. It was directed by Alex Graves and written by David Walpert. "Dana Get Your Gun" aired on 2/1/2000 and is rated 0.1 point(s) lower than the second lowest rated, "The Sweet Smell of Air".
7.5/10 131 votes#1 - Dana Get Your Gun
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 2/1/2000
Dan tries to get the night off for a Tom Waits concert. Dana inherits a gun.
Director: Alex Graves
Writer: David Walpert
- 7.6/10 130 votes
#2 - The Sweet Smell of Air
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 1/25/2000
The show lands an interview with Michael Jordan but there are a few strings attached. Sam returns.
Director: Alex Graves
Writer: Matt Tarses, David Handelman, Aaron Sorkin, Kevin Falls
- 7.6/10 136 votes
#3 - And the Crowd Goes Wild
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 2/8/2000
It's Sam's last day at the show, Jeremy and Natalie break up, and Casey gets his eyes examined.
Director: Alex Graves
Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Tom Szentgyorgyi
7.8/10 229 votes#4 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1998
Dejected by his divorce and the state of sports, Casey contemplates leaving "Sports Night". Natalie has a crush on an applicant for an associate producer position.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
7.8/10 176 votes#5 - Intellectual Property
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/1998
Casey's jealousy over Dana and Gordon leaves him kicking fire hydrants and hearing phantom flies. Dan faces repercussions from the network for his birthday present to Casey.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
- 7.8/10 135 votes
#6 - Louise Revisited
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/26/1999
Casey does everything he can to win the Sports Night “Who's Cooler: Dan or Casey?” internet poll. Dana has dinner with an old school friend.
Director: Marc Buckland
Writer: Miriam Kazdin, Aaron Sorkin
- 7.8/10 132 votes
#7 - Kafelnikov
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 11/2/1999
Jeremy readies the show's computer systems for Y2K. Dan meets a woman in a bar, discovering later that she's a psychologist.
Director: Robert Berlinger
Writer: Matt Tarses, Bill Wrubel
- 7.8/10 131 votes
#8 - Shane
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 12/7/1999
Casey wants to edit an interview to cast a ballplayer in a more favorable light, Dan has trouble taping a teaser, and The Vatican declares there's no such place as Hell.
Director: Robert Berlinger
Writer: Matt Tarses, Bill Wrubel, Kevin Falls
- 7.8/10 132 votes
#9 - A Girl Named Pixley
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 12/28/1999
It's a very slow news day, Casey goes on a date with a woman named Pixley, and Jeremy is up for an award.
Director: Dennie Gordon
Writer: David Walpert
- 7.8/10 129 votes
#10 - Draft Day: Part I - It Can't Rain at Indian Wells
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 3/14/2000
The team covers the first round of the NFL draft. Jeremy is nervous about Jenny's visit to the studio.
Director: Bryan Gordon
Writer: Matt Tarses, Aaron Sorkin
- 7.8/10 129 votes
#11 - Draft Day: Part II - The Fall of Ryan O'Brian
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 3/21/2000
It's the second round of the NFL draft. Jenny visits, and Dan and Casey fight.
Director: Danny Leiner
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
- 7.8/10 149 votes
#12 - Bells and a Siren
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 4/4/2000
Natalie has a job interview with Saturday Night Live. Dan hires a publicist.
Director: Don Scardino
Writer: Chris Lusvardi, David Walpert, Aaron Sorkin
7.9/10 189 votes#13 - The Hungry and the Hunted
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/6/1998
Jeremy gets his first big producing break - a hunting segment. Natalie tries to get Casey interested in Dana during the run-up to one of Luther Sach's dinner parties.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
- 7.9/10 174 votes
#14 - The Quality of Mercy at 29K
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 12/1/1998
The team anchors a broadcast from Mt. Everest, Dana sees a Broadway show, and Dan tries to find a worthy charity.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Bill Wrubel, Aaron Sorkin
- 7.9/10 154 votes
#15 - Smoky
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/5/1999
Dan decides that it's time Casey started dating again, so long as he stays away from Sally Sasser. Isaac fears for his job.
Director: Robert Berlinger
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
- 7.9/10 157 votes
#16 - Dana and the Deep Blue Sea
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/9/1999
Gordon invites Dana to go snorkeling, and Dan begs Jeremy to talk him up to Rebecca.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
- 7.9/10 150 votes
#17 - How Are Things in Glocca Morra?
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/9/1999
The show is held up when a tennis match goes longer than expected, putting a damper on Dana and Gordon's dinner plans.
Director: Marc Buckland
Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Rachel Sweet
- 7.9/10 144 votes
#18 - Ordnance Tactics
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 4/6/1999
A bomb scare clears the building, Jeremy tries to break up with Natalie, and the network starts pressuring Dana.
Director: Alex Graves
Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Paul Redford
- 7.9/10 127 votes
#19 - The Reunion
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 12/21/1999
Dana's brother comes to visit. Natalie asks Dan to review her audition tape.
Director: Dennie Gordon
Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Kevin Falls
- 8.0/10 173 votes
#20 - Dear Louise
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/10/1998
Jeremy writes a letter to his sister Louise, flashing back over the day's events, including Dan's problems with writer's block and Isaac's problems with his daughter's new boyfriend.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Aaron Sorkin, David Walpert
- 8.0/10 165 votes
#21 - Small Town
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/12/1999
Dana, Gordon, Casey, and a woman from Gordon's office go on a double-date, leaving Natalie to produce the show and Dan to contend with a replacement anchor.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Paul Redford
- 8.0/10 147 votes
#22 - Napoleon's Battle Plan
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 4/27/1999
When Dana and Gordon get engaged, Casey has no plan and Dan's compelled to reveal a secret.
Director: Robert Berlinger
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
- 8.0/10 137 votes
#23 - When Something Wicked This Way Comes
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 10/12/1999
Dana goes to a bachelorette party and has an epiphany, Dan has breakfast with Hillary Clinton, and Isaac brings in a ratings guy.
Director: Robert Berlinger
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
- 8.0/10 135 votes
#24 - The Local Weather
Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 3/7/2000
Dan reacts to not making the “100 Most Influential People in Sports” list. Dana goes to church.
Director: Timothy Busfield
Writer: Pete McCabe, Aaron Sorkin
8.1/10 169 votes#25 - The Head Coach, Dinner and the Morning Mail
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/1998
A distracted Natalie keeps forgetting things, while Jeremy tries to shield her from her hate mail.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Matt Tarses