Known as the #1 sports interview series on television, the original host of Up Close was Roy Firestone, who served as host for 13 years. During this time, the show received Sports Emmy nominations and won CableACE Awards, then the gold standard for cable television programming. When Firestone left, Chris Myers became the new host and the show landed the first major interview with OJ Simpson after his trial and lasted until 1998 when Myers left for FOX Sports.