Like any true sports fan, I love ESPN.

And like any sane 19-year-old male, I grew up on Sportscenter. Keith Olberman, Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott were my idols, just as much as the athletes they reported on.

Thankfully, then, ESPN has kept up-to-date over the years with the broad changes in communication, from starting ESPN: The Magazine to launching ESPN.com, which happens to be my home page.

Regardless of the medium, however, ESPN has always been reliable, complete and entertaining. There’s a reason why the company is the worldwide leader in sports — just as it claims.

But for that same reason, I’m disgusted by ESPN’s new, interactive seriesWho’s Now: Determine the Ultimate Sports Star. Infusing the worlds of pop culture and sports even more, the show intends to determine who the hottest athlete in America is today.

Let alone the fact that I’m abhorred by the thought of the show, the judging standards of Who’s Now are vague and ambiguous. In the inaugural episode, which was played as part of Sportscenter, considerations including who showed up at whose party and who made the most news headlines were at the center of the discussion.

A 32-person tournament composed of sports stars was drawn up, in the process blaspheming the NCAA Tournament with mentions of 1 vs. 8 match-ups and 4 vs. 5 battles.

For one reason or another, a bunch of executives thought it would be cool to have a popularity contest between the likes of Tiger Woods and Matt Leinart; Kobe Bryant and Ronaldinho; and Maria Sharapova and Vince Young.

It sounds kind of cool on paper, but come on. Does anyone actually care?

And that’s not even the worst part. ESPN hired many of its respected journalists and writers — including Michael Smith, Michael Wilbon and Kirk Herbstreit (well, maybe he’s not so respected) — to debate the question that people have pondered for ages: Who’s hotter — Reggie Bush or Danica Patrick?

Please excuse me while I go puke.

I understand that this kind of stuff is commonplace in the 21st century. With shows like Dancing With The Stars and The Bachelor making up some of the “best” that television has to offer, ESPN’s version doesn’t seem all that bad.

Heck, even Sports Illustrated, the king of sports writing since the beginning of time, has sections entitled “Who’s Hot, Who’s Not” and athlete factoids gauging their pop-culture tastes.

But something needs to change. If we don’t stop stunts like this now, Shaquille O’Neal will be appearing in Avril Lavigne music videos and Matt Leinart will be dating Paris Hilton. Oh, wait.

Why do we need to stop this? Because unlike many other forms of entertainment, sports have never completely relied on pop culture and the media. The world of sports doesn’t center around popularity and “hotness” — and it shouldn’t.

A walk-off home run induces several thousand people to rise to their feet — not because the first baseman was dating Lindsay Lohan, but because walk-off home runs are probably the best thing since sliced bread. A buzzer-beater excites the masses — not because of its implications on a cultural level, but because buzzer-beaters appeal to the simplest of human instincts: surprise and elation.

I understand that it’s inevitable for the worlds of pop culture and sports to collide, but media outlets like ESPN don’t need to force it on fans with a joke of a series like Who’s Now. It’s not necessary. And I’m confident that no sports fan over the age of eight is going to appreciate it.

I’ve been watching ESPN since I was five years old and have rarely, if ever, been disappointed. The company has stood for both excellence and entertainment in the sports media industry since the day it was created.

But after viewing the Who’s Now debacle a few days ago, the only thought that crossed my mind was: et tu, Brute?

Jack Salisbury has had enough of athletes going to prison, let alone dating people who have been to prison. If you agree, contact him at jack24@stanford.edu.