After 17 years, The Footy Show bade farewell to GTV's famous Studio 9 last night, and much to the chagrin of the inner-city-hand-wringing-overly-important-out-of-touch-tub-thumping-chai-latte-sipping-dull-as-dishwater-intellectually-superior-non-punting-boutique-beer-quaffing-letter-to-the-editor-writing-dinner-party-gathering-book-club-attending-public-transport-catching-non-AFLteam-aligned-scarf-wearing-coloured-tv-guide-reading-non-commercial-radio-listening-whinging minority, it's the building rather than the program which is ceasing to be.

And with an in-studio appearance from Melbourne president Jimmy Stynes promoting his up-coming battle-against-cancer-documentary, followed by Shane Crawford finishing his amazing charity run from Adelaide amongst the Breast Cancer Support Network, they pulled off a blinder.

Just an hour after the car called Channel 7 had to wind down the window a bit so that the dog in the back seat called Prime Time Game Day could breathe, The Footy Show showcased the reasons for its longevity in the strongest possible fashion.

In no particular order these are:

1. Sam Newman

He says inappropriate things privately. He says inappropriate things publicly. He makes those closest to him laugh their heads off and since 1994 every Thursday night literally hundreds of thousands have enjoyed his work in the privacy of their own loungeroom.

And yes, several thousand haven't enjoyed his work.

And of course sometimes he got it totally wrong when trying to entertain.

Thankfully for the talentless bores who get behind the microphone or keypad and ask, "Has Sam Newman gone too far this time?" he's done so often enough to ensure they haven't had to think of anything original to talk or write about themselves.

Of course "moments" like painting his face black when Nicky Winmar didn't show up, and the infamous Caroline Wilson mannequin incident, can't and wouldn't be defended, but the fact is Newman thought he was doing the right thing by the show.

(However the infamous David Schwarz pie incident was different as that was a set up with all parties involved in the planning and execution of the stunt.)

What's usually missed is that despite his eccentricities, he spent 18 years at one football club and now 17 years at one television show. He is a very loyal man, who again made a point of paying tribute to "his" producer and camera crew last night. Those who know him well love him.

2. Community Connection

While Shane Crawford's run was an extreme example, the Footy Show's three enduring segments "Sam's Mailbag" "Almost Football Legends" & "Street Talk" all have the genuine everyman (or woman) accessibility that gives the public ownership of "their" show.

Foundation members were a "Broady Boy" (host Eddie McGuire) and "the man behind the bar" (comedian Trevor Marmalade) who not only got the ball rolling with their on-air talents, but there was nothing cartoon about their characters as their background ensured they knew what appealed to the "bloke in the ‘burbs" from first hand experience.

Conversely the few times the show lost direction was when it lost that touch.

Towards the end of McGuire's long and successful 12 year reign as host (and in reality the executive producer), it became more "Lateline Business" than sports-based entertainment show as club presidents and CEOs became regular guests, instead of star captains and full-forwards.

While the only structural mistake of the five-year Garry Lyon and James Brayshaw co-hosting era, was having journalist Craig Hutchison off set with Lyon in a tea-party style arrangement that was essentially designed to stop Newman interrupting Hutchison.

While it suited "Hutchy", it didn't suit the viewers.

3. Relevance

McGuire as journalist used to break stories on a near-weekly basis, and as club president he became the news.

On his departure Hutchison, and now also (ex-News Limited) journo Damien Barrett continue to give a news edge, while the show's reciprocal loyalty to big-name and often controversial figures such as Crawford, Everitt, Akermanis, Schwarz, Carey, Fevola, Richardson & Brown (Jonathon, Nathan & Campbell), meant that the panel members utterances would often provide copy.

Heck even the saintly James Hird once found himself back page material! (For disparaging comments made towards umpire Scott McLaren.)

4. Commercial Savvy

Segments are sponsored and sponsors get segments. And happy sponsors with successful segments ensure a show's longevity while on and off camera employees get to pay their mortgages.

5. Evolution

It started with McGuire, Newman, Marmalade and three current stars, and now has Lyon & Brayshaw co-hosting, Newman still being Newman, with Crawford or Brownless alongside two current stars, yet no comedian.

McGuire's decision to move to the Nine Network as CEO proved that he was looking for fresh challenges at the time of his departure in 2005, Marmalade did an amazing job to last 15 years in his position while generally working "one out" without behind the scenes writers, and in the sanitized world of micro-managed sporting teams, it's more commercially appealing to have two long-term members in Brownless and Crawford on set, than sourcing three current players who usually don't want to be there and certainly don't want to say anything.

6. All imitations have died

Just as Babba ain't Abba, Rove ain't Dave and INXS without Michael Hutchence is consistently crap, Four Quarters, Live and Kicking, The Game and The Bounce have all arrived with great gusto as Seven's Footy Show knock-off and have ended up euthanized behind the green screen.

Conversely, Channel 10 came up with a novel idea of coming up with a novel idea.

It's a bloody good show called Before the Game and it's had continued ratings success and has never tried to be the Footy Show.

That's-what-I'm-talkin'-about.

("Racetrack" Ralphy Horowitz is a full-time racing analyst for private clients and media commentator for Sport 927. He is a former producer at 3AW, SEN, The Footy Show, & Sunday Footy Show. Last night in his role as on-course form analyst, the Moonee Valley Racing Club asked him to attend, due to their sponsorship of Shane Crawford's charity run for the Breast Cancer Support Network. He has had no connection to the show or the network since leaving.)