Chris Berman...does anyone like him?

[Dragonbait]

Steven A is the one guy over there I CANT STAND AT ALL.... Just makes me think.... "I'm an angry black man, so I gotta be loud and obnoxious all the time."

[dvoiss]

Men aged 40 and up seem to like him from my history.

I'M over 40 And I think he is the most annoying sports announcer on TV. Period.

[samwise]

Can't believe that no one has posted this yet.

 

You're with me, leather

[Teatoe993]

I don't mind him on NFL Countdown. I have no use for him other than that. Especially anything baseball related.

[RU Rah Rah]

If we start a Stuart Scott or Steven A Smith thread I may get banned.

I actually kind of like Steven A. His whole worked-up Gospel-preacher thing is kind of entertaining. (But, having said that, I can totally understand why he's not everyone's cup of tea.)

About Berman: a million years ago, I represented my alma mater in the "Superbowl of Sports Trivia" show. (Reruns of this abomination occasionally still run on ESPN Classic.) Berman was the host, and he was pretty cool to us. When he found out that I was from Baltimore, he told a hilarious story about dating someone frigid from Towson, which is near where I grew up. So, after that, he pretty much received a lifetime pass from me.

[TheBwaz]

I've been divorced from ESPN for 3 years now, but I still peek in from time to time. You think Steven A is bad on the air, you should catch some of his radio show; he is the New York Post come to life.

 

Berman is waaaay played out but, as was said earlier, he was there at the start with Ley and carried a lot of water for ESPN. Actually, I kinda miss the days when ESPN filled its programming with midget racing (the cars), rodeos and Australian Rules Football. Now, like many other journalistic outlets, they have to BE the story, not just report on it. It takes a lot of fake controversy to fill all that air. I hope they spin off a soccer channel and put Rob Stone in charge.

 

No, I don't like Berman.

[MickeyDavis]

His act grew tiresome years ago. I can't stand ESPN. I only watch when there is a game on that I want to see, otherwise no way. Especially when Berman is on.

[stoops17]

I can't stand Berman, I think his golf commentary is worse then his baseball. But I try to avoid him if at all possible. Stu and Steven A are absolutely avoided, they make me cringe.

[JJ Hardy Har Har]

When I was in middle school I really like all of his nicknames for the baseball players and many of his other bits. By the time I was graduating high school I was indifferent to him, by the time I was done with college I loathed him, and still do to this day. He helped get ESPN off the ground, but like everything ESPN has become, he's overdone and I find him mostly intolerable these days. My ESPN viewing has steadily declined the last 6-7 years. Maybe I'm just getting old and bitter in my early 30s, they ruined MTV, they ruined VH1, they ruined ESPN... I feel like my grandparents... "Rock and Roll is going to ruin the country!"

I feel like I could have written this, down to every detail.

 

[Menotti80]

Berman is just OK. I enjoy him doing football highlights and can stand him on sunday nfl countdown, but thats it. i cant stand listening to him doing anything baseball related, especially the home run derby.

 

one thing about berman i find kind of annoying that i've never heard anyone mention: berman has a tendency to hold his breath to long while talking. so if he ends up reading or saying a long or run-on sentence, he begins to lose his breath and his voice gets all weird. then once he is able to take a breath after a sentence, his voice returns to normal again.

 

look for that next time berman is on espn. it happens ALL THE TIME!

[JimH5]

He seems perfect for his NFL show, and very imperfect for other assignments.

[davego]

Steven A amuses me. Not sure if that is really what he is shooting for, but he crackes me up.

[bigredrobbo]

I think Berman is fantastic on every single NFL show.

 

 

Because I don't watch any NFL shows...

 

 

The man is beyond annoying IMO. I'd like to take him to one of those tall bluffs and advise him to go "back, back, back, back, back...."

[joepepsi]

I am over 40 and think he's the worst baseball broadcaster in history. I hate him. Everyone I know hates him. He doesn't know a thing about baseball and is an embarrassment to the game and espn. I'm embarrassed for them whenever I hear him.

 

When espn started he was a colorful guy that brought attention to the network. I imagine for them he's now like a drunk uncle that shows up for Thanksgiving dinner every year and you have to tolerate him because he took you fishing when you were 9.

[afeter]

i like him. He is still funny, i mean Julio "wont you take me on a sea" Cruz, come on. everyone's act gets tired after 1-2,.....how about 25 years. I don't know where all this resentment comes from. I'll bet some of it has to do with him rooting for the cubs. The guy only does a baseball game once in a while, and nfl primetime. He is an icon and to me still shows some humility. Now dan patrick on the other hand, i can't stand. His arrogance is really off-putting.

[brewcrew00]

I don't really care either way about Berman, can't stand Stuart Scott, but man do I love me some Neil Everett. "Sportscenter....RIGHT NOW!"

[rwa12]

I would disagree that Berman is the "drunk uncle" of ESPN. The reaction to him on this board does not surprise me at all, this is not his demographic. People here often freak out if W-L record or ERA is used in an argument, we are not representative of baseball fans at large. Berman is a batting average and basics anouncer. He is a big name, who keeps things light, and tries to keep the game moving. ESPN knows that die-hards will watch the game if it is a team they follow, they are trying to snare the channel flippers. They are looking to grab people who want "sports entertainment", which is a much larger demographic.

 

On the SAS, Stuart Scott debate; I don't really care for either. I know that Stu is there to provide some "urban" attitude, but it seems forced to me. SAS is just a different incarnation of Dick Vitale to me, better to be loud than knowledgable.

[Patrick425]

razzzorsharp wrote:

 

Men aged 40 and up seem to like him from my history

I like him...44...damn I am getting predictable

I like him too...I'm 42. Then again, I'm not as nearly as opinionated about sportscasters and announcers as others seem to be. I don't get why people get so annoyed by some of these guys.

[RU Rah Rah]

Actually, my least favorite is the guy on "Baseball Tonight" who always refers to the Red Sox as "The Nation."

[Ennder]

I liked him when I watched ESPN regularily, but that was like 10 years ago so maybe things have changed.

[yfinn6]

I don't really care, I guess sportscasters don't annoy me that much because I can tune them out if I want to. There is this great new invention during a game, I realized it during the Daron Sutton era... called a volume button http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif.

 

Seriously though he's probably run his course and could be replaced, but then you could say that for a lot of ESPN.

[Oldcity]

The reaction to him on this board does not surprise me at all, this is not his demographic. People here often freak out if W-L record or ERA is used in an argument, we are not representative of baseball fans at large.

I disagree with this. From what I've seen, he doesn't even do that many baseball games. I see him much more during football season, and watching football highlights becomes unbearable.

 

[Glennron]

The reaction to him on this board does not surprise me at all, this is not his demographic. People here often freak out if W-L record or ERA is used in an argument, we are not representative of baseball fans at large. Berman is a batting average and basics anouncer.

My problem with him isn't what he values in terms of baseball players, but his ungodly annoying announcing style and voice. Have you watched a home run derby on ESPN? "BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK GONE!", every home run. It's literally unbearable. It's bad enough he comes up with nicknames for players, it's even worse 75% of them are a stretch, and 95% of them aren't even remotely funny.

[BrewCrewForever]

I very much dislike Berman. Just can't stand his tired old routine anymore. He does have a nice comb over though.

[BuckyBrewer61]

I'll jump on the pile as a Berman hater, but to his credit, "Bobby we all live on Ayala submarine" is genius.