Chris Berman Thinks You're Not Paying Enough Attention To Him

I once thought that I hated Chris Berman, but I didn't know the guy so I couldn't really justify it. Then those old MNF Halftime vids came out and it drew my a little closer to my theory. I still haven't met the guy, so I can't say I hate him, but after this interview with Sign On San Diego I can say that I absolutely hate his schtick and how he comes across on-air and in interviews.

Berman actually thinks the reason people can't stand him is because they aren't paying enough attention to his "work". Seriously....

“First of all,” he said, “it's unfair because if you're on the air for six hours and heaven forbid I say, 'Ground control to David Toms,' you're writing it like I said it 500 times. Not the case.”

Said Berman: “It's unfair if people say I'm trying to make it my show. Then you haven't paid attention. Then you haven't done me fair. 'Cause I'm not. But I'm trying to be me and have a good time with it as someone who's an avid follower of the game; someone who's like most of the audience who are watching, a 16-handicap give or take, not a 3 (handicap) or a scratch.

“I would think that's someone loaded for bear before I even come out of the woods, and I can't help that. . . . You should deliver your columns or your sportscasts in the way that you are. And so that's the way I am. So is it going to please everybody? No. I'm not doing the final round, either. You've got to remember that. I'm doing the early rounds.

“It's the only way I know how to do it. There's a lot of ways to announce it; I'm just being me. I'm not trying to overdo it at all. If anyone thinks I come in to overdo it, you're not being fair and you're not listening.”

I'm trying not to be angry about this, but when someone is this clueless it's just frustrating. The problem is that he IS doing the David Toms thing these days and others 500 times and he just doesn't realize it. I would love to listen to you Berman but I just can't. Everything is such a joke that when he tries to sound serious that comes across as even more funny than the cheesy joke. He's the reason for the movement in where announcers and writers make themselves bigger than the game. If you like him then good for you, but I think you're in the minority.

Oh and he also ended the interview with this....

Still, he added, “You can't fault me. I've been doing it for 28½ years, but maybe this guy heard it for the first time. I view myself as not a rock star, but if you go to see Rod Stewart, at some point you want to hear him sing 'Maggie May.' You don't want to hear him sing 'Maggie May' 50 times. But I owe it to the audience to sing 'Maggie May.'

I give up.

C'mon, you can take Berman for two days (Sign On San Diego)