ESPN’s Chris Berman to retire(sort of)

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The Dude
I liked Berman.

Early days... He was the star on ESPN's NFL Sunday Countdown and the Sunday night NFL highlight shows.
I liked him too, before he became a 49er honk. But that's not that big a deal, really.

I remember watching him at my friend's house in 1981 when ESPN was on a constant loop all day (repeating the same show over and over). I was just a 15 year old kid then, and he's been on the same Network all the way til now when I'm about to turn fiddy.

That's some serious career longevity.
 

Selassie I

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I remember the ESPN loop too.... so I've been watching him since the beginning. I really liked him, especially back in the old days.

Then I found out he is a whiner lover and my like for him faded quickly.

Even so,,, he'll be missed.

Suzy replacing him would have been great if it came pre botox... she looks like her face doesn't move anymore. Joan Rivers like.
 

DaveFan'51

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Like it or not, he made ESPN.

And early in his career he was fun, entertaining and knew what the freak he was talking about.
True enough. Then he turned into the pure definition of a "East-Coast-Team-Loving-Hack!!
But then again, Who in the world will they get to take his Place!!??

Still, I'm ... Like ...
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the idea makes me want to ...

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Loyal

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I liked him too, before he became a 49er honk. But that's not that big a deal, really.

I remember watching him at my friend's house in 1981 when ESPN was on a constant loop all day (repeating the same show over and over). I was just a 15 year old kid then, and he's been on the same Network all the way til now when I'm about to turn fiddy.

That's some serious career longevity.
Old bastid.....:homercrawl:
 

Ramfansince79

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Growing up was fun watching ESPN with Berman.

Today, I hate ESPN with their agendas and blatant nepotism.

The entire company can fuck themselves.
 

Prime Time

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Don't toy with me. :mad:

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ns-agent-denies-report-of-looming-retirement/

Chris Berman’s agent denies report of looming retirement
Posted by Mike Florio on May 27, 2016

Chris Berman is retiring. Unless he isn’t.

In response to a report that the George Ehhh-weeah-ashington of ESPN’s Mt. Rushmore is retiring after the 2016 NFL season, Berman’s agent tells Richard Sandomir of the New York Times that Berman isn’t calling it quits.

Chris is NOT retiring,” Berman’s agent told Sandomir. “Loves what he’s doing too much and is too young to hang ’em up.”

Berman’s agent also suspects foul play.

Perhaps people with an agenda put it out there,” Berman’s agent told Sandomir.

The news of Berman’s looming retirement comes at a time when ESPN is gutting its Sunday morning NFL programming. Even before TheBigLead.com reported that Berman will call it quits, rumors were rampant that Berman and Tom Jackson would eventually be joining Mike Ditka, Cris Carter, and Keyshawn Johnson as former members of the four-letter network.

If the “people with an agenda” occupy management positions at ESPN, it’s inevitable that Berman will continue his career elsewhere, if he indeed doesn’t retire following the upcoming season, when his contract expires. The last time Berman approached free agency, he reportedly was considering an offer from DirecTV.

With more and more non-traditional companies jockeying for NFL broadcasting rights both now and in the not-too-distant future, it makes plenty of sense for the likes of Twitter, Amazon, Facebook, etc. to consider Berman, who would instantly bring gravitas to any NFL-related production. Whether Berman would be interested in working for a non-traditional outlet is a much different proposition, but very large piles of money go a long way toward the defiance of expectations.

Sure, Berman has become a popular pin cushion for many, but it has happened in part because he’s a broadcasting institution — and because his approach skews toward making himself the center of attention. This doesn’t undermine his skills and his persona, both of which are still significant.

Besides, he’s only 61. At a time when Vin Scully has worked deep into his 80s and Al Michaels is as good as ever in his 70s, Berman surely has plenty of solid years left.

It’s fairly safe to say that those years won’t happen on the air at ESPN. And it’s possible that someone is hoping to provoke the kind of eruption from Mt. Berman that will trigger a possible buyout of his current deal, accelerating his exit from Bristol.
 

Ram65

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Loved him early on. Just a regular guy that loved sports and reporting it.

You get tired on the same stuff but, he changed the sports news and highlights reporting for the good. I don't watch ESPN or much highlight shows any more. A few clicks and I can see Dodger highlights before bed and in the morning. We get so much great Rams news here who needs a national show to get caught up.
 

…..

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So he is not retiring. I just read through this entire thread and can never get the time back.

Hahahahahahahaha

all you happy people..........you get to hate Berman alittle longer
 

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http://thebiglead.com/2015/11/10/chris-berman-makeup-artist-settle-sexual-harassment/

ESPN Settled Former Makeup Artist's Claim that Chris Berman Sexually Harassed Her
By: Jason McIntyre | November 10, 2015


A former ESPN makeup artist recently settled a sexual harassment claim against ESPN, and the focus of her claim was NFL host Chris Berman, multiple people tell The Big Lead.

The former ESPN makeup artist, Sue Baumann, was represented by the office of high profile lawyer Gloria Allred. A person familiar with the matter told The Big Lead that there were allegations against Berman – including comments he allegedly made in the makeup room and text messages going back a few years – and ESPN decided to settle. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the claims.

In a statement to The Big Lead, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said: “Our thorough investigation revealed the harassment claims had no merit. We settled it solely to save a considerable amount of time and litigation costs.”

Allred replied to an email query with “no comment.” Berman’s agent, Lou Oppenheim, didn’t reply to phone calls or emails.

The story of how the claim came to be traces back to one of ESPN’s most popular TV shows, Sunday NFL Countdown.

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Multiple people familiar with the situation tell The Big Lead that Baumann, who is in her mid-40s, had worked at ESPN for 6-7 years as an independently contracted makeup artist. After two years at ESPN, she clicked with the Countdown crew, which features NFL greats such as Tom Jackson, Mike Ditka, and Cris Carter. Baumann became the main makeup person for the stars of the show for five years, traveling with them to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii and the Super Bowl.

This setup irked some other makeup artists in Bristol. Part of the problem, other makeup artists felt, was that Baumann overdressed for the job – rain or shine, day or night, summer or winter, Baumann would be one of the best dressed women on ESPN’s campus. One person who did not want to be quoted for this story said other makeup artists groused that Baumann was decked out, “as if she were about to go out at a high profile club in New York City.”

In 2013, a relationship occurred between Baumann and Carter, the Hall of Fame wide receiver. Eventually, the two disclosed the relationship to a senior-level ESPN staffer. According to records obtained by The Big Lead, police were called to Baumann’s house twice in early 2013, once because two private investigators showed up claiming to have been “hired by ESPN.” The private investigators told Baumann’s husband to stop “calling and harassing an employee at ESPN.” Here’s the police report:

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That employee was Cris Carter, two people close to the situation told The Big Lead. The Baumanns’ marriage broke up and they are divorced.

Carter’s agent Maury Gostfrand couldn’t be reached for comment.

Early in the summer of 2015, Baumann was fired by the company that contracted her work to ESPN. The owner of the makeup company that fired Baumann, Leslie Atiles, did not return a call or email seeking comment.

After she was fired, Baumann raised allegations of sexual harassment against Berman, the Countdown host. One person close to the situation said some text messages dating back to 2011 were an issue, and ESPN’s senior coordinator producer for Countdown, Seth Markman, had been made aware of some of them by Baumann’s husband.

The 60-year old Berman has been with ESPN since 1979, one month after it was founded. In 2008, the Associated Press wrote a Berman retrospective and ESPN VP of Production Norby Williamson said of Berman: “He is our most important person. He is the face of ESPN.”

The story came a few months after a series of old Berman rants were uploaded to YouTube by an ESPN employee. Among them was this video, capturing banter with a staffer named Rebecca.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXf0LmnuM-Y


[UPDATE: Here are the 1st photos of Sue Baumann, the makeup artist in this story. They are via the twitter feed of her ex-husband, David Bauman.]

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-at-espn-but-not-as-host-of-nfl-studio-shows/

Chris Berman staying at ESPN, but not as host of NFL studio shows
Posted by Josh Alper on January 5, 2017

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Getty Images

Chris Berman’s agent quickly shot down a report last year that his client was going to retire after the expiration of his contract with ESPN in 2017, but his future with the network remained uncertain until Thursday.

That’s when ESPN announced Berman won’t be leaving the company he has worked for since shortly after it started in 1979. Berman will be leaving his role as the lead face of the network’s NFL studio shows, however.

In a press release, ESPN announced that Berman will no longer host Sunday NFL Countdown or Monday Night Countdown, but will still make on-air appearances on the latter show to “offer opinion and perspective on historical events.” He will also host “NFL PrimeTime highlights show from the field after the Super Bowl as well as the NFL Conference Championship games.”

“I’ve been lucky enough to spend almost two-thirds of my life at ESPN, and I am honored to have lent a small hand in laying the cornerstone for what has truly become a beacon in sports,” Berman said in a statement. “I’m thrilled that this ride will continue, albeit differently. Today’s announcement allows me to fulfill perhaps my final professional goal – knowing that I will finish with the team I came in with.”

The release from ESPN did not include information about who will be filling Berman’s former roles on NFL coverage in 2017 and beyond.
 

Rmfnlt

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Like many have said, he was original but, after too much of the same shtick, it got old.

Lately, it always seems like he doesn't have enough in his lungs to get full sentences out.

The volume of his voice seems to trail off the longer the sentence.

Time to ease him out to pasture.
 

LACHAMP46

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I thought Chris Berman was a Chargers fan?...and that flirting with Rebecca looked harmless...Rich and powerful, hell, I wouldn't talk to any staff if that's considered flirting...and definitely wouldn't hug anyone.
 

Fatbot

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http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...50906_1_ring-espn-staffers-espn-sports-anchor

Espn`s Berman Rings It Up
September 01, 1991

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Chris Berman`s Super Bowl ring is being returned to sender-San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., that is.

Berman, the ESPN sports anchor, acknowledged last week that he received a 49ers Super Bowl XXIII championship ring from DeBartolo, whom he counts as a close friend. ESPN staffers have said that professional flak in and out of the office created by his acknowledgment-accepti ng the ring is considered a breach of journalistic ethics and a conflict of interest-has forced Berman, the host of ESPN`s ``NFL Gameday`` segments, to think twice about hanging onto the expensive piece of jewelry.

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ESPN did not force Berman to return the ring, Chris LaPlaca, vice president of communications, said through a spokesman. Berman did it on his own.

``This was a personal gift from Mr. DeBartolo, not the 49ers,`` Berman said. ``Nothing has ever swayed what I see or what I say when I report on the 49ers, the NFL or anything else in the world of sports, for that matter.

``Anyone who thinks differently doesn`t know me or my work. I never viewed this as an issue, but perhaps I should have.``
 

Rmfnlt

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http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...50906_1_ring-espn-staffers-espn-sports-anchor

Espn`s Berman Rings It Up
September 01, 1991

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Chris Berman`s Super Bowl ring is being returned to sender-San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., that is.

Berman, the ESPN sports anchor, acknowledged last week that he received a 49ers Super Bowl XXIII championship ring from DeBartolo, whom he counts as a close friend. ESPN staffers have said that professional flak in and out of the office created by his acknowledgment-accepti ng the ring is considered a breach of journalistic ethics and a conflict of interest-has forced Berman, the host of ESPN`s ``NFL Gameday`` segments, to think twice about hanging onto the expensive piece of jewelry.

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ESPN did not force Berman to return the ring, Chris LaPlaca, vice president of communications, said through a spokesman. Berman did it on his own.

``This was a personal gift from Mr. DeBartolo, not the 49ers,`` Berman said. ``Nothing has ever swayed what I see or what I say when I report on the 49ers, the NFL or anything else in the world of sports, for that matter.

``Anyone who thinks differently doesn`t know me or my work. I never viewed this as an issue, but perhaps I should have.``
Guess that was the turning point for Berman... he honestly believed that no one would think a gift like that wouldn't impact his subjectivity? Really?