The Monday Mommy: Chris Berman Set to Stumble & Bumble Through (Sigh), Another Home Run Derby.
“While I am not suggesting that Chris Berman should be put out to pasture, I feel that he shouldn’t be given such high profile gigs anymore. Those of us that have been forced to endure his tired antics for decades are just plain sick of them.”
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Rockies fan don’t have much to celebrate these days. The wheels are coming off that bus and it looks as though nothing is going to stop it. So, now what is a Colorado baseball fan supposed to do with their summer? At least we all have the MLB All Star Game Week to look forward to, right?
Well, not exactly. The Home Run Derby which will take place on Monday, July 15 is set to be hosted by ESPN relic Chris Berman and will include a performance by Pitbull. Get your fist pumps and horrific clichés ready folks, because this duo has the potential to cheese up and devalue a historically solid event.
Why does Chris Berman keep getting all these gigs? I am aware that he is Mr. ESPN and was an integral part in the branding and extreme success of the network. However, his shtick has seen its day in the sun and is completely disconnected from today’s sports fan.
ESPN, on the back of Berman used to be the only source of sports news that people turned to. They had the bulk of the marketplace and built an entire campus and empire based on their format. However, in the modern digital era things have indeed changed and it seems that ESPN hasn’t really done so. The overproduced, Disney-like approach has turned off many long-time sports fans and the next generation is trending towards younger, hipper sources of news and entertainment.
While I am not suggesting that Chris Berman should be put out to pasture, I feel that he shouldn’t be given such high profile gigs anymore. Those of us that have been forced to endure his tired antics for decades are just plain sick of them. At least when it comes to the NFL draft, there are choices in programming. If one does not want to hear yet another crappy nickname for a draftee, they can switch over to the NFL Network. However, in order to watch the Home Run Derby we must sit and cringe as Chris Berman stumbles through the broadcast, unless of course we exercise our usage of the all-important mute button.
With such an abundance of young fresh talent at ESPN, it amazes me that Berman is still getting the lion’s share of the great gigs. There are so many hungry men and women who are much more relatable to the modern sports fan and are passed over in order for Berman to continue to serve up the same menu of broadcasts from the 80’s. While most of these appearances are probably written into his contract, we all know that there are ways of getting around such things.
Locally, we know all too well about the shticky, obtuse sports guy. Denver area sports fans have had to endure NBC’s Drew Soicher for way longer than anyone would like. His bobble head gimmick and other assorted crapcasting is cringe worthy for many fans in the Colorado market.
Soicher, like Berman is coddled by the network and is under the impression that people actually enjoy the clichés. I am sure there is a small demographic that appreciate them both, like maybe women ages 55-80? In both cases, there seems to be no one telling them to either step aside or change up their way of doing things. If I was tight with either Chris Berman or Drew Soicher, I would certainly let them know that their approach needs to change in order to be taken seriously as Sportscasters in the modern era.
Luckily for most of us, we have many options when it comes to our local sports and can easily avoid anything Soicher, including the ol’ sea lion Bronco bit.
On the national level, if folks want to partake in the MLB ALL Star Game festivities via television they will be extremely limited. My advice to baseball fans out there looking for an enjoyable Home Run Derby experience: headphones or the mute button.
