[CBFF] Berman goes crazy - follow up

[Tom Shannon]

These videos have all been posted on PFT over the past month.  For what it's
worth, there's only one really bad one (the first one referenced below).

I think it’s a mountain and molehill situation.

Tom


Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes.
  - Edgard Varese
http://www.chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog



> -----Original Message-----
> From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com [mailto:cbff-
> bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of Victor Waldron
> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 1:03 PM
> To: CBFF
> Subject: [CBFF] Berman goes crazy - follow up
> 
> (this piece is from the Trib. According to the article the anonymous
> YouTube poster put it online, "so the public could see Berman for what
> he is." Whether you like Berman or not it's a low blow.)
> 
> 
> Berman caught with his mike on
> When profanity-laced outtakes from 2000 showed up on YouTube, no doubt
> the ESPN anchor wished he could take it back, back, back
> 
> By Ed Sherman
> 
> TRIBUNE REPORTER
> 
> February 18, 2008
> 
> The Internet has opened up a whole new world for the masses, taking
> them to places they never have been before. That hasn't been a good
> thing for Chris Berman recently.
> 
> Out of nowhere, unflattering videos of the ESPN personality popped up
> on YouTube and then other sites. Thousands of users saw clips of
> Berman in between segments while anchoring the halftime show for ABC's
> "Monday Night Football" in 2000.
> 
> One clip showed Berman in a vulgarity-laced tirade because people on
> the set distracted him during his segment.
> 
> "It's like nobody here ever worked on TV before," he said.
> 
> Another clip has Berman complaining about having to narrate the same
> kind of highlights every week.
> 
> "I'm running out of steam on these things," he said.
> 
> Berman also mocked Al Michaels, then the host of "MNF." While
> rehearsing a line sending the telecast back to the stadium, Berman
> placed a vulgarity before and after Michaels' name.
> 
> The person who posted the videos on YouTube goes by the user name of
> ampex2000. The person declined to reveal his or her identity in a
> communication on YouTube's site.
> 
> The person said via e-mail through YouTube that the Berman videos had
> been passed around by production people, as is a common practice with
> other outtakes in the television industry. The person said the videos
> were placed on YouTube so the public could see Berman for what he is.
> 
> Berman isn't talking, and the videos were up for several days before
> ESPN issued a statement:
> 
> "The off-air videos are now nearly a decade old and do not reflect
> [Berman's] typical workplace demeanor, his relationships with
> co-workers nor the contributions he has made to ESPN over many years.
> Chris has a tremendous connection with sports fans, and his body of
> work should not be judged by a few minutes of unguarded language
> uttered years ago. We aren't excusing the language and will be
> emphasizing to our workforce the importance of using appropriate
> language in the workplace."
> 
> ESPN then took action and had YouTube remove the videos. However,
> Deadspin.com still had the clips on its site Friday.
> 
> Berman hardly is the first on-air personality to have a meltdown over
> something that happened in the studio.
> 
> He won't be the last because there's plenty of material floating
> around, as every production truck has its own series of bloopers that
> provides crews with hours of entertainment during down time.
> 
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