Lori Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Good point, but couldn't Berman get a deal with NFLN where he's allowed limited work with, say, CBS or Fox for the Masters and MLB? Debatable, since both those networks are NFL rightsholders and may not want to give airtime to someone from a competing network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharper802 Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Chris Berman is being offered boatloads of money to leave ESPN, for the NFL Network... http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...ursuing-berman/ I know it is in vogue to trash anything that is tradition, or has been going on for a while...but I think Berman, as a NFL football guy, is still pretty great. People always rag on him for his "tired schtick", but I never sense that he isn't enjoying the hell out of what he is doing...if he leaves ESPN, that would be a huge void... I suppose the 2000 people who get the NFL Network can enjoy! "Brooks adds that ESPN is expected to make a "reasonable" pitch to retain Berman, but "will not break the bank to keep him." Seriously with all the available online resources and TiVo who watches pre and post game coverage? Who wathces the games in real time? I watch the games on TiVO so I can blow by the bad announcers and commercials every 5 minutes. Maybe it is because I am old and tired(age 39) but Berman stopped being entertaining years ago. Hell ESPN's best commentator may be Keyshawn Johnson. Salisbury steak was intolerable. TJ is clueless. Young talks about QB's as if they walk on water. Ditka - old buffoon as someone else posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judman Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Chris Berman is being offered boatloads of money to leave ESPN, for the NFL Network... http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...ursuing-berman/ I know it is in vogue to trash anything that is tradition, or has been going on for a while...but I think Berman, as a NFL football guy, is still pretty great. People always rag on him for his "tired schtick", but I never sense that he isn't enjoying the hell out of what he is doing...if he leaves ESPN, that would be a huge void... I suppose the 2000 people who get the NFL Network can enjoy! "Brooks adds that ESPN is expected to make a "reasonable" pitch to retain Berman, but "will not break the bank to keep him." I don't know if 2000 people have NFLN, that sounds like a high number to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extrahammer Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I don't know if 2000 people have NFLN, that sounds like a high number to me. Well, DirecTV currently has over 18 million subscribers, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Well, DirecTV currently has over 18 million subscribers, so... That's close to 2000, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 I'll miss Berman on ESPN, but I'm not sure how this changes "the way we watch football" Sorry The Dean, you're such a little stickler... As for me, I am not a big fan of the NFL Network either. I realize, it is pretty new still, but the last few times I went back to Buffalo, my folks, and one of my sisters both had Direct TV... I was excited about the opportunity to enjoy the NFLN for a few weeks during the season... I found it no better than ESPN, just more repetitive... and I realize this make me an old fuddy duddy, but I think that NFL Redzone thing that everyone thinks is so wonderful, represents pretty much everything I hate about the way football is covered now... all highlights, out of context.... an ADD nightmare... I realize there is a chance Berman will not go, but I don't know...at 54 years old, wouldn't working less for more money appeal to most? It would be hard to turn something that offered that down, I would imagine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 The NFL Network other then a handful of games you miss, is worthless, most of it is repeat TV not much original, and surely not cutting edge. We will however be forced to watch it soon as more and more games will be found there only. The NFL is shooting themselves in the Foot in the long run why will Big Networks give them boat loads of money when they are taking the game pool away from them.. NFL cant survive with NFL network alone... The SNYDER's and JONE's will ruin this great sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extrahammer Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I miss the show '6 days til kickoff' or something like that on NFLN when it first came out. Takeo Spikes and the Bills were on one time and it was pretty cool. Not sure why they did away with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernMan Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I stopped watching any pre- or post-game NFL shows years ago. There's just no need, with the Sunday Ticket and everything available online. The only NFL shows worth watching are NFL Films productions -- IMO. Right on. As a displaced Buffalonian in Atlanta, starving for a crumb of Bills news, it was part of the routine to watch the pre-game shows back in the day. When the Levy/Kelly regime was taking form, and Bills football was getting exciting again, I anxiously awaited the Buffalo News clippings sent from friends and relatives in Buffalo. Those communiques from back home and the ESPN or network (NBC and CBS) pregame shows was the full extent of getting our Bills fix. Later, publications like SHOUT! made it more tolerable, if they made it to our mailbox. It worked great in theory, though the omni-present conspiracy against anything Buffalo meant the US Postal frequently "lost" it somewhere along the way. In the late 90s, the internet burst full force onto the scene, with 24/7 access to any interest you can think of. That was the point at which the pregame broadcasts became obsolete for me. TiVo/DVR capabilities further streamlined the time I needed to devote to leisure and interests like The Bills. In fact, rather than sit down at noon on Sunday for pregame nonsense, I usually record the Bills, wait until 2pm, zip through the commercials, and finish up around the same time as everyone else. That's 2 hours of my weekend I can dedicate to something more productive. I supposed if the Bills were the media darlings of the decade with wider coverage by the pundits, I might be more inclined to watch. Of course I'd record it and skip all the Tom Brady and Tony Romo lovefests, pausing only at the first sign of the familiar charging bison logo. But all in all, I can do without the fratboy flavored gab fest on FOX or CBS. It's like steroid version of The View. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilbuffalobob Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 They come and they go... there's always someone else waiting in the wings for cake jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 But all in all, I can do without the fratboy flavored gab fest on FOX or CBS. It's like steroid version of The View. Well said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 Honestly I couldn't care less if Berman leaves. Don't get me wrong I like Berman a lot (Bills fan and he is OK at commentary) but in reality its not really going to be a game changer people I feel don't really tune into post or pre game shows that much because of one guy. People like the broadcast as a whole (Personalities, features, type of analysis) not really just to tune into one guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted February 10, 2010 Author Share Posted February 10, 2010 Honestly I couldn't care less if Berman leaves. Don't get me wrong I like Berman a lot (Bills fan and he is OK at commentary) but in reality its not really going to be a game changer people I feel don't really tune into post or pre game shows that much because of one guy. People like the broadcast as a whole (Personalities, features, type of analysis) not really just to tune into one guy. I will admit, I don't watch the pre-/post game stuff as religiously, as I used to either, like most here. However, when I do, I always prefer to see Berman more than anyone else. I never watch the FOX or CBS pre-game shows, even for a minute. If nobody tunes in for one guy, maybe the NFLN should save their money. I may not tune in for one guy, but I will certainly avoid some shows because of one guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davefan66 Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 NFL at ESPN is all about Chris Berman. Without him, it's nothing. He's the one who runs the show. He made the old Primetime. I never really thought that TJ was all that great, but he & Berman clicked and have good on-air chemistry. Even after NBC took the Sunday night package, I'd still watch the Sunday night Sportscenter for his highlights. Berman has been one of the few bright spots at ESPN these days for me. TJ offers much more insight to the pregame and post game shows than Berman. He offers his honest opinion, without all the fluff. Berman is stuck in his "Back, back, back" days and would hardly be missed by me if he left. ESPN is a machine and wouldn't miss a step if he left, how valuable is he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 I don't have ESPN or NFLN so ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 Chris Berman is being offered boatloads of money to leave ESPN, for the NFL Network... http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...ursuing-berman/ I know it is in vogue to trash anything that is tradition, or has been going on for a while...but I think Berman, as a NFL football guy, is still pretty great. People always rag on him for his "tired schtick", but I never sense that he isn't enjoying the hell out of what he is doing...if he leaves ESPN, that would be a huge void... I suppose the 2000 people who get the NFL Network can enjoy! "Brooks adds that ESPN is expected to make a "reasonable" pitch to retain Berman, but "will not break the bank to keep him." I don't know how anyone could give Berman any grief. Besides the late Tim Russert, Berman is one of the few national personalities that actually backs the Bills. If you want to talk about lame personalities, one need look no further than the horrid CBS pre-game show. Shannon Sharpe is a loud mouth baffoon, Marino is a whining baby, and Cowher's chin owns so much of the camera that it's hard to see anything else. None of them are funny or even the slightest bit entertaining. If it wasn't for James Brown and some reasonable input by Esiason, I'd say blow it all up! Berman is a legend and it would be disappointing to see him leave ESPN for the NFL Network. I personally feel that Rich Eisen's schtick is getting old, but Berman IS ESPN. Berman and Tom Jackson rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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