Chris Berman
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Chris "Boomer" Berman (born May 10, 1955 in Greenwich, Connecticut) is a noted host and anchor of SportsCenter, NFL Primetime, NFL Countdown, Baseball Tonight, and other select programming on ESPN. Berman joined the network in October 1979, just one month after the cable channel debuted. Since 1980, Berman has hosted the NFL draft. Beginning in 1987, Berman hosted pregame and postgame highlight shows during the NFL season. He joined ABC Sports as a halftime host on Monday Night Football in 1996. Berman is also the chief play by play announcer for ESPN's Wednesday baseball telecasts. In recent years he has ventured into Hockey, during the networks coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals, and golf, during the networks coverage of the U.S. Open.
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Perhaps the most defining moment during Berman's stint as a baseball play by play man (if not his career in general) was in 1995, when he called Cal Ripken Jr.'s record breaking 2,131st consecutive game. He also calls home runs and the Home Run Derby with his signature call, "Back, Back, Back, Back, Back, Gone" (appropriated from Red Barber).
Berman is known for his prognosticating alter ego "The Swami" as well as his unique nicknames such as Bert "Be Home" Blyleven and Barry "U.S." Bonds (based on blues musician Gary "U.S." Bonds). Most of his nicknames are used exclusively by him, but one creation, "Crime Dog" for Fred McGriff (a play on McGruff), has entered mainstream usage. When the show had a change in executive producers in 1985, Berman found out that he was no longer allowed to use his now famous nicknames. After receiving many letters protesting the decision – which included support from baseball player George Brett – the brass at ESPN relented and Berman was soon back to using the nicknames.
He began his broadcasting career as a student at Brown University in the mid-1970s. In the early years of ESPN, he anchored SportsCenter, which he does occasionally (such as the program's 20,000th and 25,000th shows and two "old school" editions on August 11 and 12, 2004 with Greg Gumbel and George Grande respectively.) In a medium dominated by NFL references, Berman's frequent mentions of American Football League players and history have earned him induction to the American Football League Hall of Fame.
Catch phrases
- "That's why they play the game."
- "Back back back back back back ... GONE!"
- "He could ... go ... all ... the ... way!" (originally a Howard Cosell phrase)
- "Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!"
- "The New York Football Giants"
- "Da Raid-ahs!"
- "Rumblin', Bumblin', Stumblin'"
- "The frozen tundra of Lambeau Field" - mimicking the voice of NFL Films announcer John Facenda
- "Marshall, Marshall, Marshall" - a reference to an infamous line of dialogue from The Brady Bunch
- "Curtis 'My Favorite' Martin"
Honors
- 12 CableACE Awards
- 7 Emmy Awards
- National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association National Sportscaster of the Year (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2001)
- American Football League Hall of Fame 2004 Inductee
- American Sportscasters Association Sportscaster of the Year (1995 through 1997)
- The Cable Guide Best Cable Sportscaster 1987, 1988, 1990
- 1997 "TV's Most Fascinating Stars" from People
- 2001 Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia Reds Bagnell Award
- 2005 Sea-Bitches Alex Trebec
External links
- Chris Berman's Nicknames (http://www.funny2.com/berman.htm)
- Chris Berman's bio at ABCSports.com (http://espn.go.com/abcsports/bios/s/chrisberman.html)
- Berman's citation on the AFL Hall of Fame website (http://www.conigliofamily.com/AFLcontributors.htm#AFLCONTRIBUTORS)