The blogosphere has been all atwitter of late over some controversial news involving big names in the sports world. Clemens and steroids? Spygate? Kelvin Sampson calls another recruit?

Nope, it's bigger than that: ESPN’s Chris Berman swears. Out-takes of Berman acting bad and silly and dropping f-bombs have been circulating on-line, thanks to some obviously disgruntled current or former ESPN employee. It seems ESPN put up with it for a while but has now ordered the videos taken down from YouTube, although Deadspin still has them up, which they were happily promoting for a while:  http://deadspin.com/355926/espn-reacts-to-berman-videos-takes-them-down-off-youtube-but-worry-not?autoplay=true.

Bloggers basically went crazy over the videos, saying they showed what an a-hole Berman is. But take a look for yourself: he drops f-bombs, talks about smuggling codeine from Canada, awkwardly half hits on some woman. I think it's pretty funny. I mean, who among us hasn’t at one point thrown out some lame, flirtatious line to a woman we work with? Or done some carpet f-bombing when things aren’t going our way? Or shared with co-workers the best way to purchase and smuggle prescription meds back from a foreign country?

Ok, I’ve never done that last one, but certainly I’ve had plenty of other conversations that, if recorded and broadcast to the world, would have me searching for a snow cave to hide in. Yes, Berman yells at his production staff in the one video, but apparently they were walking behind the camera and distracted him while he was live to, oh, 10 million people or so. I think I’d be pissed, too. And even in that one he at one point apologizes for his outburst. Wow, what a dickhead.

Give the big guy a break, folks. I think the videos, or the reaction to them, ultimately says more about many of the bloggers out there than Berman. And this is what they say: while bloggers tout themselves as an important counterweight to the mainstream media, and in most cases are, the Berman tapes prove they can also over-react and over-hype dumb, meaningless stories just as much as their mainstream bretheren.

Congratulations guys (and the one gal that’s a sports blogger)! You’ve officially become what you supposedly despise. I would guess one of the official smart-asses over at Deadspin or elsewhere might say they don’t care whether Berman is a douchebag at work, that they were simply having fun with the videos. Yes, just like they tirelessly make fun of EVERYTHING.

I like Deadspin and have other favorite sites out there, but ultimately you have to have something significant to say about the state of the sports world, right, rather than just mocking it all the time. I recently picked up Deadspin editor Will Leitch’s new book, God Save the Fan, cracked it open, and what was the first thing I saw? A photo of Berman sitting on a couch (looks like either a nightclub or strip joint) surrounded by several beautiful young women, with one sitting on his lap.

I guess he’s quite the ladies man, or attempts to be. Deadspin has had great fun with a story about Berman (possibly even true) in which he supposedly threw out a pick-up line at a bar to a woman wearing leather: “You’re with me, leather.” Again, funny, and beaten to death by the bloggers. I believe there’s actually a blog with that title now.

Anyway, I don’t think Berman’s going anywhere. ESPN eventually released a statement saying, in part: “The off air videos are now nearly a decade old and do not reflect his typical workplace demeanor, his relationships with co-workers, nor the contributions he has made to ESPN over many years.”

Deadspin then mocked it.

I don’t want to pick on that site alone, and I plan to read Leitch’s book soon and will report back on it. And I’m not one to throw too many stones, as I watched and laughed at the videos, too. But then I left my basement and went out into the world, went to work, to a ballgame, saw a play. And it was all interesting.   

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Andy Buchanan is the principal writer and editor for Wise Guides and Fan Sherpa after spending several years as a journalist working for the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune and other outlets. When not reporting, he was often at Wrigley Field watching the Cubs or planning his next visit to a ballpark or stadium. And yes, the title of the column is literal, as he has season tickets in the last row of the south end zone at Soldier Field.

  Posted On Tue Feb 19 , 2008
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