Berman will still provide occasional interviews and features for "Sunday NFL Countdown"ESPN IMAGES
ESPN's Chris Berman is returning to "SportsCenter" in a new role "carved out specifically for him," according to sources cited by Jimmy Traina of SI.com. Berman is hosting a "weekly three-to-four minute segment called, 'Berman's Blast,' in which he'll recap and discuss historic NFL rivalries to coincide with a game that week." The segment, which will first air at 7:00am ET each Friday, will be "repeated several times throughout the weekend on various editions of 'SportsCenter.'" The segment is currently slate to run the first five weeks of the season, though there is the "potential for more down the road." It was speculated that Berman "could have an expanded role this season on 'Sunday NFL Countdown.'" While that "won't be happening," Berman will still provide "occasional interviews and features for the show." He will again host "NFL PrimeTime" on Championsip Sunday and following the Super Bowl and "provide his 'Boomer's Vault' segment for 'Monday Night Countdown'" (SI.com, 9/6). In N.Y., Andrew Marchand notes ESPN execs "hoped that Berman would do more now, but knew that his schedule may be difficult to work out for this season." ESPN ideally would want Berman to do "highlights on Sunday nights, which, in theory, might help ratings" (N.Y. POST, 9/7). Meanwhile, Sam Ponder is slated to begin her second season hosting "Countdown" on Sunday, and she talks to THE DAILY about what her time away from the studio is like.
BACK TO THEIR ROOTS: THE BIG LEAD's Ryan Glasspiegel noted Berman's return is "another example" that ESPN is "seeking to get back in the good graces of the NFL" under the leadership of network President Jimmy Pitaro. He made it a point last month to talk about ESPN being “good partners” with the league. Glasspiegel wrote the line about being "good partners" conjures up thoughts of Fox Sports. FS1 has a "decidedly football theme up and down their lineup," and it is likely the NFL office "took notice of the football theme" over the years and has been a factor in how the league "doles out the most compelling game matchups." Glasspiegel: "You can bet NFL leadership will be watching closely not just to see if ESPN’s journalism unit lays off of them, but also where they perceive they stand in the pecking order versus NBA talk" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 9/6).
