WON'T YOU BE MY CELLMATE?

K-Mac: Less of a danger to this community

NBA, NHL, Spring Training, March Madness.

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All of the above have combined to make your regular contributors too damn busy to, uh, contribute.

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But because madness isn't just confined to March, we must lose a little sleep posting this so you can lose a little sleep thinking about it.

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What the hell is with these guys anyway?

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From KUTV.com

Former ESPN Producer Arrested In Salt Lake City... Again

SALT LAKE CITY - A veteran freelance sports producer who worked for ESPN was again arrested in Utah this week for violating the terms of his release -- prior to a trial on child pornography charges.

Kevin Stewart McMahan, 50, was arrested last June at the Salt Lake City International Airport after authorities reportedly found several images of child pornography inside of his luggage. Officials searched his bag after a screener spotted a lighter inside.

Authorities then had his checked bags pulled off the airplane and allegedly found nearly 50 DVDs and videos on his laptop computer of juvenile boys performing sexual acts. Also reportedly found were hundreds of explicit photographs of young boys being molested.

At that time, he was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on numerous counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and drug possession.

In the days after, a judge agreed to release McMahan as long as he complied with a series of demands. One stipulated that he could not use a computer until at least his trial was completed.

On Monday, McMahan was re-arrested after admitting to some computer use. He was taken into custody and was later determined by a judge to be a danger to the community.

McMahan will next appear in court on May 1 to face the original charges from last summer.

McMahan has not worked for ESPN since his intitial arrest, according to ESPN managers.

Just plain sad.

Production Dilemma #12 & 35

Let's return to a subject touched on a few months ago: what to do when some idiot runs on the field/court or does something from the stands that interferes with the game.

One argument calls for the talent to vaguely state what is or has happened but not to show it for fear that giving camera time to the culprit(s) glorifies that act and gives the idiots the attention they want.

The other side would prefer showing the person, with emphasis on what happens to them once they're caught (& beaten up by security), in the hopes of causing embarrassment and deterring future incidents.

On Thursday (2/28), ESPN went out of their way to expose a disgruntled fan who threw a water bottle on the court near the end of USC's victory at Arizona.

By the way, great job by the tape op (or producer) for instantly spotting the bottle being thrown in the background of the reverse free throw shot.

Using the telestrator, analyst Jay Bilas almost circled the correct person.

Thanks to Breitbart.tv via SbB

Hey, Knight, What's Up?

To the list of sports figures who have been less than friendly with TV crew members before becoming their colleagues, add Bobby Knight.

Knight's decision to join ESPN beginning March 12 is actually less surprising than any of those pictured with him above. Paul O'Neill and Kirk Gibson were downright surly toward camera operators, A-2s and stage managers during their playing days. Dave Winfield merely acted as if anyone associated with TV was completely beneath him.

But when their playing days were over and they became what they had once resented, things changed.

Well, Gibson didn't change much actually when he worked on Tigers games for FSN.

But suddenly O'Neill stopped sneering at the cameras and started smiling for them. Who knew he could smile? A YES Network paycheck did the trick.

Winfield changed his tune while stumbling through his taped on-cameras during his stint with FOX on the 1996 World Series. Each night as his takes numbered anywhere from the teens to the thirties, FOX crew members who had experienced his dugout behavior when he played, kidded Winfield that he was no All-Star in this field.

On the night of the thirty takes, the kidding stopped and the crew got downright pissed. Winfield repeatedly apologized, swore this take would be the one, before tripping over his tongue yet again. His career at FOX was short lived.

And what of Reggie? Nobody forgot about Reggie during his time working games for KTLA (Angels) and ESPN.

Nobody ever forgets Reggie. Even if you can't hear him.

The clip has no audio but if you couldn't read his lips, dear Reggie said "Get that camera off me or I'll f**king rip it off..."

Strange comment from somebody who always wanted the camera on him, huh?

Great guy, that Reggie.

And now here's Bobby Knight in a position to work with some of the very people he treated with disrespect over the years. He will encounter far fewer of them than he could have, because he will work from ESPN's Bristol studios rather than at game sites. Chances are though, someone involved with his inexcusable blow up at Jeremy Schaap still roams the ESPN campus and hasn't forgotten.

Need another reminder? How about walking out unprovoked during a taping and leaving the producers with no content:

Thanks to felixnightowl

Welcome to our little world, Bobby.

You'll feel at home soon. Sometimes we're not too nice either.

Mystifying MLB On TBS Schedule

The Sunday afternoon MLB on TBS package is mystifying because we can't figure out how they're going to be successful with this thing.
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TBS games are not exclusive. Both teams can and will televise the game to their regular markets.
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ESPN Sunday Night and FOX Saturday games are exclusive broadcasts.
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TBS can not change the start time of a game to a window with potentially higher ratings.
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ESPN dictates Sunday Night start times (usually 8:00 PM EST). FOX dictates Saturday start times (usually 3:55 PM EST).
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TBS does not have camera position priorities over the local rightsholders.
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ESPN, on weeknight games, gets camera priority over local rightsholders in select positions including those adjacent to each dugout.
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So what's the hook that will get people to tune in?
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Like we said, mystifying.
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Chip Caray will handle the play by play with analysts to be named later. Joe Simpson, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, Bob Brenly and Steve Stone worked for TBS during last year's playoffs. If Stone returns, hopefully he will do a little more homework than he appeared to have done last fall.
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TBS has made their game selections through Memorial Day Weekend. All times Eastern.
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April 6
Boston Red Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays
1:00 PM
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April 13
Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies
1:30 p.m.
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April 20
LA Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves
1:30 p.m.
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April 27
NY Yankees @ Cleveland Indians
1:00 p.m.
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May 4
NY Mets @ Arizona Diamondbacks
4:00 p.m.
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May 11
NY Yankees @ Detroit Tigers
1:00 p.m.
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May 18
Milwaukee Brewers @ Boston Red Sox
1:30 p.m.
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May 25
Seattle Mariners @ NY Yankees
1:00 p.m.
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Hopefully TBS' coverage in 2008 will be better received than it was in 2007.
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Even if it is though, we'll always miss the SuperStation WTBS era and gems like this:
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Thanks to TVARK

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Pac Man Fever. Catch It.

Trade San Diego For Bristol? Not Exactly.

ESPN has a new coordinating producer for baseball and boxing.

Nick Davis was hired away from Cox Communications, where he produced San Diego Padres broadcasts for Cox's Channel 4.

Davis' job switch resulted in this terrific write up from John Maffei of the (SD) North County Times:

He's the most-valuable person regular viewers of Channel 4 have never heard of

Working behind the scenes in the production truck, he's one of those men responsible for the station's network-quality Padres broadcasts.

But after 17 years in San Diego ---- 13 of those with Cox Communications, Channel 4's parent company ----- Nick Davis, coordinating producer for Padres baseball, is leaving to join ESPN.

"I love San Diego and I love Channel 4," Davis said. "And I'll stack our telecasts ----whether it's Padres, San Diego State, USD or the high school championships ---- up against anyone."I didn't want to leave, but ESPN pursued me. And it was an offer I just couldn't refuse."

Davis, who lives with his family in Rancho Penasquitos, will be the coordinating producer for Major League Baseball and boxing --- two sports he loves ---- for ESPN.

That requires a move to ESPN's Bristol, Conn., headquarters. But he's not going away completely.

"Are you kidding, who would leave San Diego?" Davis said. "I'll rent an apartment in Bristol, but we'll keep the home in San Diego."Part of the deal with ESPN is that I get home as often as possible. Whenever ESPN has a baseball game on the West Coast, I'll be home for two or three days before or after the game. So it's not like I'm leaving for good."

Davis was a receiver at Purdue in his college days, earning a B.A. in communications, graduating in 1983.

He moved to San Diego in 1991. In 1993, he landed a job as producer and director for programming at Dimension Cable Services in Vista.

He joined Cox Communications in 1995 when it merged with Dimension.

"There is no finer person than Nick Davis," said Dennis Morgigno, station manager at Channel 4 and the man who oversees the day-to-day operation. "This is a great deal for Nick, but we hate to lose him."He takes an awful lot of pride in his work, and it shows on the air. In a way, though, this says a lot about what we're doing. I've been saying for years that our production is on par with anyone in the country. So for ESPN to recognize Nick and what we're doing, is pretty good."

Davis said the people at ESPN are very familiar at what's going on at Channel 4."And they love it," Davis said. "I think that validates the quality of our local production, and the fact we put the same effort into everything we do."

At ESPN, Davis will have a hand in scheduling as well as working with the network's talent."My goal is to increase the presence of the West Coast baseball teams on ESPN, especially on Sunday nights," Davis said. "I want to make sure there is a West Coast presence. That's an exciting prospect."

"Still, I hate leaving Channel 4 because it has been a big part of my life. And there are so many talented people there."

"But the opportunity to work at ESPN, ABC and Disney and the long-term ramifications was just too good to pass up."

In working with ESPN's baseball announcers Davis will be reunited with Rick Sutcliffe who in addition to his ESPN gig, worked with Davis on Padres telecasts from 1997 - 2004.

You will no doubt recall a moment those two shared on May 10, 2006. Following a day of golf in San Diego with actor Bill Murray, a less than sober Sutcliffe paid a visit to announcers Matt Vasgersian and Mark Grant the Padres TV booth at Petco Field. Davis was producing in the truck as brodacasting infamy fell all around him.

The original YouTube clip from the telecast was removed at MLB's request. Thanks to thecuddmancometh for reposting the audio portion.


Rick Sutcliffe served a one game suspension from ESPN for his conduct.

Nick Davis probably doesn't have to serve notice so something like this won't happen on his watch at ESPN.

Then again, considering the cast of characters already in Bristol, maybe he does.

Berman speaks, Miami Herald Listens & Agrees - Everyone Misses The Point

Chris Berman spoke with the Miami Herald and addressed the six now infamous clips which were posted, and since removed, on YouTube.

Anything we could add was already posted here three days ago. There's no need to write it again.

The interview, which also features quotes from Andrea Kremer, is posted here in its entirety.

ON SPORTS MEDIA

On Sports Media: 'Big Brother' watches, listens
Posted on Fri, Feb. 22, 2008

By BARRY JACKSON
bjackson@MiamiHerald.com

For all of the benefits of the Internet, the World Wide Web also has become a growing source of aggravation and embarrassment for sportscasters, serving up video and audio never intended for public consumption. ''It's scary,'' NBC's Andrea Kremer said via e-mail, 'because everything seems to be fair game with so many sites looking to embarrass those in the spotlight. It's like George Orwell's "Big Brother,' always watching, but in our case, it could be career-damaging.''

And the message could not be clearer: ''The bottom line today,'' Kremer said,``is that a sportscaster must assume he or she is on air always, and even the most casual or carefree behavior -- and certainly the animated or emotional one -- can end up on some website with embarrassing consequences.''

That lesson was reinforced recently for ESPN's Chris Berman, though nothing he did was career-threatening. YouTube and other Internet sites have offered old Berman clips that reportedly were distributed by a former co-worker who wanted to embarrass him. They feature Berman speaking to colleagues off the air.

In one, he complained and cursed about ESPN production employees distracting him while he was taping a segment. In another, he talked about sneaking codeine-laced Canadian aspirin into the United States. Last week, ESPN had YouTube remove the videos, citing copyright law.

''It's almost as if what we would fight against as a country -- the Soviets spying -- it's almost like that's what everyone is doing,'' Berman said by phone Wednesday. ``What's said in the huddle, which is what I did, should be in the huddle.``I'm disappointed people would think I'm not really good with the people I work with, which couldn't be further from the truth. Do I wish I didn't say a few things nine years ago? Yes. But if that's the worst thing I ever did, I can live with it.''

ESPN supported Berman, noting ``the off-air videos are now nearly a decade old and don't reflect his typical workplace demeanor.'' But the Berman videos were hardly unique. During the past year-and-a-half, including this week, Deadspin.com has offered an audio clip of a message that ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt left for a woman he reportedly met at a bar. The message doesn't make Van Pelt look bad, but it's clearly something he wouldn't want paraded through cyberspace.

ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson's controversial remarks at a January roast in Atlantic City, N.J., became a national story only after a tipster told Deadspin that she made a comment, while under the influence of alcohol, that would have been highly offensive to Catholics. Jacobson eventually was suspended for a week, though ESPN never confirmed whether she made the alleged remark about Jesus.

Internet sites also are using on-air clips to ridicule sportscasters, especially Emmitt Smith's grammatical gaffes on NFL reports. If the remarks were made on-air, linking to them on websites -- while embarrassing to the person being ridiculed -- is certainly fair game, as long as it doesn't violate copyright laws.

But other websites have gone over the line. One mocked ESPN sideline reporter Heather Cox, questioning her qualifications for the job and noting she attended a community college and was an American Idol contestant. (Only one problem: None of that background information was accurate.) Another ran a doctored photo of a student inappropriately touching ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews. At least that was intended in jest -- and Andrews never complained about it.

Though sportscasters ultimately must take responsibility for how they present themselves, any contempt in the Berman/Van Pelt incidents should be reserved for the weasels who placed the clips on the Internet. ''Perhaps our producers also need to remind everyone that works for them of potential repercussions for video that doesn't make air as well as outtakes,'' NBC's Kremer said.

Berman now understands that ``you're being watched whether you're on TV or not. Everyone is very brave when they're anonymous, and that's very disturbing to me, whether it's about me or anyone else. I'd like to think people would be more productive with their time.'

WHAT REALLY GRINDS OUR GEARS

Bob Raissman (pictured, inset) is a columnist for the NY Daily News who more often than not writes about sports on TV. Normally we wouldn't take the time to critique main stream media critics because we'd never get anything else done. However, Raissman's February 15 column pretty much demanded a rebuttal.

Raissman covered several topics that day and included a harsh judgment about Ampex2000, who posted five of the six Chris Berman clips on YouTube.

BERMAN TAPE-GATE

There are a few video clips — nearly nine years old — circulating on various Web sites, and being e-mailed around the industry, of ESPN's Chris Berman inside the studio. The stuff on tape isn't flattering, to say the least.

One shows Berman flirting with a female colleague. Another shows him throwing a tantrum on the set. There's also a montage of Berman dropping multiple F-bombs. Bad behavior? You bet. But not as abhorrent as that of one who would actually sneak around, tape a colleague and either give the video to someone (or hold on to it himself all these years) before releasing it in order to embarrass Berman.

No, what Berman did on those videos pales — big-time — in comparison to the covert actions of the lowlife who taped him and made sure the video was widely distributed. If Berman is such a bad guy, and someone had a beef with him, they should have gotten in his face. Or taken the problem directly to ESPN management. That would have required guts. Anyone who would basically spy on a colleague is lacking in that department.

Before this creep — or creeps — decided to release the tape, then get their kicks at Berman's expense, they should have asked one question: Would they like the same thing done to them?

This from a guy who writes potentially unflattering things about people FOR A LIVING! Care to bet if those criticized by Raissman in the past wondered how he would feel if the tables were turned?

So let's turn them. And to be sporting, we'll only reference the February 15 column.

What are the chances that the person who taped Berman was sneaking around covertly through dark hallways, hoping to avoid being spotted? Raissman accuses the person of "spying" on Berman. When studio cameras are on, the images from them pass countless monitors, tape machines and eyeballs, so how the hell is that spying? Material like this has been recorded for years not only from where it was shot, but on satellite back hauls, Vyvyx taps, etc. This was something new back in 2000? Please.

And how about getting in Berman's face to settle a problem? Damn right it would have required guts. It would have required stupidity too. Talent having other people removed or reassigned is a regular occurrence in show business. Vice versa? Not so much. There are only so many David and Goliath stories out there.

Raissman also suggested to take problems directly to ESPN management. To management, Berman equals revenue and a technician is little more than a replaceable piece of equipment. It takes sexual harassment-type lawsuits such as those filed against Berman’s on-camera colleagues to get so much as a slapped wrist. Going to management about these issues is a quick way to becoming unemployed.

Chances are that these tapes were only played privately a few times for amusement then sat around gathering dust for years. Tapes like these exist everywhere in the industry and weren't necessarily made to deliberately embarrass the people in them. Ampex2000 said it took the original "Chris Berman Goes Crazy" posting on YouTube to even remember that he had the Berman clips in his collection in the first place.

But what of Raissman’s own professional conflict of interest potentially coloring his "reporting" for the Daily News? Read on from the same day’s column.

EMMYS SAY NO TO YES

Is there a mistake in the list of nominees for the New York Emmy Awards?

Looking at the play-by-play category, you see Gary Cohen (SNY/Mets) but no Yankees voices from YES. And looking at the analyst category, there's Ron Darling (SNY/Mets), but no Yankees voices from YES.

There must be a mistake, right?

After all, nearly the entire YES Nets broadcast crew, Marv Albert, Ian (The Bird) Eagle and Mark Jackson, was nominated for Emmys. So how the heck could YES' Yanks yackers possibly come up empty? Especially when the gang at Al Yankzeera has a cast of thousands working the Bombers' booth.

No mistake. We checked the list over and over again, shook it 100 times, and no YES Yankees voices fell out.

What a shame. Guess Al Yank really misses Jim Kaat.

No need for the YES men to whine or hang their heads. Maybe David Cone can turn things around after he stops answering questions about his name surfacing during the House Oversight Committee hearing on the Mitchell Report.

Think Raissman harbors some bitterness towards the Yankees and their owned-and-operated YES Network?

Many local and national columnists have negative feelings towards the Yankees that get published regularly, so that's hardly an issue. That is, until you learn that Raissman also appears regularly on-camera for SNY, the New York outlet that happens to be co-owned by the rival Mets.

In Raissman's mind it's okay to gloat over someone's failures (YES) from his high profile authority position (Daily News) while not immediately making clear that doing so also favors his other interests (SNY). How does that compute?

Perhaps Raissman was so offended by Ampex2000 because he ultimately fears for himself. Maybe there's a concern that something he said or did near a camera will someday find its way to YouTube.

Rather than stress accountability, Raissman chose to blame the messenger and label him a "creep" for bringing the public something factual about a well known person.

A long look in the mirror may be in order, sir.

AMPEX2000 SAYS GOODBYE

"THAT WAS MY 15 MINUTES. THANKS FOR THE ATTENTION."

ESPN ADDRESSES BERMAN VIDEOS


Just as the Chris Berman video clip story looked to be complete, a surprise twist was added to the plot in the form of an official statement from ESPN.

Several bloggers (including ProFootballTalk and AOL FanHouse) received a message from ESPN VP of Public Relations Josh Krulewitz downplaying the significance of the Berman clips.

We'll get to that in a moment.

Following correspondences with Busted Coverage and Deadspin, Ampex2000 granted an exclusive email exchange to Sports TV Inside Out. The now-legendary whistle blower who posted five of the six Berman clips on YouTube effectively bade farewell to the public during the exchange, excerpts of which are reprinted below.

Sports TV Inside Out: Your screen name - we wondered if the name came from the Ampex 2000 model VTR from 1967 or perhaps you were a tape operator in 2000 when the material was recorded?

Ampex2000: Ampex 2000 was the work horse of the broadcast industry but now it's a relic. Chris Berman was the work horse for ESPN but now is also a relic. Both don't work too well anymore.

Sports TV Inside Out: The location. You list SF. Is that a reference to Berman's love for the Giants & 49ers or do you live there?

Ampex2000: Both. The screen name and the city worked out perfect for these videos.

Sports TV Inside Out: Sexual harassment has been a well documented complaint against ESPN talent over the years. Do you have any insight into why numerous ESPN talent treat female coworkers that way?

Ampex2000: It's a male macho I-work-for-ESPN-world.

Sports TV Inside Out: You must be enjoying the attention the clips have received. Is there any particular comment (on line or otherwise) that stands out?

Ampex2000: Yes. There were many very, very funny comments. Some folks were totally off base. The best one that made me really laugh was (I'm paraphrasing) "Keep the videos coming you are doing the Lord's work.) There are some amazing people out there with a great sense of humor who get it. The ones who take it so serious just don't get it.

Sports TV Inside Out: The Christian Defense Coalition, the same group that protested in Bristol and tried to get Dana Jacobson fired, have used your clips as further evidence that ESPN is in moral decay. They called for another protest for today in Bristol. What is your reaction to having motivated this group to call even more attention to Berman and mobilize themselves against ESPN?

Ampex2000: Well, being that none of this made air the Coalition should back off. This is just an example of rude talent and how this TV business just goes to some people's heads. Most (not all) talent out there are really nice folks. Guys like Chris however are allowed to keep going because nobody stands up to them.

Sports TV Inside Out: By this point you have to figure that Berman has seen the clips and faced some questioning from his wife, kids & coworkers. Any thought as to how he may have reacted when told of the clips & how he may have explained himself to his family?

Ampex2000: Oh, I'm sure the excuse will be that it was taken out of context. You could make the assertion for maybe the edited pieces. However, it really does not change the overall tone of who he is.

Sports TV Inside Out: Were you hoping for any specific reaction (even in private) from Berman or anyone else at ESPN?

Ampex2000: No. It was more for the public. A guy like that will justify it anyway he wants.....and will.

Sports TV Inside Out: Do you know of others who have incriminating tapes
of Berman or any ESPN talent in their personal collections?

Ampex2000: I know of one. But I think this person would not release it as the finger would be pointed too quickly.

By the way, that was my 15 minutes. Thanks for the attention. And actually I hope it gets some of these bloated egos deflated a little.

My bet is audio guys will be told to close their mikes. Stage managers will keep the area clear of people with camcorders. Tapes and hard drives will be confiscated. In some cases, feeds will be hard patched and no one will really address the problem of rude highly paid talent learning to treat people properly.

As our parents use to say.....If you have nothing nice to say........Then say nothing at all.

But just after sending the above responses, Ampex2000 wrote back with the news of ESPN's official statement from VP of Public Relations Josh Krulewitz.

ESPN ADDRESSES BERMAN VIDEOS

"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," Krulewitz said.

"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 used and will be emphasizing to our workforce the importance of using appropriate language in the workplace."

Ampex2000: This is so typical of PR departments.

"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."

You mean a few minutes of RECORDED and SAVED unguarded language uttered years ago. Even though it went on many many times! Geeze these folks just don't get it. You mean if all the crap he has spewed over many years was recorded at every venue and saved and released as his BODY of work they would find an excuse as that only represents his "recorded off the record body of work" and should no be judged as his "on the air work."

Sad.....................

And with that, Ampex2000 was history.

Announcer Acrimony At ABC

Ampex2000 has posted his/her 5th and possibly last Chris Berman clip.

In "Chris Berman has always hated Al Michaels", we'll see our hero rehearsing his throws from the ESPNZONE in New York back to the MNF game site.

About the clip, Ampex2000 wrote:

"Chris is envious of Al Michaels. He always complains about him. He complains about all his air time and anything he has to say. This time you can see how he really feels as his dislike for Al finally slips out."

Unless more clips are discovered in Ampex2000's library, this is the end of the barrage.

Maybe Boomer can finally get off the Budweiser Hot Seat.

An ESPN clip without Chris Berman!

In this behind-the-scenes look at an ESPN college basketball broadcast from Murray State, producer Major Howe explains how it's done.



Major says he would pay to see many events that he gets to work on.

Good luck getting that raise.

222 Reasons Why We Miss The Montreal Expos

Olympic Stadium: First the fans, then the team. Now even the turf has left.

Talk to anyone who travels regularly working National League baseball games. Chances are they miss the Montreal Expos more than they had expected.

Washington DC has it's advantages, but it doesn't have Youppi or over-the-counter codeine available in every pharmacy. Americans working Expos games were always doing favors for friends, bringing back as many bottles of "222" as they could squeeze into their bags.


For the uninitiated, a "222" is a pain relief pill made by Johnson & Johnson - Merck. It contains 375 mg aspirin, 15 mg caffeine and 8 mg codeine. While perfectly legal in Canada, any product using codeine in the US requires a prescription.

When the Expos left Montreal for Washington, TV folks and sportswriters alike were faced with a shortage of "222s".

Accordingly, Toronto has become more popular than ever among us TV types.

So why are we bringing all this up?

Ampex2000 has posted "Chris Berman and how to smuggle Canadian 222s", on YouTube. Of his fourth posting, Ampex2000 writes:

"Chris Berman explains how to sneek 222's in the US and the pop he gets from it." (sic)

Although they've gone up in price as the US dollar tumbled, "222s" continue to be a big reason many are quietly saddened by the loss of baseball in Montreal.

CHRISTIAN COALITION BACK TO BLAST BRISTOL

Thanks to the Chris Berman clips, the same group of people who protested at ESPN's Bristol, CT HQ over Dana Jacobson's remarks are at it again.

We just don't have the energy to deal with this.

Deadspin has all the details.

BERMAN BASHER BREAKS SILENCE (we think), POSTS NEW CLIP, CLAIMS 2 MORE IN HAND

Ampex2000 has sent another Chris Berman clip to the court of public opinion in an effort to show the world the type of person Berman really is.

The latest entry is titled "Chris Berman Schmoozes a table for friends?" and is described as,

"Chris trying to be sincere?"

Did this one seem that bad to you?

Maybe it's us, then.

It's the end of Chris Berman's reputation as we know it, and Ampex2000 feels fine.

The poster of all but one of the Berman clips on YouTube was interviewed by Busted Coverage. Ampex2000 claims not to be the poster of the original "Chris Berman Goes Crazy" clip that started this whole thing back on December 30.

We have no way of knowing if this is legit, but other than several cases of awful spelling and grammar, there isn't anything obvious to make us scream fraud.

It's worth the read. Decide for yourself. We'll wait right here.

Chris Berman YouTube Video Poster Talks To Busted Coverage

If the two not-yet-posted clips make it onto YouTube soon, it stands to reason that the interview was on the level. But that wouldn't be definitive proof either, would it?

We'll just have to wait and see.

What are your thoughts?

By the way, did you notice the Tom Emanski ("Back to back to back A.A.U. National Champions") baseball video ad on the big screen in the background?

There's truly no escape.

TAPE OP'S TAPES TELL TALENT'S TALES

Ampex 2000: 1300 lbs. worth of shit stirring!

It looks like Chris Berman sure pissed someone off!

Using the name Ampex2000, a colleague of ours has posted three more clips on You Tube that shows a side of ESPN's Chris Berman that the public rarely sees.

The first Berman video to hit the net, "Chris Berman Goes Crazy", was posted on January 30 by new You Tube member winnarwinnar. Self described as a 23 year-old from Denmark, winnarwinnar has not posted anything since, but is no doubt proud to know that in only ten days on the web, his effort has been viewed more than 1.3 million times.

Whether winnarwinnar and Ampex2000 are one in the same isn't known (yet?), but they most definitely share the same negative opinion about Boomer.

We are wondering about the name. Could Ampex2000 be a reference to the industry's first color-capable VTR model (shown above), which debuted in 1967? If so, it could mean that this person is either quite the TV veteran or at least knows something about TV history.

However, these clips (and "Chris Berman Goes Crazy") were recorded during the 2000 NFL season, so perhaps the name was simply derived from the year combined with this person's craft.

Anyway, we'll see Chris Berman from the ESPNZONE restaurant in New York, where he hosted ABC's Monday Night Football.

"Chris Berman the WINE maven makes a pass" is the title of this first clip. Ampex2000's description:

"Chris Berman again shows why he is so obnoxious and is disliked by so many."

There is a well-known co-star in this piece that should not go uncredited. The object of Boomer's flirtation is none other than Philadelphia's own Becky Solomon. This highly regarded stage manager has spent much of her career shuttling between gigs in NYC and Philly. Becky no doubt has been the intended receiver of many passes over the years from numerous announcers covering every local and network-televised sport.



Ampex2000's description of clip #2, "Chris Berman the Linguist......nice mouth!" (sic), is clear and concise:

"Chris Berman again showing why he is the master."

The third entry from Ampex2000 is "Chris Berman Complains Again... about the prompter" in which,

"Chris Berman shows again how spoiled and rude he is".

Will there be more entries to follow?

Will any other notable announcers feel the wrath of Ampex2000?

The answer is on tape.

Spell Czech Would Be A Good Idea

Call it what you want. Chyron, Dubner, Infinit, Duet, whatever.

The operators of these graphics machines don't set.

They (usually) don't strike.

And now some of them can't spell.

Here's evidence from last Saturday's Duke - Miami game on ABC:

(Thanks to Ballsiest.com)

Who knows, maybe "Gerg" will be the next "Jacob".

This was a potentially dangerous mistake from Tuesday's PTI on ESPN:

(Thanks to With Leather via SbB)

Talk about pressure! Hit one wrong key and Al Sharpton may try to get you fired.

Let's be careful out there.

Redefining Lights Out Coverage

UPDATE FROM PREVIOUS POST

Under a glare of skepticism regarding arena lighting, ESPN2's coverage of Monday night's St. Mary's - Gonzaga game began as scheduled at 11:00 PM EST.

Play By Play announcer Terry Gannon immediately called McKeon Pavilion dark, resulting in a "really unique setting."

The tip was delayed because of lights, but not the arena's. One of the shot clocks was so dark, it looked like it wasn't working at all.

But that made sense because it wasn't.

The delay wouldn't have been very lengthy, but arena personnel aren't very well versed in over and under. Uncoiling an AC cable took longer than it should have.

Now back to those arena lights.

It was obvious earlier in the day that the sheets of opal gel didn't quite do the job on their own. So when ESPN met with campus officials to discuss the problem, the only solution available to reduce the intensity and glare was to physically remove some bulbs from fixtures.

In order for a cherry picker to reach all the lights that needed removal, the wooden stands had to be pushed back and folded against each wall. That meant that the cameras had to be taken apart and brought down. And if that wasn't enough, the announce table had to go too.

We don't know where the blame lies, but forget about the glare on the court for a minute. This place had no chance from the start.

Removing the same number of bulbs from each side of the court decreased the light level, but didn't improve how players looked. Why? The near side of the arena didn't have the same number of fixtures as the far side. Something like a 25% difference.

You go figure that out. We've given up.

The net result was that the court was hit with much more light from the near side than the far.

The ESPN2 production team felt compelled to at least mention the unusual conditions. With this view shooting back toward the near side, Gannon all but said, "Don't adjust your sets at home."

But the pictures spoke in terms far stronger than what Gannon chose.

We were actually rather taken with the images of shooters from the line, and felt we had somehow seen this look before.

It took a while, but it finally came to us:

So the lighting wasn't unacceptably awful then. It was an homage to a classic work of photography.

Pity anyone who saw it differently.

Monday's final tally:

- St. Mary's officials and Musco probably have some things to work out.

- McKeon Pavilion did not burn to the ground. Campus personnel were assigned to look at the lights all night just in case.

- The St. Mary's theater department did not get the assist. But at least they now have to beg for funds to replenish their stock of opal gel.

- And Keith Buttelman, the V-1, left Moraga, CA no more insane than when he arrived.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHTS

Those of you who hadn't planned on checking out tonight's Gonzaga - St. Mary's hoops game on ESPN2 (11:00 PM EST / 8:00 PST) may want to reconsider.

.

At least for a minute.

.

St. Mary's College has recently installed new lights inside McKeon Pavilion, home of the WCC's Gaels. None other than industry leader Musco Lighting did the job, per St. Mary's College's specifications.

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Here's the result:

Uh, not exactly TV friendly to put it mildly.

We're told that when St. Mary's complained to Musco about the glare, Musco washed their hands of the project, saying the work was done as ordered.

So, with a national audience tuning in to see the 23rd ranked Gaels host the rival Zags tonight, the St. Mary's staff turned to the college theater department for help.

The hope was that gelling the lights with sheets of full opal would cut the glare while maintaining an acceptable light level.

We haven't heard if the Moraga, CA Fire Marshall has been clued in.

.

Will McKeon Pavilion burn to the ground?

.

Will the theater department be credited with an assist?

.

Will the V-1 go insane?

.

Tune in tonight and find out!

Boomer's Bad Week Continues

Seems people want to see all the mistakes from today's pre-games / game / post-games posted here.

We don't have the time or resources for that, but Awful Announcing pounced on this one from ESPN's NFL Countdown.

This is the very top of the show. Audio either opened Berman's mic too soon or Boomer didn't bother hitting his cough button.

Either way, it wasn't a good start.



We'll monitor the blogs and if they post other amusing moments, we'll help ourselves & put them up here too.

Judging by your expectations, we're placing the over / under on errors during Fox's Super Bowl telecast at 5. Announcer mistakes don't count unless they are traffic related or something more significant than just incorrect info or slips of the tongue.

The count begins when the game truck airs the tease. A clean post-game show during big events is almost impossible, so we'll stop the count when the post-game show begins.

For the record, we're taking the under.

Meanwhile, it's back to Puppy Bowl IV.

Boomer Goes BOOM! or Boomer Goes The Dynamite!

This Chris Berman clip is from 2000 but just made its way to the public today. A bunch of our favorite bloggers have all put it up on their sites as well, but we want to make sure anyone who visits us has a chance to see it. If it gets removed from You Tube, fear not. Deadspin grabbed it and said it's permanently embedded.

That being said, here it is. Pull up a chair and enjoy.


Unlike that clip of the bird pooping on the reporter, we know this is real!

ESPN 101

We should probably just let this speak for itself.