Berman to relive olden days
with stint behind anchor desk
The lovable SportsCenter
anchor has been a staple
of the sports channel since
its inception 25 years ago
By John Howell
The Hartford Courant (KRT)
HARTFORD, Conn. — When a
rookie comes along at ESPN, Chris
Berman wants to know one thing first:
"Could they have played in the 80s?"
Those were the years, after all, when
ESPN was a scrappy young network
underdog. Berman's focus was
"SportsCenter," where he broke in on
the graveyard shift, pretty much writ
ing his own job specs and probably
wondering at 4 a.m. why he ever left
his weekend seat at WVIT, Ch. 30.
"We had less people doing a lot more
back then," Berman said Wednesday.
"We shared a lot of good times, a lot of
late nights, a lot of hard work and a lot
of years of being underpaid."
For Berman, those years are long
gone. ESPN will turn 25 on Sept. 7
and it's not going to be a quiet little
party. It starts when Berman returns to
the "SportsCenter" chair for the next
three Sundays at 11 p.m. EDT.
"It's like being a proud parent and see
ing what SportsCenter' has become,"
Berman said on a conference call.
Some think the child has lost its
way. Although ESPN's signature show
won another three Emmy Awards re
cently, "SportsCenter" lately is no
dream job for some (ask Rich Eisen).
Guys like Berman, Bob Ley and the
late Tom Mees created the "SportsCen
ter" PIN by not letting personality be
come the product. But few have fig
ured out the code.
"With those guys back then, you did
share something," said Berman, who
turns 49 next week.
Viewers will share the nostalgia,
too. On May 30, Berman will begin
counting down ESPN's top 100 "Mo
ments" in 30-second nightly install
ments on "SportsCenter," including:
Danny Ainge's full-court weave to lift
BYU over Notre Dame in the NCAA
East Regional semifinals in 1981.
Ley's live coverage from San Francis
co after an earthquake jolted the
World Series in 1989.
The NHL's longest game on TV
when the Flyers beat the Penguins 2-1
in five OTs in 2000.
Said Berman: "The things that bring
the biggest smile to my face over 25
years, in no particular order, are NFL
Sundays with the emphasis on 'Prime
Time,' West Coast baseball games I did
in the early 90s (and)*'SportsCenters'
with Tom Mees."
Mees, who died Aug. 14, 1996, in a
drowning accident at a neighbor's
pool in Southington, and Berman
were partners on wee-hour "SportCen
ters" from 1979-84 and close friends
off the set. Their last "SportsCenter"
was Dec. 2, 1988, when they reunited
for the 10,000th show.
"We were the two kids who weren't
ready for, quote, prime time," Berman
said. "We were the B team. And every
backup quarterback thinks he should
play. Tommy and 1 shared that. We were
in the same boat. For assignments,
salary, stage of life. All the way along."
ESPN will roll 32 hours of program
ming in the next four months to cele
brate its silver anniversary.
"It doesn't seem like 23 years ago
that I was on the 5-yard line at Can
dlestick Park when Joe Montana
rolled wide right and hit Dwight
Clark," Berman said. "I can't believe
it's been 23 years.... It's a business that
keeps you young or wears you out."
© 2004, The Hartford Courant.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
ROETMAN
continued from page 7
this reporter's questions has never
been a bother, even if it means a long
distance phone call from Texas or
speaking through chattering teeth while
sitting waist-deep in a garbage can full
of ice water after a hard workout.
Derby is the comedian of the group,
always ready to make a teammate or a
reporter laugh. The redshirt sopho
more from North Bend is one of the
hardest workers on the team and
doesn't let a bad day get him down.
Despite not having his best stuff at the
Oregon Twilight (fifth, 15-11 3/4), he
was focused on the success of his
teammates and even had the time to
ask this reporter how he was doing.
Woods is the eldest of the group and
epitomizes consistency and hard work.
He garnered All-American status each of
the last two years and is always trying to
improve on his shortcomings as a vaulter.
Woods' knowledge is likely one of
his greatest assets to the team. After no
more than 20 seconds of conversation
with the 2000 Marshfield High School
valedictorian, you realize you're in the
presence of a smart man.
With the regular season having
come to a close, the next available
chance to see this quartet of pole
vaulters together is at the Pacific-10
Conference Championships in Tuc
son, Ariz. on May 14-15.
If you have the chance to see these
Ducks in action, you better watch close.
Or you'll never be able to tell who's
having a good day.
Contact the sports reporter
at jonroetman@daiiyemerald.com.
His opinions do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald.
SPORTS BRIEF
MLB promotion goes
far, far away
SEATTLE —Thwap!
Just like that Friday, Major
League Baseball reversed its deci
sion to put "'Spider-Man 2" ads
on bases for all games in the ma
jors during three-game weekend
series next month.
"Good," said 41-year-old
pitcher Terry Mulholland, the
longest tenured big-leaguer in
the Twins' clubhouse. "What's
next, Chico's Bail Bonds?"
That was the kind of outcry
from fans and media that
prompted baseball to eliminate
that intrusive part of its $3.6
million marketing deal with
Sony Inc., the parent company
of the studio that produced the
movie sequel.
"Part of the marketing of the
game has been the tradition, old
school, reverence for the past,"
Mulholland said. "But as long as
you slap General Mills or Bud
weiser or whatever on that tradi
tion, it takes a little bit of the
shine off of it, I think.
"The argument is always going
to be the players' salaries are out
of control and this is an evil ne
cessity and things like that. But
you'd think there are a few things
left that are sacred."
"It isn't worth, frankly, having a
debate about" Commissioner Bud
Selig told The Associated Press.
"I'm a traditionalist," he said.
'The problem in sports marketing
particularly in baseball, is you're
always walking a very sensitive
line. Nobody loves tradition and
history as much as I do."
"The bases were an extremely
small part of this program," said
Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief op
erating officer. "However, we un
derstand that a segment of our
fans was uncomfortable with this
particular component, and we
do not want to detract from the
fan's experience in any way."
"1 didn't think it was a big
deal," said Twins center fielder
Torii Hunter, who was portrayed
by ESPN as Spider-Man for a fea
ture in 2002 and who said he
would have participated in this
promotion if asked. "It's fun for
the kids. They should have kept it
in there. Baseball is a kids sport
and Spider-Man's for kids."
A common fear about ads on
the bases was that it would lead
to even more intrusive promo
tions later.
"It seems like there might be a
line that's being crossed there,"
Twins pitcher Kyle Lohse said.
"It's part of the field. On the
fences is one thing, but on the ac
tual bases, it seems like some
thing is wrong with that."
Said Hunter: "It can open
doors for a few other tilings, oth
er promotions. But at the same
time, we're entertainers. This is
America's game. People want to
be part of it. There shouldn't be a
controversy. I think it's cool. It's
fun for the kids."
Patrick Klinger, the Twins' vice
president for marketing, worked
closely with MLB on the promo
tion, which would have included
red and yellow adds on the three
bases during the Twins' three-game
series against Philadelphia from
June 11 -13 at the Metrodome.
"Honestly, it doesn't bother
me a whole lot," said Klinger,
one of several Twins officials
who were wary of the initial pro- ■
posal a few months ago. "I un
derstand what Major League
Baseball is trying to do, work to
promote the game. One of the
things baseball has been criti
cized for in recent years is that it
doesn't do enough to market to
the kids, that it's not as hip as it
could be, doesn't take advantage
of pop culture. They've forged
what I-think is a creative and fun
agreement."
— Gordon Wittenmeyer
Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
r
Lutheran Church
Mi**ouri Synod
Grace Lutheran Church
18th & Hilyard
(just west of campus)
Sundays At Grace
Worship services:
8:30 am & 11:00 am
Student Fellowship Hour:
10:00 am
Thursdays:
ESL 5:30, Free Weekly
Student Dinners: 6 pm
Bible Study: 7 pm
^Contact Dave at 343-4844
I ordavid@glchurch.org
| www.gldiurch.org
0 rGANIZAT1Q n
2 Meets weekly in EMU
| Wednesdays at 3
S Learn & discuss healing
,8
Baha’i Faith
“So powerful is the light of unity that
it can illuminate the whole earth.”
- Baha’u'llah
To learn about the Baha’i Faith
and our activities in the
www.bahai.org<http://www.bahai.org>
Eugene/Springfield
344-3173 or l-800-22-(
ield area call
-22-UNITE.
Unity of the Valley
39th & Hilyard Streets
541-345-9913
| www.unityofthevalley.com
| Sunday Services are at 9 & 11am
Oregon Hide):
The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
SHALOM! Kabbalat Shabbat
(Welcoming the day of rest) services
and dinner Fridays at 6:00 p.m.
0 1059 Hilyard, 343-8920
g Check our website for a full listing
3 of events: www.oregonhillel.org
tSell^Qealization
^fellowtltip
Founded in 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda
Eugene Meditation
1610 Olive Street • 541.686.5752
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Meditation,
10:00 a.m. Reading Service
www.yogananda-srf.org • www.eugenemeditation.org
V~-- -
8 Central Lutheran Church (ELCA) s
Welcomes You!
Holy Communion:
Sundays 8:15 & 10:45; 6:30pm
Student/Youns Adults Bible Study
Sundays, 7:15 pm
18th & Potter • 345-0394
Advertising
in the
Oregon Daily
Emerald
is EASY and
inexpensive!
Call now!
346-4343
Need the Right
Answers 24/7?
St. Thomas More
Newman Center...
Catholic Campus Ministry
Social Connections
Coffeehouses
Student Dinners
Sports Events
Societal Commitment
Alternative Spring Break
Charity Fundraisers
Social Service Projects
Faith Community
Engaging Masses
Meaningful Retreats
Guest Speakers
Midweek Social & Student
Mass Wednesdays 9:00pm
Sunday Student Mass 7:30pm
NWWiS OfcNTfc'.ti
1850 Emerald Street
(across from Hayward Field)
346.4468
Visit our Web site
newmanctr-uoregon. org
or send us an e-mail to
newman@newfnanctr~uoregon.org