Statleague.com

If we are all incredibly lucky. 

The Big Lead is reporting that the NFL Network is apparently not driven to fits of rage by his incessant whooping and would like to pry the windbag from ESPN.  Unfortunately for fans of the NFL the move couldn’t happen until Berman’s contract expires in May.  That means one more draft full of his incoherent ramblings.  If you’re a baseball fan like myself, enduring one more bad NFL draft is an extrordinarily small price to pay.  Imagine being able to enjoy the Homerun Derby without the flurry of back, back, backs and exhaustive listing of local landmarks that baseballs are traveling towards.  I have tears in my eyes right now.

Could this be a new look for the Swami? Could we be so lucky?

According to the TBL post the question Berman needs to reconcile is whether more money and less work is worth more than broadcasting baseball and a broader audience.  The easy answer is more money and less work.  It’s clear he isn’t overly passionate about his craft at this point.  The man is a monument to complacency.  His schtick hasn’t varied since I had braces and rolled my jeans.  Despite this, I think he dearly wants to stay at ESPN.  The Nutrisystem diet has shrunken his mid-section but not his ego.  He would never leave the mothership he helped create for a smaller audience.  He loves being the bloated, red face of ESPN. 

Whether ESPN is willing to go great lengths to keep Berman remains to be seen.  If the recent Late-Night wars have taught us anything it is that a silent majority clearly exists in this country.  While you will have to comb the furthest reaches of the blogosphere to find somebody that will support Jay Leno (further to find somebody who thinks he’s funny) he remains the clear ratings leader in the Late Night space.  I’m guessing the same is true for Berman.  He’s a TV institution that is easily identifiable and has never had an ill word to say about anyone at any time.  (Except here.)  While you probably don’t think you know anyone that likes Berman, it is probably just the opposite.  You just don’t care what they think.

Unfortunately for all of us that like sports this smells like a negotiation ploy more than a legitimate possibility.  I see a good deal of  Three Dog Night references in all of our futures.  WHOOP!