by Bill Johnson (bjohnson@gkbsports.com)

People hate Chris Berman and I don't get it.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it just seems that the criticism of Berman goes over the top.

The one that I hear most often is that Berman's act has worn thin, that fans have been "BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK" and "RUMBLIN, BUMBLIN, STUMBIN!!!ed to death. While Berman's comedic approach and dated references have been around since the days when Keith Olbermann worked on ESPN 2, how are they any different from the schtick we hear from beloved veterans like Bob Uecker, Vin Scully, or Al Michaels? Why is it so much worse with Berman?

Before writers and columnists turned to ESPN for a pay check, they loathed the network. Berman was the bell cow for ESPN, thus he took many of the shots. I think that ripping Chris Berman became something the "cool kids" did.

Books and stories about the inner workings of ESPN haven't been kind to Berman either, suggesting that he can be a prima donna. Unfortunately, many of the top broadcasters in America share that characteristic.

I've always been a Berman fan. He made Sportscenter what it is today. Every obscure reference or snarky comment that comes for the like of Van Pelt, Anderson, Everett, or Buccigross owes a little something to Chris Berman. He set the standard for anchoring a sports highlight show, as well as reinventing the NFL highlight show along with Tom Jackson.

He isn't as cutting edge as he once was. He probably isn't as good as he once was.

He's not nearly as bad as most of you think he is and definitely doesn't warrant the continuous whining.