Chris Berman anchoring ESPN coverage of U.S. Open, why?

June 18, 7:54 AMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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Berman addressing students at Yale, 2006. Photo: Yale Daily News

I know the guy loves the game of golf and plays in celebrity matches. He's not half-bad. But come on now, can't golf broadcasts be Berman-free?

I am a fan of his football shtick on the Sunday pre-game show. I might be one of the only people left that still gets a bit of a kick out of his pop culture references, although they go over the heads of most viewers younger than 40.

But golf ain't football, or even baseball. ESPN's Monday night MLB broadcasts feature Boomer and Orel Hershiser. There are times during long games that you can almost hear Hershhiser's thought process: "how did I get stuck with this bozo?"

I'm a golf aficionado and like the coverage on most of the networks who have carefully chosen their anchors. They generally stay out of the way of and defer to their booth partners who are former big-time players.

Dan Hicks on NBC has Johnny Miller who you either love or hate. I choose to love. CBS uses Jim Nantz sitting beside the electric Nick Faldo.

The Golf Channel employs Kelly Tilgman and the seemingly ever-present Mr. Faldo.

But ESPN has commandeered the coverage for the first two days of the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black on Long Island and Boomer is the anchor in the booth. I had hoped for Mike Tirico who used to do the heavy lifting or at worst Scott Van Pelt but no, it's Berman.

I will have to soldier on and wait for the weekend when NBC wrestles the coverage from ESPN. Thank you to all that is holy.

As Berman might say to me: Hey Duffy, as the Eagles say: It's a girl my Lord in a flat bed Ford slowing down to take a look at me." You see what I mean?