| News & Know How | First Person
CBI Spends 10 Minutes on the Line with
Chris “Boomer” Berman
Y
ou’ve been with ESPN for more than 30 years and have
just covered your 28th Super Bowl. How do you maintain
your enthusiasm and passion after so many years? How
does ESPN manage to consistently field such cohesive reporting
teams? And what lessons are there in this for the rest of us?
Veteran sportscaster As far as teambuilding at ESPn goes, it’s always
Chris “Boomer” Berma
“
After three decades of growth, ESPn remains,
n today, what it started out as—a gathering place been based on good communication. Everyone
is virtually synonymous for people who love sports. Times change, but here is good at listening and paying attention to
with the ESPn cable that soul remains. The reason I’ve stayed as one another. A lot of moving parts are involved
television network, hav- long as I have, and have been able to maintain my in doing good, solid TV, but that—clear commu-
ing reported on football, passion, is that I’ll always be fascinated by who nication—serves as the very foundation. It’s also
baseball, tennis, and won, who lost, and why. why we haven’t had any issues with difficult
hockey for more than teammates. As teammates, we all tend to like
three decades. His
I treat sports as fun, but I do it with great respect.
each other. I’m especially partial to our Sunday
IHRSA 2010 presenta-
And I talk with and to people—not at them. There’s
and Monday Countdown teams. We really enjoy
tion, “Teamwork,
never a script when a game begins, so the
each other, and that includes the behind-the-
Collaboration, Versatility:
passion has to be there.
scenes folks, too.
Attributes of a Success-
For example, I’m known for making use of nick-
While some organizations have teambuilding
ful Business Venture,”
names and catchphrases, but that’s just part of
exercises, here at ESPn, we don’t do that in any
on Wednesday, March
my joie de vivre—a manifestation of the fact that
organized way. There’s certainly teaching and a
10, is sponsored by
I’m having fun with sports. Coming up with nick-
learning curve, but, at least in my day, they just
Matrix Fitness Systems.
names like Bert “Be Home” Blyleven (baseball
threw us in and expected us to thrive. Remember,
player, 1970-1992), my personal favorite, is just
each and every one of our shows is a group effort,
plain fun. I also love John “Tonight Let It Be”
so each represents an exercise in teambuilding.
Lowenstein (baseball player, 1970-1985), and
oddibe “Young Again” McDowell (baseball
And teams should be able to function in changing
player, 1985-1994). In football, it’s Andre “Bad
environments. We’ve lost big stars like Dan
Moon” Rison (1989-2000).
Patrick and Rich Eisenberg, but none of us are so
important that they’re irreplaceable—myself
Personally, the reasons I’ve spent almost my
included. We’ve also picked up established stars,
entire career at ESPn aren’t that complex.
like Rick Reilly. If someone has talent and isn’t
They’ve been loyal to me, and I’ve been loyal to
too full of themselves, they’ll flourish here.
them. It’s been great getting promotions as the
network grew, while never having to leave.
The best piece of advice I can give to club owners
about building their teams and businesses is to
I’ve also enjoyed the recognition I’ve received for
have a vision and long-range dreams, and find
the work I’ve done. The awards are all wonderful,
people whose views and energy match your own…
especially those that are voted on by your peers. In
but don’t lose track of what you’re doing on a
1989, early in my career, and in 2001, a time when
daily basis.
.org
we all needed a little diversion, those Sportscaster
of the Year awards made a big difference. I’m also
Here, with apologies to singer James Taylor, is
To register for, or to learn
very proud of the 2001 Reds Bagnell Award given
a brief preview of my IHRSA presentation on team-
about the many other
exciting presentations
to me by the Maxwell Football Club of Philadel-
building: “I’ve seen fire, and I’ve seen rain… .
”
—|
at, IHRSA’s 29th Annual
phia for my service to the sport. – Jon Feld,
jfeld@inc.com
International Convention
and Trade Show, log on to
www.ihrsa.org/convention
www.ihrsa.org | MARCH 2010 | Club Business International
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