This past week Chris Berman got re-assigned after 31 years at ESPN. He will still do some stuff but at least they didn't kick him out without explanation.
Some said his routine got old, and perhaps it did, but for at least 2 generations he was the go to guy for his NFL highlight show. i like to think we beat him to the punch on SPORTS SUNDAY, but we weren't national. We started some clever stuff that some outfits are just trying and we did it in the early 80's. I got a call from ESPN IN 1979.
Some guy asked if I might consider moving to Conn. to do sports. It was cable. It didn't have any track record and they had not paid me for stories I had done for them earlier that year. You will be shocked when I tell you I said "no".
The guy also explained I would make less money but I should take "a chance". I TOLD HIM I had already taken chances and was out of them. History has taught us maybe I should have called that guy back. Chris Berman was one of the originals and in 1990 he was the M.C. for the NATIONAL SPORTSCASTERS AWARDS. I won for the state of TEXAS and Berman had dealt with me prior to this. I wasn't sure what he might say. He said "Roberts does a good job. You should watch him" That was good enough for me.
Years later I saw him at Minute Maid. He was going to call a national broadcast of the Astros. He laughed when he saw me. "You got 3 minutes last night on the 10pm news. It takes me that long to clear my throat". I told him, "Me too".
P.S. I still haven't been paid for those stories I did in 1979.