SI's Sports Media Power Rankings

This doesn't reflect well on the suits at ESPN

7. Chris Berman, ESPN

Along with having a ton of allies in upper management and ESPN's public relations staff, Berman is the public face to ESPN's scrappy past and mega-enormous present. As one on-air staffer recently told me, never underestimate how powerful Berman is internally. No SportsCenter anchor -- not even longtime vets Stuart Scott and Scott Van Pelt -- carry the internal clout Berman does with the suits.

 

Not really a surprise though. Berman was there before 99 percent of the suits. He was "the guy" when they got there.

Really thought Jay Glazer should have been on there. Can't believe people turn on Fox because of Bradshaw.

 

I'm shocked that Deitsch didn't include Jason Whitlock. There's so much mutual admiration.

 

Skip Bayless at No. 10? That's a joke, right?

 

He should be higher. His presence has become the dominant force driving ESPN's content decisions.

 

No more than Finebaum at 17... self-important puffery because of a knuckle-dragging fan base counts in their eyes...

 

I'd say that fact is more a negative for the WWL than a positive for Bayless. The only time anyone got any sort of satisfaction when Bayless was on the screen was when Mark Cuban beat him up and took his lunch money on First Take the day after the NBA Finals last year

 

This isn't a complimentary list.