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Good news! ESPN and NFL legend Chris Berman has signed a contract extension with the network that takes him through 2029, which would be his 50th anniversary on the air. But for a brief moment, sports fans had a mini heart attack believing that Berman had died thanks to a poorly worded tweet by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter, of course, is the king of breaking news when it comes to the NFL. This time around, however, Schefter found himself breaking news about Berman’s contract extension. But rather than leading with news of the extension, Schefter decided to tweet in the same style that he would if he were announcing a tragic passing.
Legendary ESPN anchor Chris Berman, who joined the network just after its September 7, 1979, launch, has extended his contract. In 2029, he will become ESPN’s first employee to celebrate his 50th anniversary with the network.pic.twitter.com/xBq8D0ynsg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2025
“Legendary ESPN anchor Chris Berman, who joined the network just after its September 7, 1979, launch, has extended his contract. In 2029, he will become ESPN’s first employee to celebrate his 50th anniversary with the network,” Schefter posted on X.”
Of course, the first things fans saw was “Legendary ESPN anchor Chris Berman” and, as social media has trained people to do, they immediately believed the next words in the tweet would be “passed away.”
Heart dropped for a second https://t.co/04SusPhmGQ
— Trill Withers (@TylerIAm) May 12, 2025
I dunno, man.
If you’re writing a GOOD NEWS tweet about a beloved sports personality who is a senior citizen, maybe don’t start it like you’re announcing his death. https://t.co/HDRDv4aJmh
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) May 12, 2025
Why word it like… https://t.co/77IVodvMyq pic.twitter.com/L1HdFdfLZg
— Very Sad Houston Fan (@FondofHOUsports) May 12, 2025
Berman, of course, is an institution at ESPN. Whether it’s his “Fastest 3 Minutes” segment on NFL Live, his incredible nicknames, or his remarkable home run derby calls (which we need back), pretty much every sports fan in America has a favorite Chris Bermanism.
So it’s easy to understand why fans were so angry at Schefter for scaring the daylights out of them. Hopefully, he’ll learn from this mistake. But history suggests it will happen again sooner rather than later.