Sony Corporation has followed the lead of rivals LG and Samsung by adding ESPN analyst and Monday Night Football host Chris Berman’s face to mute buttons on all its TV remotes.
“We’ve taken this step in an effort to spare viewers the emotional and physical pain of listening to Berman scream at them during the pregame and halftime segments of Monday Night Football,” said Sony spokesman Bob Williams.
Recent studies have shown that Berman’s obnoxious, outdated ramblings account for nearly 10% of all blown eardrums annually among sports fans, coming in just behind standing too close to the guy with the foghorn at college football games.
“The goal is to reduce the amount of time it takes for people to find the mute button once Mr. Berman comes on-air,” said Williams. “Those first few seconds are critical.”
