Matthew Berry leaving ESPN (1 Viewer)

[ignatiusjreilly]

Surprising news:

Fantasy football guru Matthew Berry is available to be picked up after he and ESPN parted ways following contract renewal talks.

Berry, 52, and ESPN jointly announced that they are separating after 15 years together. Berry was a senior fantasy sports analyst for ESPN, appearing on TV and radio, while also writing for ESPN.com.

He was a lead member of ESPN2’s Sunday morning program “Fantasy Football Now.” He has 1.1 million Twitter followers.

“ESPN gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write and talk fantasy sports on every possible ESPN platform,” Berry wrote on Twitter. “On a personal level, ESPN is where I made lifelong friends, met my wife, and started my family. I am forever indebted to ESPN.”

I have mixed feelings on Berry. Fantasy Focus was one of the first fantasy football podcasts -- indeed, one of the first podcasts period -- I ever listened to. But I eventually realized I was continuing to listen to it due to inertia, and I would much rather spend my time listening to guys like Chris Harris and JJ Zachariason, who put in a ton of time on specific areas (film in Harris' case, data in JJ's) rather than just saying stuff like, "Gut feeling, I think Tony Pollard goes off this week." (There's also the fact that, well into the 2010s, he was still advocating things like going QB/TE at the top of your draft.) I did continue to skim Berry's Draft Day Manifestos and Love/Hate columns ... until ESPN moved them beyond the paywall.

But as easy as it is to hate on Berry, it's hard to overstate the impact he's had popularizing fantasy, and I'll always give him credit for that. I mentioned in the Bill Simmons thread that people always want to take down guys like Simmons, Peter King or Malcolm Gladwell, but they didn't get to where they were by luck. In Berry's case, he was super passionate -- and prescient -- about fantasy, and really helped sell it internally at ESPN. It may seem obvious now it would inevitably become big a business, but that was by no means the case when he started working there.

I've heard some speculation that he could end up working for Draft Kings or another gambling site. The Post reports he is likely to end up at NBC. I think the latter makes way more sense. Gamblers are going to want actionable information, either data or inside info a la Schefter. Berry is more of an entertainer, and he should be with a general-interest, multi-platform company.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

I was never a huge fan....I think you could have substituted pretty much anybody at the time he became the face of ESPN Fantasy and they would have had the same career trajectory and would be at the same point now....IMO the platform that ESPN provided made the man more than the man made the platform here in some ways....feel like he just rode the fence/general consensus/rankings for the most part and would throw out a hot take on occasion....I may not be giving him enough credit and I realize his "place" in the fantasy world back when it wasn't so crowded, but I guess I am saying I won't be going out of my way to follow him wherever he ends up....

 

[Anarchy99]

He did well for himself and helped grow fantasy football. Back in the day, I remember him as another body I stepped over in my quest for worldwide fantasy football domination. When I was an FBG staffer, I recall destroying him in a head-to-head matchup in a fantasy football industry only / media league. IIRC, I represented FBGs and took home the title. I don't remember if his team ended up last or next to last. Since I wasn't a brand or a known commodity, I took it pretty seriously. I wrote it off at the time that he probably did a ton of those types of leagues and didn't particularly care how he did. It sounds like he already has plans to do something else lined up (just hasn't announced it yet).

 

[TLEF316]

I was never a huge fan....I think you could have substituted pretty much anybody at the time he became the face of ESPN Fantasy and they would have had the same career trajectory and would be at the same point now....IMO the platform that ESPN provided made the man more than the man made the platform here in some ways....feel like he just rode the fence/general consensus/rankings for the most part and would throw out a hot take on occasion....I may not be giving him enough credit and I realize his "place" in the fantasy world back when it wasn't so crowded, but I guess I am saying I won't be going out of my way to follow him wherever he ends up....

This.  The info we want for fantasy is everywhere and I don't see berry as some great talent. He was just the guy who was in the right place at the right time and rode the wave.

Espn will fill his chair with someone making 20% of what he was making and nobody will care. The casual fan just needs SOMEONE from a major outlet they watch to provide some very basic mainstream fantasy content so they can get some lineup help in their 100 dollar work league 

 

[zed2283]

I agree that most any fantasy nerd could have started in his place and ended up with the same career.  But he's the one who did it, and I find him fairly entertaining, which I appreciate.  I also like listening to him Sunday mornings as the guy who's reminding me to make solid decisions rather than go off the rails (which I'm tempted to do on Sunday mornings).

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I agree that most any fantasy nerd could have started in his place and ended up with the same career.  But he's the one who did it, and I find him fairly entertaining, which I appreciate.  I also like listening to him Sunday mornings as the guy who's reminding me to make solid decisions rather than go off the rails (which I'm tempted to do on Sunday mornings).

Yes - he caters to more casual fantasy players than us (people still posting on a message board in May), but he was entertaining and made it fun, like it's supposed to be.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

I agree that most any fantasy nerd could have started in his place and ended up with the same career.  But he's the one who did it, and I find him fairly entertaining, which I appreciate.  I also like listening to him Sunday mornings as the guy who's reminding me to make solid decisions rather than go off the rails (which I'm tempted to do on Sunday mornings).

The whole "He was in the right place at the right time" argument reminds me of people who say the Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world "because something has to be". Sure, but there's a reason that's the one that rose to the top. In Berry's case, he fought hard to get hired by ESPN, to get them to devote more resources to fantasy, and to feature him across multiple platforms. It's not clear that anyone else would have done that, but what's certainly clear is that no one else did.

Yes - he caters to more casual fantasy players than us (people still posting on a message board in May), but he was entertaining and made it fun, like it's supposed to be.

Exactly. I don't know if his moment has passed overall, but it certainly has for me and, I suspect, for a lot of people on this board. At this point, I don't need fantasy to be entertaining, I need it to be informative. But I still respect what he's accomplished even if he's not really for me anymore

 

[Tom Hagen]

I was never a huge fan....I think you could have substituted pretty much anybody at the time he became the face of ESPN Fantasy and they would have had the same career trajectory and would be at the same point now....IMO the platform that ESPN provided made the man more than the man made the platform here in some ways....feel like he just rode the fence/general consensus/rankings for the most part and would throw out a hot take on occasion....I may not be giving him enough credit and I realize his "place" in the fantasy world back when it wasn't so crowded, but I guess I am saying I won't be going out of my way to follow him wherever he ends up....

I think you underestimate how good of a writer and entertainer he is, which was perfect for ESPN trying to attract the widest audience possible. His analysis and advice is nothing special but I usually read the Manifesto and Love/Hate columns just for the writing. 

 

[Team Chaos]

I personally loved his sense of humor. I would read his stuff for that alone. 

 

[Stinkin Ref]

I think you underestimate how good of a writer and entertainer he is, which was perfect for ESPN trying to attract the widest audience possible. His analysis and advice is nothing special but I usually read the Manifesto and Love/Hate columns just for the writing. 

thats fine, I'm not slamming on him as a person, a professional, or an entertainer....I just found much of what he did seemed catered to the casual Yahoo free league guy that tunes in or reads his stuff a day before their online draft or something.....I realize that is not really fair in some ways cause I kind of never really put a ton of time/investment into his work because that is what my initial impression....I was kind of looking for more, so to speak, but his platform was geared to try and capture all levels of FF although it seemed to mostly focus on the basic low hanging fruit kind of stuff....maybe he got better and more in depth and I just don't know cause I kind of "checked out" after finding sites like this etc....

 

[TripItUp]

His sense of humor is his gift.   Many of these other podcasts have great info and analytics, but they put you to sleep or try too hard to be funny.  The funny part comes naturally to Matthew.  ESPN also has great inside sources and the ESPN crew takes advantage of that and it gives them an angle that almost all other fantasy analysts don't have.

There are definitely sharper analysts out there, but very few are as entertaining while delivering the analysis IMHO.  

 

[Ilov80s]

Surprising news:

I have mixed feelings on Berry. Fantasy Focus was one of the first fantasy football podcasts -- indeed, one of the first podcasts period -- I ever listened to. But I eventually realized I was continuing to listen to it due to inertia, and I would much rather spend my time listening to guys like Chris Harris and JJ Zachariason, who put in a ton of time on specific areas (film in Harris' case, data in JJ's) rather than just saying stuff like, "Gut feeling, I think Tony Pollard goes off this week." (There's also the fact that, well into the 2010s, he was still advocating things like going QB/TE at the top of your draft.) I did continue to skim Berry's Draft Day Manifestos and Love/Hate columns ... until ESPN moved them beyond the paywall.

But as easy as it is to hate on Berry, it's hard to overstate the impact he's had popularizing fantasy, and I'll always give him credit for that. I mentioned in the Bill Simmons thread that people always want to take down guys like Simmons, Peter King or Malcolm Gladwell, but they didn't get to where they were by luck. In Berry's case, he was super passionate -- and prescient -- about fantasy, and really helped sell it internally at ESPN. It may seem obvious now it would inevitably become big a business, but that was by no means the case when he started working there.

I've heard some speculation that he could end up working for Draft Kings or another gambling site. The Post reports he is likely to end up at NBC. I think the latter makes way more sense. Gamblers are going to want actionable information, either data or inside info a la Schefter. Berry is more of an entertainer, and he should be with a general-interest, multi-platform company.

It would make sense for him to be the face of fantasy football for one of the networks that airs NFL games. I could also see an app like Sleeper wanting to pull him to help expand their platform. As for Draftkings, if he went there it wouldn't really be for his fantasy advice so much for the eyeballs it would draw. 

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

It would make sense for him to be the face of fantasy football for one of the networks that airs NFL games. I could also see an app like Sleeper wanting to pull him to help expand their platform. As for Draftkings, if he went there it wouldn't really be for his fantasy advice so much for the eyeballs it would draw. 

I don't know much about Sleeper as a business, but I doubt they could afford him. I think he's already a paid spokesman for DraftKings, so that might make sense, but I still see him as more of a general-interest guy rather than niche, so I would think he'd want as big of a platform as possible. 

 

[grateful zed]

who?

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I disagree that any nerd could have done his job and been successful.  He has nerdy charisma.  He's entertaining and easy to watch and it's endearing.  I think an average FF geek put in front of the camera/radio like he was would have drolled on and been unsuccessful and ESPN would have moved on, thinking there was no place for FF tv shows and whatnot.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Matthew's been a long time friend. And a really great guy. Super talented and a great person too. Rare combo. No doubt he'll crush whatever is next for him. 

 

[Gally]

As other's have touched on, he was more entertainer than pure analyst.  His gift was his delivery, sense of humor, and every man relatability.  Also, I believe his main goal early was to grow the "sport" so in depth analysis really isn't the way to do that.  He figured out the right combo of personality, info, and perseverance.   Some think anybody could have done it but I think that is very far from the truth.  

I also think he has kind of run his course especially for the die hard FF players.  He is more schtick than substance for sure......but I think his schtick is old now and kind of overplayed..........it was inevitable really.  Not a knock on Berry at all.  

I will follow the story and see where he goes.  I was always a fan.  

 

[Ilov80s]

I don't know much about Sleeper as a business, but I doubt they could afford him. I think he's already a paid spokesman for DraftKings, so that might make sense, but I still see him as more of a general-interest guy rather than niche, so I would think he'd want as big of a platform as possible. 

According to the internet, Sleeper has raised $67 million in investments. A splashy big named fantasy football analysts with over a million Twitter followers could be a way to generate growth for those investors. However, if he is still under contract with DK then that is very unlikely. 

 

[Army Eye]

Some people WAY off the mark in this thread.  Berry was entertaining and engaging and funny on TV, on print, on podcast.  Alternatively, (Insert your favorite FF number cruncher here) would have bored people to tears in his place.  None of it was luck.   He got the gig on ESPN because more people were reading his stuff online than anyone else.  On ESPN, he made the game seem fun on TV and gave analysis that was digestible for anyone.   Guaranteed he brought a ton of people into the fold. 

You can say that you don't personally care about his analysis, that's fine.  We're not his target market.   But to suggest he was replaceable by anyone?  No way.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

According to the internet, Sleeper has raised $67 million in investments. A splashy big named fantasy football analysts with over a million Twitter followers could be a way to generate growth for those investors. However, if he is still under contract with DK then that is very unlikely. 

What kind of platform could Sleeper give him?
 

 

[wlwiles]

Yes - he caters to more casual fantasy players than us (people still posting on a message board in May), but he was entertaining and made it fun, like it's supposed to be.

Agree, and for a lot of folks that's the perfect level of fantasy knowledge/savvy for them in their leagues.  I remember listening to Fantasy Focus for years when I had one league, and that level of insight gave me an edge over the other newbies in my league who only had Yahoo Fantasy stats for the previous year available to them.  Nobody else in my leagues was listening to podcasts, I had the leg up!  But for degenerates in the Shark Pool in June and July, we've all moved to the next level of information and analysis so it's easy to say "Berry's too basic for us". One of the things he begged his audiences was to invite new players to their leagues.  Bring your wife in, invite your neighbor, start a father/son league, grow the game and use it to grow your relationships.  He hosted leagues with celebrities and made them viewable to the masses.  He played in leagues with randoms himself.  Nobody did that better than him.  His head is definitely on the Mount Rushmore of fantasy football analysts for everything he's done to grow the game. 

 

[Ilov80s]

What kind of platform could Sleeper give him?
 

Podcast, YouTube show, content on the app, a stake in the company, the kind of freedom that a bigger company like ESPN couldn't and wouldn't. But the most likely thing is he just ends up on network TV. 

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Podcast, YouTube show, content on the app, a stake in the company, the kind of freedom that a bigger company like ESPN couldn't and wouldn't. But the most likely thing is he just ends up on network TV. 

I'm not sure if it would be a smart move for Sleeper to shell out mega bucks on a big name, but I definitely don't think it would be a smart move for Berry. Aside from the fact that his whole brand is mass market, he also kind of strikes me as the guy who wants the biggest platform. With some guys (Harris, Zachariason, Simmons) the most important thing is them having control, even if that means a smaller audience. But I get the sense that Berry is the kind of guy who would be willing to sacrifice some control to reach more people. Which, for the record, is not at all a criticism. Different people have personalities that are better suited to certain types of situations.

 

[Ilov80s]

I'm not sure if it would be a smart move for Sleeper to shell out mega bucks on a big name, but I definitely don't think it would be a smart move for Berry. Aside from the fact that his whole brand is mass market, he also kind of strikes me as the guy who wants the biggest platform. With some guys (Harris, Zachariason, Simmons) the most important thing is them having control, even if that means a smaller audience. But I get the sense that Berry is the kind of guy who would be willing to sacrifice some control to reach more people. Which, for the record, is not at all a criticism. Different people have personalities that are better suited to certain types of situations.

All good points. I was just spitballing on possibilities. I also forgot he owns Fantasy Life which he says has 400k readers.  Perhaps he plans to focus on expanding that. 

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

I don't actually think this will happen, but it is worth pointing out that The Ringer has been beefing up its NFL team lately (just poached Sheil Kapadia and Lindsay Jones from The Athletic) and Simmons and Berry are long-time buddies ...

 

[zed2283]

Also, I think the ESPN fantasy show (Fantasy Football Now?) is the best one going and the best thing to watch on Sunday morning.  Good format, great content and info when you need it.  The NFLN guys used to be good but they sort of turned it into a big show (ironic since I'm extolling ESPN) and mostly lost me.

 

[Terpman22]

Enjoyed his takes from time to time. I can't imagine him NOT going to a place as their "built in fantasy expert" 

 

[facook]

I really did enjoy the 06010 when it was Berry, Nate Ravitz, and PodVader.  Nate and Pod pushed back enough and had the senses of humor to put over-the-top Berry in his place.  And the "board bets" were fun to follow.  When Ravitz moved up in management it became not worth listening to me.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

I really did enjoy the 06010 when it was Berry, Nate Ravitz, and PodVader.  Nate and Pod pushed back enough and had the senses of humor to put over-the-top Berry in his place.  And the "board bets" were fun to follow.  When Ravitz moved up in management it became not worth listening to me.

At the risk of sounding like That Guy who complains that he only likes a popular band's "early stuff", I have to agree. Ravitz was underrated, and served as the perfect straight-man to Berry. I like Yates but it just wasn't the same. 

BTW, I like Berry best when he goes on Simmons' podcast. There's always a little "Trump on Howard Stern" vibe where Berry is desperately seeking approval from his cool older brother. (To be fair, he also mentioned on one appearance that Simmons was a big champion of him internally and those early podcast appearances helped sell him to senior management, so his gratitude is understandable). Also, while Berry was generally pretty G-rated on his own podcast, with Simmons he could go a little blue. I think they even managed to get in trouble once for a discussion of porn stars. And one of my all-time favorite lines of his came when the two of them had an extended digression about whether JT O'Sullivan or RW McQuarters was a better name for a bar, and Berry said, "Let me tell you, there's no way you're finding any girl above a 6 in JT O'Sullivan's."

 

[FairWarning]

I never followed him, but he’s huge in the industry.  I can see him on something like FD or DK, based on name recognition.

 

[Gally]

I'm not sure if it would be a smart move for Sleeper to shell out mega bucks on a big name, but I definitely don't think it would be a smart move for Berry. Aside from the fact that his whole brand is mass market, he also kind of strikes me as the guy who wants the biggest platform. With some guys (Harris, Zachariason, Simmons) the most important thing is them having control, even if that means a smaller audience. But I get the sense that Berry is the kind of guy who would be willing to sacrifice some control to reach more people. Which, for the record, is not at all a criticism. Different people have personalities that are better suited to certain types of situations.

Or maybe he is done putting in the time and effort he has for the past 15 or so years and wants to slow down.  I wouldn't be surprised if he does something small that doesn't take as much time and he can do it on his time terms.  If I were him I probably wouldn't mind riding off into the sunset with the knowledge that he was a key figure in brining FF to where it is today.  

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Or maybe he is done putting in the time and effort he has for the past 15 or so years and wants to slow down.  I wouldn't be surprised if he does something small that doesn't take as much time and he can do it on his time terms.  If I were him I probably wouldn't mind riding off into the sunset with the knowledge that he was a key figure in brining FF to where it is today.  

That is true. I believe he's had some health issues in recent years related to exhaustion.

Of course, when Peter King left SI/MMQB, he went to NBC specifically so he could work less and focus on a few key things (his column, podcast and video projects). So if the NBC rumors are true, maybe they could work out a similar deal with Berry. He writes Love/Hate every week and does a fantasy segment on Football Night in America. He could potentially get more exposure with a lot less work.

 

[houston]

Seems like a good human being, would be disappointing to learn if he isn’t. I really appreciated when he wrote from a real life perspective, always came across as sincere. 

Quite the career transition to convert from TV writer to discussion about the statistics of professional football players. 

 

[Dr. Octopus]

That is true. I believe he's had some health issues in recent years related to exhaustion.

Of course, when Peter King left SI/MMQB, he went to NBC specifically so he could work less and focus on a few key things (his column, podcast and video projects). So if the NBC rumors are true, maybe they could work out a similar deal with Berry. He writes Love/Hate every week and does a fantasy segment on Football Night in America. He could potentially get more exposure with a lot less work.

The thing is that game is played after almost all the other games have been played which doesn't work as well for a fantasy segment. 

 

[TripItUp]

The thing is that game is played after almost all the other games have been played which doesn't work as well for a fantasy segment. 

yeah, that part doesn't make sense...not a huge demand for after the fact FF analysis.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Good points on the timing issue. All that he could do is a highlight reel of the top fantasy performers that week plus maybe a sneak peak of next week.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Good points on the timing issue. All that he could do is a highlight reel of the top fantasy performers that week plus maybe a sneak peak of next week.

I had the same thought, but the most popular fantasy info by far is start/sit advice.

Maybe he should go to Fox or CBS?

 

[Joe Bryant]

Seems like a good human being, would be disappointing to learn if he isn’t. I really appreciated when he wrote from a real life perspective, always came across as sincere. 

Quite the career transition to convert from TV writer to discussion about the statistics of professional football players. 

He's definitely a good human. I can vouch for that with a 20+ year track record.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

He's definitely a good human. I can vouch for that with a 20+ year track record.

I almost said in my initial post that he seems like a really nice guy, but then I remembered what I said in the Simmons thread about how media, and podcasts in particular, give you a false sense of familiarity with celebrities, so I figured shouldn't make any assumptions.

That said, I honestly can't recall ever hearing anyone say a bad word about him, and I'd be pretty surprised if it turned out he wasn't as nice as he seems.

 

[greenmountaingoat]

My second year back I drafted Barkley again and he got hurt, again. I was really bummed but I read one of his articles that inspired me to just outwork my league. Made it to the finals by having that mindset. Waivers and trades. Spotted Herbert’s breakout. He’s not my go-to overall analyst but on espn he was by far my favorite. 
 

The single most influential ff article I’ve read. 

 

[⚡DEADHEAD⚡]

Not a huge fan of his analytics or him as an entertainer, but I think his greatest quality, at least to me, is that he doesn't take himself seriously. And that's what made him seem like a pretty decent dude, someone to kind of root for.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Matthew's been a long time friend. And a really great guy. Super talented and a great person too. Rare combo. No doubt he'll crush whatever is next for him. 

 He had the dream job.  He got paid big bucks to study and talk about fantasy football.   Every single person on this forum wishes they had had his job (unless they are lying to themselves or inexplicably came to this forum for reasons other than FF). 

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

 He had the dream job.  He got paid big bucks to study and talk about fantasy football.   Every single person on this forum wishes they had had his job (unless they are lying to themselves or inexplicably came to this forum for reasons other than FF). 

True, but what's perhaps the most impressive is that he created that job pretty much from scratch

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I enjoyed Berry’s writing early on. He was one of the only FF voices out there for a while.

i feel like he got lumped in with ESPN, and ESPN as a FF service has always been kinda meh.

Thats not Berry’s fault, nor is it an indictment of Berry - just an observation. 

I am not a big podcast guy, so I didn’t get too much into his pod. But I did enjoy his writing. 

 

[RenegadeRoy]

I really did enjoy the 06010 when it was Berry, Nate Ravitz, and PodVader.  Nate and Pod pushed back enough and had the senses of humor to put over-the-top Berry in his place.  And the "board bets" were fun to follow.  When Ravitz moved up in management it became not worth listening to me.

Same here. I dropped off when Ravitz upgraded to paper pushing +. Their fantasy insights weren't near what you might find here or on other pods, but it had charm... and it certainly helped get more people into the game.

I'll still check in from time to time to read Berry's Love/Hate and other columns because I enjoy his writing. He has a gift, and it's his "voice." It's not surprising at all that he started out as a screenwriter. You can tell he had a way with words, especially when he is passionate about something... and boy is he passionate about fantasy football. 

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Same here. I dropped off when Ravitz upgraded to paper pushing +.

You just reminded me of another great line: Whenever Ravitz would have to miss a show because of something related to his main job, Berry would say, "Those papers aren't going to push themselves."

 

[facook]

The OG....including THE Stephania Bell. :ding: (and Nate Ravitz)

This was an early August pod where no one knew where to place Adrian Peterson.  Who ran for over 2k yards and was easily the FF mvp that year.  THIS was my Matt Berry era.

 

[Bri]

He used to come here IIRC.

He's done the FF community a lot of good. I wish him well

 

[Leroy Hoard]

True, but what's perhaps the most impressive is that he created that job pretty much from scratch

Yes. They say it's lonely at the top, but it's loneliest when you are one of the first to do it at that level.

 

[zed2283]

While watching Matthew Berry says goodbye to ESPN and Fantasy Football Focus Live I was reminded of one of the reasons I like Matthew Berry: his rants.  Who hasn't felt this way many many times as a fantasy football player?

"Every man" Matthew Berry:

Rant 1
Rant 2