Chris Berman speaks publicly about wife's death for first time

Six weeks ago, Kathy Berman, wife of longtime ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman, died in a two-car accident. Since then, Berman, now in a reduced role at ESPN, has struggled with her loss both publicly and privately. As he prepared to play in a pro-am in advance of the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, Berman spoke with the Hartford Courant about his wife.

“She made her own footprint in a quieter, understated way in the education channels,” said Berman, once the voice of the NFL on ESPN and now working in a reduced on-camera role. “The literacy volunteers, to where she taught, to where our son and daughter went to school, they all came out [in support of Berman]. It wasn’t Chris Berman and his wife. It was, ‘We look at you guys as the community.’ I’m touched by that. I’m overwhelmed by that.”

Berman, who remains close to many retired NFL players and executives, has gotten out to charity events and attended concerts he’d planned to attend with his wife. He’s also a strong supporter of the Travelers Championship now underway in Hartford. “Believe me,” he said, “she wouldn’t want us to mope.”

One of the saddest aspects of Kathy’s passing is that it came just weeks before her son’s wedding. “Our son got married, she never saw it,” Berman said. “She had waited all this time, this is what I said at the eulogy, never complaining and she never saw it … That’s what makes me the saddest. This was right at the doorstep. Doug had a wonderful wedding. It was great, upbeat. But there’s the song my son never got to dance with his mother. That’s rough.”
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.