I winced when I saw the quote and I’m sure the ESPN PR folks did too.

In Michael Hiestand’s column about the NFL draft in USA Today, ESPN’s Chris Berman is asked about his critics. This is his response:

 “I just talk to people everyday walking down the street,” he says. “That’s what I care about. That’s good enough for me. They didn’t like Ted Williams either. Now, I’m not Ted Williams.”

Yes Chris, you’re not Ted Williams, but you just compared your situation to that of Ted Williams. Not good.

It’s totally, totally different. If Williams was a good guy and had a good relationship with the press, much like Ernie Banks in Chicago, he doesn’t hear boos in Boston. Williams, though, could be quite nasty, and it took him longer to be beloved.

Berman receives criticism because there are people out there who don’t like his work. The barbs definitely hurt, regardless of what he says.

Berman would have been fine if he ended his quote with “That’s good enough for me.” Instead, he opened the door to more ridicule by linking his name to that of a sporting icon.

That’s dangerous territory, Chris. Don’t do it again.