CHRIS BERMAN vs. ERNIE JOHNSON JR.

(Studio hosts)

The fact that many readers don’t know Ernie Johnson Jr. is a testament to the good job he does.

On the other hand, Chris Berman is a celebrity. This doesn’t mean he does a bad job, but it does say something about his work.

Johnson, who this week will host the NBA Draft and Wimbledon for TNT, is a point guard who defers to his teammates. Berman looks to shoot first.

Berman’s strength is his studio work. We presume the only reason he does play-by-play on baseball is because he is Chris Berman and ESPN executives must not want to tell their biggest name no. His nickname-filled games are unbearable.

In studio, Berman’s love for what he’s doing comes through and he is good; especially on NFL GameDay and the NFL Draft. He’s best when he is talking about the game, not when he is repeating lines he said 10 years ago.

While Berman can be a tough listen at times, Johnson makes everything easy. He sets up his analyst and then moves out of the way. It’s why he got less ink in this box and why he won the matchup.