Very, very strange media column this weekend from Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News. As far as we can tell, he’s the only “mainstream” media member to staunchly defend Chris Berman in the wake of the hilarious, profanity-filled blooper reels that emerged online this month. It’s almost as if … well, read the quotes first:

Bad behavior? You bet. But not as abhorrent as that of one who would actually sneak around, tape a colleague and either give the video to someone (or hold on to it himself all these years) before releasing it in order to embarrass Berman.

No, what Berman did on those videos pales — big-time — in comparison to the covert actions of the lowlife who taped him and made sure the video was widely distributed. If Berman is such a bad guy, and someone had a beef with him, they should have gotten in his face. Or taken the problem directly to ESPN management. That would have required guts. Anyone who would basically spy on a colleague is lacking in that department.

Before this creep — or creeps — decided to release the tape, then get their kicks at Berman’s expense, they should have asked one question: Would they like the same thing done to them?

Allow us to briefly put on our conspiracy theory hat. Ok. USA Today wrote about the Berman videos. It was neither positive nor negative, but surely ESPN would rather have not had it mentioned in the largest newspaper in the country. Today, the Chicago Tribune wrote about the videos as well – with a headline and everything! (Believe it or not, the people who read blogs each day, while seemingly large, is infinitesimally small.) Here’s where the out-of-left-field theories come in: Knowing that the ESPN PR department couldn’t get their spin into the NY Post (which currently lacks a sports media reporter; we’re not counting Mushnick, he’s his own entity), and unable to talk USA Today and the Chicago Tribune out of running items … was Raissman a last chance for some positive light? How could Raissman – or anyone – know what the deal is with the videos and why they’re just emerging now? It’s just an incredibly odd stance to take, no?

BERMAN TAPE-GATE (NY Daily News)