Cris Collinsworth is the analyst on “Sunday Night Football” for NBC. He starts talking when the network comes on the air for games and doesn’t stop until the network signs off.
When you keep rambling, eventually you are going to say something that is foolish, sexist, or puts one’s foot in the mouth.
That happened Wednesday during the Ravens-Steelers game.
During the second quarter of the broadcast of Wednesday’s Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers game, Collinsworth said in reference to Pittsburgh, “Everybody’s a fan. In particular, the ladies that I met. They have really specific questions about the game, and I’m like, ‘Wow,’ you’re just blown away by how strong the fans are here in this town.”
Also Chris Collinsworth was blown away that the women in Pittsburgh had really specific questions about football pic.twitter.com/eskujaRsKn
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) December 3, 2020
The obligatory apology after creating a firestorm followed.
— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) December 3, 2020
“Today on our broadcast I made reference to a couple of women I met in Pittsburgh who so impressed me with their football knowledge that I wanted to tell their story on the air,” Collinsworth wrote. “I know the way I phrased it insulted many. I’m so sorry. What I intended as a compliment to the fans of Pittsburgh, became an insult.
“I’m sick about insulting any fan, but especially female fans and journalists. I know first hand how much harder they have to work than any of us in this industry. I was wrong and deeply apologize.”
Hard to tell whether any of these apologies are sincere or borne out of necessity and panic from the higher-ups and PR folks at the Peacock Network. Maybe the bosses at NBC should throw a flag on Collinsworth and give him a week to rest his voice or see him take some action rather than feeling more words can erase the damage.