For young, aspiring sports announcers the best way to get a start is by quoting their favorite announcers and channeling their best and most famous calls. One of the most quotable announcers is certainly Fox's Gus Johnson. Whether it's as the voice of Madden football or the NCAA Tournament or even his appearances on Tosh.0, Gus Johnson's excitement connects with people. In Northern Ohio, one 15 year old student at Margaretta Schools did just that by quoting Gus while he was calling a 7th grade football game.
And that's where this story takes a bizarre turn. Channeling his inner Gus got him punished by the school and several threats on his Facebook page. Why? He broke out Gus Johnson's "get away from the cops speed" call.
Here's the story via the Sandusky Register…
"At Thursday’s game, the boy announced “he’s got that getting-away-from-the-cops speed” when an opposing player from Edison Schools ran the football for several yards, according to the report. The player he referenced is Haitian.
Since Thursday, several individuals have threatened to harm the boy on Facebook because the comment upset them, according to the report.
Deputies are still reviewing the comments to determine if any harassment or menacing charges will be filed.
The Margaretta Schools student has been disciplined, but the district is not required to release his punishment, superintendent Ed Kurt said Monday, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The situation was handled internally within the high school.
“We worked with the student, and we hope this is a learning experience,” Kurt said. “We want to move forward in a positive fashion.”
When contacted Monday, the boy’s parents said they are seeking legal advice, possibly against Margaretta Schools and individuals who made threats against their son. They told the Register they’d provide additional comments later this week. In Friday’s report, the boy’s parents told deputies the comment their son made is “very popular” in a Madden NFL football video game."
Of course, "get away from the cops speed" is one of Johnson's most notable (and yes, controversial) calls. It happened during a Chris Johnson TD run back in 2009 and Gus later apologized to those who were offended.
In spite of the uproar over it, the call was featured prominently in Madden 12 when Gus Johnson served as the voice of the game. Here's an example:
And now a high school student is receiving threats and getting punished by his school for quoting Gus Johnson from a video game. What kind of world is this we're living in? Who wants to live in a society where kids can't grow up wanting to be like Gus Johnson?
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