Remember the big stink about Broncos fans starting a petition to ban CBS analyst Phil Simms from broadcasting the team’s games? Well, apparently they aren’t the only ones. Approaching CBS’s coverage of Redskins-Giants on Thursday night, Washington football fans are also circulating a petition in favor of banning the former Giants quarterback from announcing games. As of this moment, over 8,500 fans have signed the petition.
Whereas Broncos fans think there is a tinfoil-hat conspiracy theory where Simms is inherently biased against their teams as a broadcaster, this petition is altogether different. It originates in Simms saying before the season that he would try to not use the Redskins nickname during broadcasts.
Mr. Simms has recently stated that he will try not to use the Redskins’ name in the upcoming game against the NY Giants. This is unacceptable and offensive to Redskin fans everywhere. Mr. Simms is there to give unbiased insight to the game, time and again he seems incapable of doing so, trying to impose his opinion on the viewers.
Old habits are hard to break. Simms has already used the Redskins nickname multiple times this season, even in games not featuring the team. However, in an interview with The MMQB, he says he will try to maintain the anti-Redskins stance for Thursday night’s game as best as he can:
“That’s still my thought process,” he said. “I made that decision and I’m not going into what really drove me to it, but it offends a certain group of people and I have sympathy for them. So I can have sympathy for them and I am not denigrating the other side.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how this plays out on Thursday night as it will be the first time we know of an announcer calling a Washington game intentionally trying to avoid using the nickname. Especially in a high profile, nationally televised primetime game, there’s going to be more eyes and ears tuned into Simms than normal. As long as he doesn’t try to drink tea and call the game at the same time, hopefully he’s able to keep everything straight.
