ESPN analyst Jon Gruden has carried the “Chucky” nickname since his days coaching the Oakland Raiders thanks to his remarkable resemblance to the doll protagonist from the Child’s Play horror franchise, and Gruden’s broadcast partner Sean McDonough made the most of that Monday night. Here’s McDonough donning a Chucky mask and carrying a Chucky doll on a stick during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast:
“That’s a foul-mouthed little guy, that Chucky,” Gruden said. “Be careful with that.”
Gruden then said he’s been Chucky 17 years in a row when he’s home for Halloween, complete with mask.
“The kids walk up to the door and say ‘I know that’s you, Coach Gruden,’ and I’ve got my Chucky mask on, 17 years in a row.”
Gruden then tells the story of how he got the “Chucky” nickname in Oakland when he lost it after running back Harvey Williams went the wrong way on a play:
That clip then cuts to the ESPN camera crew wearing Chucky masks, more of which can be seen below. McDonough then talks about how he first wondered if he should bring up the Chucky comparison, but Gruden says he’s embraced it and sees where it came from. “I have my moody times, and some of them are dark.”
That’s a great Halloween broadcast moment, and it continues the excellent costumes we saw from ESPN both during the day and on Monday Night Countdown. Good for Gruden and McDonough for having a detailed, funny conversation about this in an entertaining way.
[Matt Clapp on Clippit]
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About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.