People will try to convince you that the announcer jinx isn’t real. Those people are liars.
For the latest example, we take you to Saturday’s matchup between the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and Wyoming Cowboys.
UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea came into the game putting up solid numbers, completing 72.2% of his passes for 940 yards and eight touchdowns through four games. However, he was coming off a game with two interceptions, something that CBS Sports Network analyst Adam Breneman noted as this game got underway.
Cowboys’ defense comes up big with the fumble recovery out of the gate đź‘Ź
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— Mountain West (@MountainWest) October 4, 2025
“He’s got to take care of the football,” said Breneman of Colandrea. “He’s had a turnover bug the last couple of weeks. He needs to take care of the ball tonight.”
The Rebels’ first play of the game? A flea-flicker, with Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas taking the handoff and then flipping it back to Colandrea, who promptly fumbled it. Wyoming snagged the ball for the turnover and immediately swung the momentum in their direction.
Alas, that momentum was short-lived. After going up 3-0, the Cowboys found themselves down 17-3 by the end of the first quarter en route to a 31-17 home loss.
Ultimately, we’re not sure the announcer jinx even mattered. Who calls a flea-flicker on the first play of a game in snow? That’s just asking for trouble.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.