Chris Berman
ESPNNFLBy Sean Keeley on

A lot of ESPN viewers were surprised to see Chris Berman hosting the network’s Super Bowl LVII post-game show. A lot of ESPN viewers were also surprised by the way that Berman decided to note that this was the first time the game featured two Black starting quarterbacks.

Right before launching into highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles for their second Super Bowl win in four seasons, Berman took the opportunity to highlight that both starters, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, are Black, which is worth calling out given that it’s never happened before in NFL history. However, he punctuated the “fun fact” with a curveball that a lot of viewers wish he could have just taken back-back-back-back-back.

“Also, of course, two African-American quarterbacks starting against each other in the Super Bowl for the first time,” said Berman. “Fittingly, February 12th is Abe Lincoln’s birthday.”

That doesn’t quite make the point that Berman thinks it makes.

The stunned silence by Steve Young and Booger McFarland added to the awkwardness of the moment, coupled with Young’s nervous laughter before Berman added “it was worth the wait,” which, again, doesn’t land the way that he probably intended.

Berman’s way of marking the historic moment caught audiences and the NFL world off-guard, to say the least.

Whoop(s), indeed.

[AA on Twitter]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director 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.

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