The annual Duke’s Mayo Bowl between West Virginia and North Carolina took place on Wednesday night, catching the attention of college football fans and mayo connoisseurs alike. It also caught the attention of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, who took issue with ESPN’s broadcast of the game.
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl has gained a cult-like following for the gimmick involved with the event, including the broadcasters calling the game and taking time to taste test numerous mayo flavors during the game.
ESPN play-by-play voice Matt Barrie and analyst Dan Mullen did just this during the game, trying out a wide variety of mayo flavors and combinations with various foods throughout the contest.
This created a fun and unique broadcast for the majority of fans watching at home, with a number of funny moments and quotes from the broadcasters throughout the game.
Here's the first @DukesMayoBowl mayonnaise taste test from @MattBarrie and @CoachDanMullen, of the habanero garlic flavor. "My mayo hormones are raging…actually, I don't know how smart it was to rip that habanero before calling a play." – Barrie. pic.twitter.com/wYXLJ10KRo
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 27, 2023
However, the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, a branch of the Episcopal Church encompassing all 55 counties of West Virginia, took issue with the broadcasters’ use of mayo on pepperoni rolls, a staple dish in the state of West Virginia.
They took to their Facebook page to issue a statement on the matter, condemning the “sports commentators” for doing this, calling it an “abomination in the eyes of the lord”.
“It’s come to our attention that during tonight’s Duke Mayo Bowl, in which WVU competed and won, sports commentators were seen putting Duke’s Mayo on pepperoni rolls,” the post read. “Let it be known that putting mayo on pepperoni rolls is an abomination in the eyes of the lord. Those who perpetrate this heinous act have committed a mortal sin which can only be forgiven by special dispensation from the clergy of West Virginia. Clergy are permitted to withhold absolution until proper contrition is made– either by burning a couch or making a pilgrimage to the Mothman statue.”
This is a real statement from the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia. #DukesMayoBowl pic.twitter.com/1LkFq679LT
— Daniel Burbank (@DanielBurbankTV) December 28, 2023
It doesn’t appear to be a serious post from the religious group; instead, it is just one defending the pepperoni roll dish that the area is so fond of.
The post has hilariously gone viral on Facebook, with countless people in West Virginia rushing to support this post, bashing the unusual use of mayo on their beloved food.
They were at least happy that they decided to use mayo on the pepperoni rolls instead of Miracle Whip. They added in their post that using Miracle Whip would have been “unforgivable.”
[Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia on Facebook]
