Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson suffered a rare miss on a field-goal attempt against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football, and while Bengals fans were disappointed, ESPN on ABC announcer Joe Buck immediately had another concern.
He quickly absolved himself of any blame in the miss.
McPherson missed a 48-yard attempt early in the second quarter, leading Buck to cite his perfect record dating back to last season.
“[McPherson] had made the last 29 (field-goal) attempts from less than 50 yards, including the playoffs,” Buck said. “I didn’t say that before the kick, so no one can blame me.”
Listen carefully and you can hear analyst Troy Aikman chuckle in the background as Buck denies any announcer jinx happened.
“[Evan McPherson] had made the last 29 (field goal) attempts from less than 50 yards, including the playoffs. I didn’t say that before the kick, so no one can blame me.” – Joe Buck 🏈🎙️#MNF #NFL pic.twitter.com/5nIGr7cZXA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 24, 2024
Some sports commentators are wary of the dreaded announcer jinx. Others, like New York Yankees announcer Michael Kay, believe it is a bunch of superstitious nonsense. A few are such ardent believers they have actually apologized after jinxing a player.
All this doesn’t even begin to cover the lesser-known reverse jinx, which some announcers eagerly attempt to summon like a witch doctor placing a curse.
Now we know where Buck fits on that spectrum. He’s a believer and he wants fans to know he has respect for the jinx.
And don’t blame him for that missed kick.
[ESPN on ABC]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.