Mark Jones and Roddy Jones calling an August 2024 North Dakota State-Colorado game on ESPN. Mark Jones and Roddy Jones calling an August 2024 North Dakota State-Colorado game on ESPN.
College FootballESPNBy Arthur Weinstein on

When Mark Jones calls a game, fans know they will hear something different.

Some fans like that. Others definitely do not.

The ESPN play-by-play announcer always gets creative with his calls, using obscure words, phrases and analogies that leave fans stumped.

Jones came ready to roll in his season-opening game, with the Colorado Buffaloes hosting the North Dakota State Bison. His most thesaurus-worthy work came late in the third quarter. NDSU quarterback Cam Miller faked a pass and tucked it for a nice run.

“Great handiwork and prestidigitation with those fakes and sleight of hand,” Jones observed.

Color analyst Roddy Jones responded with a question: “What was greater, the number of yards Cam Miller got on that scramble or the number of syllables in that word?”

Earlier in the game, Jones dropped a “grandma’s couch” analogy.

Fans really have no idea what they’ll get when Jones gets rolling. Earlier in the game, when Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders hit Travis Hunter with a touchdown pass, Jones dropped some lyrics from rapper  BossMan Dlow. “In the words of BossMan Dlow on the sidelines, Colorado … pockets full of cheese and fresher than Febreze right now,” Jones said.

The rapper responded to the shout-out with a post on X. He wasn’t the only one responding to Jones’ word antics Thursday night. Most seemed irritated by the announcer’s calls.

While many fans might be irritated, it’s a good bet Jones will not stop.

[Photo Credit: ESPN]

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.

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