Robert Griffin III emerged as a breakout star on TV this year for his tendency to shock viewers with references and innuendos. But the desire to be brash got him in trouble Monday night.
During ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, Griffin touted the Philadelphia Eagles and celebrated quarterback Jalen Hurts’ ability to prove doubters wrong this season. But while making his point, Griffin regretfully used a racial slur to describe those doubters.
RGIII pushing the boundaries of analysis you can get on TV pic.twitter.com/2JsxHG0p8B
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) December 13, 2022
“People said that Jalen Hurts couldn’t get it done, he could not break from the pocket, he’s not the quarterback of the future,” Griffin said. “I think he proved all those jigaboos wrong.”
The term is widely known as a racial slur that is meant as a disparaging and offensive reference to Black people. Griffin’s casual use of the term on Monday Night Countdown shocked viewers, with some questioning whether he even recognized it was derogatory. After video of Griffin’s remark went viral on social media, the former NFL quarterback responded with an apology, claiming he misspoke.
Yooooo, Definitely need to clarify this. THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT TO SAY. Was trying to say “those Bug-A-Boos” in reference to haters and doubters. Regardless of my intention, I understand the historical context of the term that came out of my mouth and I apologize. https://t.co/Dy4vVuigin pic.twitter.com/DL0lqcz0jK
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 13, 2022
“Yooooo, Definitely need to clarify this,” Griffin tweeted. “THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT TO SAY. Was trying to say “those Bug-A-Boos” in reference to haters and doubters. Regardless of my intention, I understand the historical context of the term that came out of my mouth, and I apologize.”
Bugaboo doesn’t really fit the context of what Griffin was attempting to say either, but at least it’s not a derogatory term.
For the most part, Griffin’s brash nature as an analyst has been welcomed by NFL and college football fans this season. But the former NFL quarterback has also caused controversy with his analysis, most notably when he joked about Antonio Brown exposing himself to a woman by tweeting, “AB showed more D than the Lions and Seahawks did today.”
ESPN has not commented on Griffin’s latest gaffe.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com