The latest example of an on-broadcast analogy that drew some criticism comes from FS1’s Spencer Tillman. Tillman has been calling games for Fox alongside Tim Brando (who he previously worked with at CBS) since 2015, and he was teamed with Brando again on the network’s broadcast of Washington-Arizona Saturday night. And just before the half, when Arizona defensive end J.B. Brown and linebacker Tony Fields III swallowed up Washington running back Salvon Ahmed after a short gain, Tillman said “Tim, he was all over him, like a hobo on a ham sandwich”:
That led to a fair bit of criticism:
Spencer Tillman dropping the rare “like a hobo on a ham sandwich” line in UW-AZ game. @awfulannouncing
— The Colonel (@spicycrawtator) October 13, 2019
"Like a hobo on a ham sandwich" — Spencer Tillman
???— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) October 13, 2019
“He was all over him like a hobo on a ham sandwich.” Color commentary about a hard tackle. I’m not outraged but it’s tacky to make a joke about hungry poor people. @FS1 #GoHuskies #uwhuskies
— @jpv206@mas.to (@jpv206) October 13, 2019
Ok can we all agree that in 2019, a #pac12 commentator should NEVER say “he was all over him like a hobo on a ham sandwich.”
And frankly, no one should say that again. Ever. Under any circumstance. @UW_Football
— Bronlea (@bronleamishler) October 13, 2019
https://twitter.com/AriyaMassoudi/status/1183239783398686720
That’s probably not the analogy you want to make on a broadcast in 2019, unless you’re looking for a bunch of Twitter backlash.
[Clippit]