There are often unusual phrases that take off and get referenced outside of their original context, including in sports. The latest there is “hawk tuah.” And now it appears to have spread to newspapers.
First, a quick refresher for those unaware of the phrase. This started earlier this week with a street interview in Nashville where YouTubers Tim and Dee TV asked a woman to describe her signature move in bed. Her response went viral, and even led to claims that she had been fired over it (but those come from a satire site). But the response has wound up everywhere, including in Brandon Gaudin and CJ Nitkowski’s in-booth discussion on a Bally Sports South Atlanta Braves broadcast, and in complaints about ESPN’s 15-second camera shot of women eating ice cream at a College World Series game.
The latest came following the Atlanta Hawks’ trade of Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans Friday. There, Pelicans’ fan Jonathan Barnes (known for his the “This Sh*t More Than A Game” merchandise) called for the New Orleans Times-Picayune to use a “Hawk Tuah Pelican” line:
The Times Picayune slacking if the headline tomorrow isn’t
FROM A HAWK TUAH PELICAN— Jono Barnes (@JonoBarnes) June 28, 2024
Well, thanks to Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate editor and designer Tanya Ramirez-Ulrich, that came to be (although in a slightly more subtle fashion). And she tagged Barnes in her photo of Saturday’s sports front:
In Saturday’s sports, the Pelicans trade for All-Star Dejounte Murray https://t.co/17kVnUkzno
Pels optimistic about Reeves + Missi https://t.co/7zupsSHN6y
Three LSU coaches get contract extensions https://t.co/H34ZIbkfGe
Nussmeier talks new LSU offense https://t.co/SDL6mO3TSe pic.twitter.com/lf2j625Nxz
— Tanya Ramirez-Ulrich ✨ (@tanitaMXTX) June 29, 2024
This got quite a response from Barnes:
I’m legitimately crying. They actually did it!*
New Orleans is the greatest f’n city in the world. #ThisShitMoreThanAGame https://t.co/mqeENv68hv pic.twitter.com/JOz8hkHVah
— Jono Barnes (@JonoBarnes) June 29, 2024
S/O to @tanitaMXTX for seeing this through. And to @cclark_13 and @RodWalkerNola for being great at what they do. The @NOLAnews team is This Shit More Than A Game certified 🫡 #GreatestCityInTheWorld pic.twitter.com/kGL684TnMn
— Jono Barnes (@JonoBarnes) June 29, 2024
Times-Picayune Pelicans’ writer Christian Clark (who wrote this story) and columnist Rod Walker also chimed in to praise this and reference Barnes:
More than a game!!!!! https://t.co/RWZfGb8Gst
— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) June 29, 2024
This headline is more than a game!!!! https://t.co/dk1r7uTZBf
— Rod Walker (@RodWalkerNola) June 29, 2024
And many other fans and media members got a kick out of this too:
That centerpiece headline 🤌 https://t.co/Kvb3UE4QOA
— Chris Kwiecinski (@OchoK_) June 29, 2024
The main headline 👀 https://t.co/SYxi85SYPa
— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) June 29, 2024
You did it @JonoBarnes #ThisHeadlineIsMoreThanAGame https://t.co/5OionhwVCT
— Sharief Ishaq (@ShariefWDSU) June 29, 2024
THIS is how you embrace your city and fanbase. And the headline will go over maybe 75% of the readers heads but the real ones will know. Great work by you Tanya and the @NOLAnews team! Hang it in the Louvre! @JonoBarnes youre a legend and you dont even know it https://t.co/neDJ69rQEj
— Anthony Miller (@Uptown_AMill) June 29, 2024
As Miller notes in that last tweet, this works well because it’s a fair and reasonable headline even for those unaware of the reference. Murray did go from being a Hawk to a Pelican. And for those not aware of the Hawk Tuah meme, there’s nothing to see here. (As NWSL announcer Mike Walls told AA this week in reference to his own bits, including working 15 Taylor Swift song titles into a broadcast, “The goal, the optimal outcome, is that you were subtle enough that not everyone understood what you were doing.”) So this maybe works even better than the Braves’ broadcast discussion, which needed more understanding of the reference. And this was well played by Ramirez-Ulrich and the Times-Picayune team.
[Tanya Ramirez-Ulrich on X/Twitter, Snopes]