There seems to be a growing trend where football players celebrate touchdowns or big plays by pretending to be injured, and it fooled Fox NFL announcers Joe Davis and Daryl “Moose” Johnston Sunday afternoon.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught a 46-yard touchdown pass during their opening drive against the Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon and he celebrated the score by adding a fake injury to his usual Griddy dance. As Jefferson danced in the endzone and grabbed his hamstring, it sparked concern from Davis, Johnston, and plenty of Vikings fans.
“Did he just hurt himself in the celebration?” Davis asked. “Grabbed that hamstring. You hope that he’s just messing around, my goodness.”
Getting injured while doing the Griddy is not unheard of; see Adam Schefter’s attempt at learning the dance last year. Credit Davis for questioning what initially appeared to be an injured hamstring, however, wondering if it was just a joke after watching Jefferson get shoved by his own offensive lineman before he jogged off the field without a limp.
“Is this some kind of sick joke or something?” Davis asked after the broadcast returned from a commercial break.
“If you’re a Vikings fan, this is by far the worst touchdown celebration you have ever seen,” Johnston chimed in. “Cause I still can’t figure out, [is he] kidding? Brian O’ Neill comes over and shoves him. Is he like, ‘Why did you push me? Didn’t you see me grab my ham?’ Or is he OK?”
Luckily for the Vikings and their fanbase, Jefferson’s injury was indeed just a sick joke. The star wide receiver would stay in the game to later make one of the most amazing catches in NFL history during Minnesota’s 33-30 overtime win in Buffalo. Jefferson was emulating his college teammate Ja’Marr Chase, who also recently added a fake hamstring pull to his own Griddy celebration.
I guess announcers should be on the lookout for more fake injuries, although it would probably be better if this trend doesn’t take off. Faking an injury feels like messing with karma in a sport where it’s already too easy to get injured.
[Fox]
