Minutes after Saturday’s Packers-Cardinals playoff game, Saturday Night Live used the contest as setting for a hilarious sketch mocking NFL broadcasts for showing gruesome replays over and over.
The sketch features Beck Bennett as Al Michaels and host Adam Driver as Cris Collinsworth as the crew narrates a gruesome injury to fictional Packers back-up quarterback Jared Schleff (Pete Davidson).
“Let me assure all the viewers at home that we are not going to subject you to that again… from that angle.”
More than just mocking broadcast teams for gratuitously replaying violent plays, the sketch pokes at NFL fans’ hypocrisy in expressing disgust at brutal injuries while still watching the games and cheering the big hits.
At the end of the sketch, a poll question asks fans to vote, “What do you think was the worst part of Jared’s injury?” The third option is “knowing that somewhere deep down, this is why you watch football,” which is a pretty hilarious and insightful.
No one should have to experience this kind of pain. But let's watch this GIF over and over. #SNL pic.twitter.com/lyeUFJ9LAJ
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) January 17, 2016
About Alex Putterman
Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.