Sunday afternoon, the NFL held a virtual version of the Pro Bowl due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace joined several high-profile figures to control the all-star teams in Madden NFL 21. He also took some time to poke fun at himself by saying that he “turns left for a living.”
“Is anybody matched up with somebody that they are kinda worried about that they can handle them or not,” host Michael Strahan asked the group of assembled players. When Strahan asked the question, Wallace simply raised his hand in the air. “Me,” he said before adjusting his microphone. “I’m the oddball out here. I turn left for a living.”
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“I turn left for a living.” –@BubbaWallace 😂 #ProBowl
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— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 31, 2021
Wallace’s comment prompted loud laughs from former NFL star Marshawn Lynch, rapper Snoop Dogg and the other Madden NFL 21 players. The joke about his chosen career path briefly brought the virtual Pro Bowl to a halt and entertained fans on social media. Although the joke paled in comparison to his skills in the video game.
The competition officially began and put Deshaun Watson in control of the AFC and Kyler Murray in control of the NFC. The two Pro Bowl quarterbacks faced off during the first quarter while the other stars made jokes about the virtual action. Murray built up an early 7-6 lead before handing control to the NASCAR driver.
While the NASCAR driver made his fellow players laugh during the pregame festivities and in the first quarter, he was soon in control of the sticks. Wallace took control of the NFC team during the second quarter and faced off with former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. However, the NASCAR driver found more success on the virtual gridiron than the former No. 1 overall pick.
Wallace may play a decent amount of video games such as Call of Duty: Warzone and PGA Tour 2K21, but he had some early issues with the playbook. For example, he was unable to find the play that his fellow NFC coaches recommended. Though Wallace did lead three scoring drives during the second quarter to increase his team’s lead to 26-6.
With his performance, Wallace earned some strong comments from the AFC players. Johnson called the NASCAR driver a “pool shark” and said that he was running a scam. Dogg added in some language that the NFL had to censor while saying that Wallace was a “ringer.”
