Cris Collinsworth Apologizes for Comment on Being 'Blown Away' by NFL Knowledge From Female Fans

Cris Collinsworth is in some hot water due to a comment he made during the broadcast of the [...]

By Brian Jones

Cris Collinsworth is in some hot water due to a comment he made during the broadcast of the Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game on Wednesday afternoon. In the second quarter of the game, Collinsworth was talking to Mike Tirico about how he's "blown away" by the knowledge of the game from the female Steelers fans. The former NFL wide receiver received a ton of backlash online, which led to him posting an apology on Twitter.

"Today on our broadcast I made reference to a couple of women I met in Pittsburgh who so impressed me with their football knowledge that I wanted to tell their story on the air," Collinsworth wrote on Wednesday night. "I know the way I phrased it insulted many. I'm so sorry. What I intended as a compliment to the fans of Pittsburgh, became an insult. I'm sick about insulting any fan, but especially female fans and journalists. I know first hand how much harder they have to work than any of us in this industry. I was wrong and deeply apologize."

On the broadcast, Collinsworth said: "Everybody's a fan. In particular, the ladies that I met. They have really specific questions about the game, and I'm like, 'Wow.' You're just blown away by how strong the fans are here in this town." It's not clear if NBC will punish Collinsworth for his comments.

Collinsworth, 61, has been with NBC since 2006 providing color commentary for Sunday Night Football. He's been a big reason the show has been a success as it has won 28 Sports Emmy awards. Collinsworth and play-by-play announcer Al Michaels have been together for 12 seasons, and USA Today wrote (via Collinsworth's bio): "Michaels and Collinsworth — oh, heck, let's just call them Al and Cris; they're on a first-name basis with America…Turn on the TV. Listen to the timbre of Al's voice. Hear the mirth audible in Cris'. Taken together, their voices have come to mean Big Game."

Collinsworth played in the NFL for eight seasons. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft and made an immediate impact. He was named to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro Second Team in his rookie season after catching 67 passes for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of