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Chris Berman is trending for his comments at the Super Bowl. An odd remark about the historic QB matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts rubbed some people the wrong way.
NFL viewers are now posting reaction online in response to the awkward statement.
Mahomes and Hurts squared off in Super Bowl LVII in what turned out to be a highly entertaining matchup. The Chiefs overcame a double-digit deficit in that contest to land a championship victory, leaving Arizona with a 38-35 win.
Both signal callers performed admirably in the game, each leading their team in their own unique way. Mahomes threw three touchdowns, two of which came in the fourth quarter of action. Those scores helped Kansas City grab their first lead of the night at 28-27.
Hurts, meanwhile, found the endzone three times on the ground. He led the Eagles in rushing and passing, nearly pulling out the Super Bowl win.
The Mahomes-Hurts matchup represented the first ever Super Bowl meeting between two African American starting quarterbacks. Chris Berman attempted to highlight that fact in the pregame show, but he failed miserably.
“Also, of course, two African American quarterbacks starting against each other in the Super Bowl for the first time. Fittingly, February 12th is Abe Lincoln’s birthday.”
He relates the quarterback matchup to Abraham Lincoln, noting that the Super Bowl was being played on the former President’s birthday.
The comments were met with immediate criticism. Even co-host Steve Young awkwardly laughed to fill the silence immediately following the remark.
Others on social media quickly chimed in.
The NFL is a 9 kajillion dollar industry but it is also an Old Boys network so minutes after the Super Bowl we get Terry Bradshaw clowning on Andy Reid like Lardass at the pie-eating contest and Chris Berman bringing the Emancipation Proclamation to the first highlight package.
— Kyle Koster (@KyleKoster) February 13, 2023
Chris Berman: Two Black Quarterbacks are starting in the Super Bowl for the first time because of Abe Lincoln…
Abe Lincoln: pic.twitter.com/YWXKPLrBak
— Thomas Q. Jones (@thomasqjones) February 13, 2023
It wasn’t the only broadcasting gaffe of the evening. FOX’s Terry Bradshaw also caught flak for his postgame interview with Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Bradshaw was heard telling Reid to “waddle over” to the microphone during the Lombardi trophy celebration.
Chris Berman’s comments are now overshadowing the historic quarterback matchup, and he’s hearing it from NFL fans on Monday morning.
