NBC’s Cris Collinsworth has been slammed by unimpressed viewers after he attempted to replicate Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s famed ‘Here we go’ call during a broadcast.
The seasoned commentator for Sunday Night Football frequently faces flak for his excessive praise of teams and players that appear to be NFL darlings. He’s said to place particular emphasis on the Cowboys, as well as celebrated Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, as an example of his supposed favoritism.
During the broadcast, NBC’s Melissa Stark introduced a segment centred around injured quarterback Prescott, which brought up a discussion regarding his signature pre-snap phrase. ‘Here we go’ serves as a low-key signal from the quarterback to his offense before the ball is snapped
Backup quarterback Cooper Rush, covering for Prescott, has adopted his version of the call in recent games, reports the Express. However, Collinsworth’s repeated on-air mimicry of the catchphrase did not sit well with dedicated fans.
The outcry was loud and clear on social media platforms, where some have even demanded Collinsworth be sacked. “Cris Collsinwroth don’t ever do that again,” one viewer posted on X, while someone else urgently asserted, “Someone fire Collinsworth!! Do it now”.
“Listening to Cris Collinsworth on Sunday Night Football is absolutely painful and annoying. He’s definitely the worst out there,” vented another dissatisfied fan.
One user humorously comparing Collinsworth’s exclamation to Beyonces ‘Drunk in Love’ performance. Amid the playful banter, another tweeter made their feelings clear: “Seriously @nbcsports Cris Collinssworth has to gooooo.”
Collinsworth, who achieved three All-Pro selections during his eight years with the Cincinnati Bengals, played a guiding role in steering the team to two Super Bowl bouts. Ascending to the role of lead ‘Sunday Night Football’ analyst post-John Madden in 2009, he has been in the booth ever since.
He partnered with Al Michaels up until the close of the 2021 season before joining forces with current commentator Mike Tirico in 2022. Despite enduring criticism, Collinsworth can boast a collection of 17 Sports Emmy Awards and holds a place in the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Rush made his seventh start following Prescott’s season-ending hamstring setback in early November. Throughout the season, the understudy quarterback for Dallas has clocked a pass completion rate of 59.6%, totaling 1,405 yards and boasting a commendable touchdown-to-interception ratio of 10-3.
Prescott has penned a lavish four-year contract renewal valued at £191.6m ($240m) that is scheduled to kick in next season. Regardless of Rush’s solid showings, Prescott is slated to regain the starting quarterback slot for Dallas come 2025.
The Cowboys’ narrow victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 26-24 on Sunday did work in advancing their playoff aspirations. They began the match with a slim chance, less than one per cent, of clambering into the playoff picture.
