Injured Detroit Lions left-tackle Taylor Decker didn’t play Monday night against the New York Giants, but something happened during the affair that drew his ire. Not on the field – but in the broadcast booth.
Decker is an alum of Ohio State University, the chief rival of the University of Michigan. It’s safe to assume that alumni and fans of the two schools wouldn’t want to be confused as having attended or cheered for their hated rival, and Monday was no exception. Decker was accidentally referred to as a former Wolverine by the ESPN broadcast team, and he didn’t take kindly to it.
“Obviously they miss Taylor Decker, their normal left tackle who is still out for a couple of weeks,” color commentator Jon Gruden said late in the first quarter, leading play-by-play man Sean McDonough to lay this gem:
“Out with a right shoulder injury suffered in practice in June. They hope to get Decker back in mid-season. He’s another first-round pick out of the University of Michigan.”
Dun-Dun-DUN!!
Decker, obviously horrified by what he heard, immediately took to Twitter to express his dismay at the blasphemous mistake:
WTF?!!! Ole guy just said I was out of Michigan. 😱 bro c'mon
— Taylor Decker (@__taylordecker) September 19, 2017
Is this mistake worth someone losing their employment? Decker certainly thought so as he continued:
Somebody is getting fired. The biggest rivalry in sports……I am hot about that.
— Taylor Decker (@__taylordecker) September 19, 2017
He even then asked for McDonough’s twitter account so he could tell him personally, though it appears as though the play-by-play man isn’t part of the Twitter-verse.
What's that announcer's @
— Taylor Decker (@__taylordecker) September 19, 2017
Needless to say, Wolverines fans were more than happy to have a little bit of fun at Decker’s expense following the incident.
— Barsotta 🌵 (@Barsotta) September 19, 2017
— ✨TJ Thompson ✨ (@CoachTJ734) September 19, 2017
— Dave H (@DaveHouth) September 19, 2017
— McGriffin (@JGRIFFY2020) September 19, 2017
— Vince Maxwell (@VinceMaxwell) September 19, 2017
