A football analyst has put his foot in his mouth with a backhanded compliment about women who follow football during Wednesday's Ravens-Steelers game.
NBC Sports' Cris Collinsworth, calling the unusual midweek contest which was delayed 10 days due to a coronavirus outbreak affecting the Ravens, expressed his admiration for the knowledgeable fans of the Steel City -- especially those of the female persuasion.
"Everybody is a fan," Collinsworth said of Pittsburgh. "Particularly, the ladies that I met. They have really specific questions about the game. I was like 'wow,' just blown away by it."
The cringeworthy comment, which came late in the second quarter, was quickly seized upon on social media by some of the many women who are fans of football.
This comment is so condescending. Cris Collinsworth needs to join the rest of us in 2020. Women know football. @NFL pic.twitter.com/ul08ggr8Iy
— Corinne🖤 (@corinnecaniac) December 2, 2020
*Me hearing Cris Collinsworth say in 2020 that he's surprised that women in Pittsburgh are passionate about sports* 😬 pic.twitter.com/WjdtoE4cDG
— Jelani Scott (@ScottJay94) December 2, 2020
Chris Collinsworth "amazed" that women know anything about football? Seriously dude?! #NFL pic.twitter.com/cjgSEMDFop
— Sally Ostendorf (@s_osten) December 2, 2020
Did Cris Collinsworth really just say he was blown away that "even the ladies I met" in Pittsburgh want to talk football? It's fucking 2020, dude. Progress. -H
— Heather & Jessica (@fuggirls) December 2, 2020
Collinsworth, a former star wide receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals, has become something of a polarizing voice in the NBC booth in recent years, both for his sometimes questionable football analysis and the occasional blunder.
Earlier this season, he and legendary play-by-play man Al Michaels came under fire when they appeared to gripe about having to wear masks while calling a Sunday Night Football game at Levi's Stadium in California, home of the 49ers.




