Bruce Allen repeatedly referred to Kirk Cousins as ‘Kurt’
Kirk Cousins was unable to come to a long-term agreement with Washington before Monday’s deadline, and some are now wondering if that has anything to do with one of his bosses not even knowing his first name.
Washington president Bruce Allen briefly spoke with the media on Monday, and he essentially blamed Cousins for the two sides not being able to work out a contract extension. Or, should we say, he blamed “Kurt” Cousins.
Please enjoy Bruce Allen calling his franchise quarterback by the wrong first name six times in two minutes pic.twitter.com/BVkahmTeqo
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) July 18, 2017
When asked about the pronunciation, a Washington team spokesperson told ESPN it sounds like Allen is saying “Kurt” because of the front office executive’s accent.
Apparently this is something that has been going on for a while. As Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post notes, Allen was given an opportunity back in March to explain why it sounds like he always pronounces his quarterback’s name wrong. He said people who think that are simply “out of touch.”
Of all the Kirk Cousins news out there, this might be the most important development… #Redskins #KirkNotKurt pic.twitter.com/niBaqxV6Wg
— Danny Favret (@Danny_Favret) March 2, 2017
You’d hate to think Allen was doing something like that intentionally, but it’s tough to buy the accent excuse. And when you read some of the things Allen told the media about the contract negotiations, it’s easy to get the impression the relationship between Cousins and Washington’s front office is not all that great.