Cris Collinsworth apologized on Wednesday for a comment he made about female Steelers fans during NBC’s broadcast of the Steelers-Ravens game.
Collinsworth was raving during the game about how passionate Steelers fans are. To illustrate his point, he said on air that he was particularly impressed by the in-depth questions he received from female fans in the city.
“Everybody’s a fan,” Collinsworth said of the people of Pittsburgh. “In particular the ladies I met. They had really specific questions about the game. I’m like, ‘wow.’ You’re just blown away by how strong the fans are here in this town.”
Chris Collinsworth issued an apology for this.
So…..did this offend you?— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) December 3, 2020
Some took offense to his comment and some labeled it as sexist.
The NBC analyst intended to compliment the fans but ended up apologizing for what he later termed an insult.
“Today on our broadcast I made reference to a couple of women that I met in Pittsburgh who so impressed me with their football knowledge that I wanted to tell their story on the air. I know the way I phrased it insulted many. I’m so sorry,” Collinsworth wrote in a note posted on Twitter.
“What I intended as a compliment to the fans of Pittsburgh, became an insult. I’m sick about insulting any fan, but especially female fans and journalists. I know first hand how much harder they have to work than any of us in this industry. I was wrong and I deeply apologize.”
Collinsworth, 61, was an NFL wide receiver from 1981-1988 and made three Pro Bowls. He has been an NFL broadcaster since 1990 and served on “Sunday Night Football” since 2009. He has apologized for other errors made during broadcasts before, but he is also recognized for his sharp observations and analysis.
