Mike Tirico upset many fans with what he said at the end of the Detroit Lions’ 21-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.
The Lions were underdogs entering the game but still managed to beat the defending Super Bowl champions. It was a big win for a team that has lacked much success over the last few decades. But Tirico poured some cold water on the celebration by claiming there was an “asterisk” on the win.
“This has an asterisk because of no Chris Jones and no Travis Kelce,” Tirico said as NBC showed players shaking hands.
Mike Tirico did not make Lions fans happy suggesting their victory over the Chiefs had an asterisk because of the absence of Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. pic.twitter.com/nHOn0AygOM
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2023
Sure, the Chiefs were without Kelce and Jones, but that’s part of football. Injuries are very much a part of the game, and teams have to win regardless of who is hurt and for how long. Contract disputes and not being able to afford top players are also very common problems for NFL teams. These are just two things teams have to deal with on a regular basis.
Given that having injured players or money disputes with players is nothing new, many fans felt it was weak of Tirico to detract from Detroit’s big win on opening night.
Maybe the Lions will just need to keep winning to prove that they can beat the top teams in the league, regardless of who is or isn’t playing in the games.
