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One of the SEC’s best games last week was Georgia’s come-from-behind 28-27 victory at Missouri. And even though the SEC Network’s top team of Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer was behind the mics for the contest, it wasn’t the best-called game of the week, according to the Twitterverse.
Missouri finished next to last in the FBS in points per game last season, and Josh Heupel is just three games into his stint as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator. But that didn’t stop Palmer from exaggerating about how good Mizzou’s offense has been so far:
Jesse Palmer just called #Mizzou "the most explosive passing offense in the SEC." Again, this is strange.
— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) September 18, 2016
Palmer also tried to give viewers a zoology lesson. Let’s just say this analogy didn’t quite make sense:
"Missouri's got big dudes. And they're like cats. They fly around all over the place." -Jesse Palmer, not understanding the animal kingdom.
— Kevin Flaherty (@KFlahertyKCSN) September 18, 2016
And in Palmer’s defense, he got the last laugh – and the last word – regarding how to pronounce the last name of Georgia senior safety Quincy Mauger. Some fans took issue with Palmer calling him “mo-ZHAY” instead of “MAW-ger”.
Jesse Palmer just put a French spin on Quincy Mauger and tried to say Mauh-gay. Are you kidding me?
— Travis Fox (@tfox0004) September 18, 2016
Can someone please tell Jesse Palmer, Quincy Mauger is from Cobb County, GA not Paris! #UGAvsMIZ
— Nina Teach (@springtime1927) September 18, 2016
Can someone please tell Jesse Palmer that Quincy Mauger is not French Canadian #UGAvsMIZ
— Clete Holmes (@Clete27) September 18, 2016
That’s a lot of vitriol for a guy — as it turns out — who happened to be right. The Georgia athletics department made a note of the change in Mauger’s pronunciation from previous years.
While we’re on the subject of the Georgia-Missouri game, no Musburger-called matchup would be complete without subtle — or sometimes not-so-subtle — references to Vegas. Some fans felt Musburger might’ve had money on Missouri, which was getting nearly a touchdown:
Has anyone figured out the formula that controls Brett Musburger's bias?
Not sure what it is but he always has a favorite in each game.
— Lane Floyd (@TheLaneFloyd) September 18, 2016
Brent Musburger must have a contract with Mizzou – nothing but love praise and shout outs for the most mundane things.
— Jason Jackson (@UGAJason) September 18, 2016
https://twitter.com/ClaudesBBQ/status/777334021193736192
Brett Musburger absolutely took Mizzou in this one.
— TOM MARTIN (@TwoCirclesTom) September 18, 2016
Dissing Danielson
And while we’re talking about veteran broadcasters, let’s turn our attention to Gary Danielson, who called last Saturday’s Alabama-Ole Miss game with Verne Lundquist for CBS. Let’s just say some viewers thought Danielson’s in-game analysis had a decidedly pro-Alabama slant:
I wish my wife talked about me the way Gary Danielson talks about Alabama.
— Dawgs By Nature (@DawgsByNature) September 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/stringsays/status/777255001362010112
Gary Danielson is a pro*
(*message paid for by Alabama)— Mark Passwaters (@mbpRivals) September 17, 2016
Pretty sure that Gary Danielson has Alabama pajamas on under his suit #AlabamavsOleMiss #cbs
— SportsTruther (@TrutherSports) September 17, 2016
Seriously. How do you take an announcer as awesome as Verne Lundquist and insist on pairing him with Buzz Killington, er, Gary Danielson?
— Andrew Bucholtz (@AndrewBucholtz) September 17, 2016
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
