On Sunday’s broadcast, ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman made an awkward attempt to tie President Abe Lincoln’s birthday to the fact that Super Bowl LVII had two starting quarterbacks who were both black on Sunday, confusing his fellow broadcasters and fans alike.
As it happens, the Super Bowl was played on Feb. 12, this year, the same day that the 16th president was born in 1809. And apparently, Berman thought Old Abe’s birthday had significance for the Super Bowl.
So, as the Kansas City Chiefs prepared to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles, Berman put on his History Channel hat, The Big Lead noted.
“Also, of course, two African American quarterbacks starting against each other in the Super Bowl for the first time. Fittingly, February 12th is Abe Lincoln’s birthday,” Berman said somewhat incongruously. He even paused for dramatic effect after saying, “fittingly.”
The cameras didn’t show Berman’s broadcast partners after the off comment, but it is assumed that Steve Young and Booger McFarland were just as perplexed by the odd coupling of black quarterbacks with Abe Lincoln as the viewers were.
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