Harrison Butker Miss Opens Door For Political Dad Joke From Broadcaster Rich Eisen
Butker connected on all three of his field goal attempts
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker missed a third quarter extra point attempt during Kansas City’s season-opening loss to the Chargers on Friday night. In doing so, Butker didn’t just miss, he also provided the game’s lead broadcaster, Rich Eisen, with an opportunity to deliver a political dad joke.
In case you forgot, Butker is as conservative as a Jim Tressel fourth and short call (look it up!).
Recognizing as much, and witnessing Butker shank one in real time, Eisen told the YouTube audience, "Harrison Butker, interestingly enough, is wide right!"
Cue the band leader…ba dum tss!
Was it a softball over the plate? Yeah. But Eisen did what he was supposed to do and crushed it. Timing was on point. Nailed the delivery. Did you get dad joke vibes from it? Most definitely. And let’s not act like dad jokes are bad things. In the realm of dad feats, I sandwich them between unintended naps on the recliner and the ability to untwist the lid off any tightly sealed bottle. *Honorable mention: the uncanny ability to lose hair on one's head while simultaneously gaining it elsewhere on one's body.
Listen, I’m willing to bet my wife’s good money that I align more politically with Harrison Butker than I do Rich Eisen, but funny is funny. There’s no reason for anyone other than Jimmy Kimmel to get their panties in a bunch over any harmless joke with some obvious political ties.
That said, imagine the firing squad that would infiltrate Bristol if an ESPN play-by-play announcer jokingly referenced a LeBron miss from the free throw line as "interestingly enough, wide left." Ryan Clark would probably refuse to work with said announcer. Mina Kimes would seek a public apology. ESPN would petition the NFL to paint "End Left Jokes" in their end zones.
Fortunately, we don't have to worry about that today. Instead, we can just applaud Eisen, who apparently now works for YouTube in addition to what seems like jobs with the NFL Network, ESPN, The Audience Network, Peacock, PBS, SirusXM, DAZN, and SpikeTV, for his primetime punchline.
Follow along on X @OhioAF or email me: anthony.farris@outkick.com