ESPN announcers wonder if they jinxed Georgia Tech’s kicker

ESPN announcers wonder if they jinxed Georgia Tech’s kicker

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ESPN announcers wonder if they jinxed Georgia Tech’s kicker
ESPN announcers Chase Daniel and Matt Barrie wonder if they jinxed Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr. Credit: ESPN
Credit: ESPN

College football is back, and that also means questions about whether announcers impact the results of field goal attempts or not. Even the ESPN broadcasters of Thursday night’s game between Colorado and Georgia were left asking themselves if they jinxed a kicker.

In the first quarter, Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr lined up for a field goal try.

“We go back to the Aidan Birr conversation,” ESPN play-by-play announcer Matt Barrie said. “Just five field goals away from becoming the school’s all-time leader in career field goals. In college, when you have a kicker with those bona fides, that’s a weapon.”

“No doubt,” color commentator Chase Daniel responded. “Fourth-and-long, bring him out. 35-yarder, left hash.

Birr proceeded to miss the kick wide right.

“And we build him up, and he missed it right,” Barrie said.

“Did we just announcer-jinx him?” Daniel asked.

“25-of-29 a year ago, and Aidan Birr starts out cold for Georgia Tech,” Barrie added.

After Colorado scored a touchdown to take the lead 14-13 with 42 seconds left, Birr had a chance to kick a walk-off field goal.

“They’re going to try to position it for their kicker to give them a walk-off kick and win the game,” Barrie explained. “He owns two of the longest walk-off field goals in Georgia Tech history… And it’s gonna all come down to the captain Aidan Birr. Set a Georgia Tech record with single-season field goals with 25, and now has a chance to send Georgia Tech off the field with a third walk-off kick in his career. 45 yards. Night one of Week 1 all comes down to this. Clean. Birr, blocked! Colorado wins!”

“Oh my goodness!” Daniel exclaimed.

As for the first kick, Daniel posted to X after the game, “Total announcer jinx.”

Daniel, who played 13 years at quarterback in the NFL, was promoted to a weekly Thursday night game alongside Barrie ahead of the season, and they will work together on SEC Network’s SEC Nation show on Saturday mornings. They showed off a good sense of humor and clearly had fun during Thursday night’s broadcast, even though superstitious Georgia Tech fans might blame them for the loss.

The post ESPN announcers wonder if they jinxed Georgia Tech’s kicker appeared first on Awful Announcing.

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