NBC’s Cris Collinsworth apologizes for his sexist remarks ‘insulting’ female NFL fans
NBC Sports color commentator Cris Collinsworth apologized late Wednesday evening after coming under fire for making remarks about female football fans during Wednesday’s rescheduled NFL game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Everybody’s a fan. In particular, the ladies that I met,” he said. “They have really specific questions about the game, and I’m like, ‘Wow.’ You’re just blown away by how strong the fans are here in this town.”
The comment came when the former NFL wide receiver was talking about the strength of the sports fandom in the city of Pittsburgh.
Folks flocked to social media to criticize Collinsworth.
Following the backlash, the commentator posted an apology via Twitter.
“What I intended as a compliment to fans of Pittsburgh, became an insult,” Collinsworth said in the statement. “I am sick about insulting any fan, but especially female fans and journalists. I know first hand how much harder they have to work than any of us in this industry. I was wrong and deeply apologize.”
Collinsworth’s controversial comment comes after women made historical contributions to the sports world — particularly men’s sports — in November.
Sarah Fuller made college football history by becoming the first woman to play in a Power 5 game for Vanderbilt on Nov. 28. While her squib kick down the right sideline to start the second half of the game against Missouri landed on point, she was targeted by some on social media.
Cleveland Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson became the first woman to coach an NFL position group during a regular season game when she served as the interim tight ends coach during Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Collinsworth’s remarks also come at the end of a year that further revealed the tribulations that female athletes and journalists in sports face when it comes to their male counterparts in the field. From Fuller’s detractors, to the toxic masculinity exposed within the Washington Football Team’s franchise, to a male radio host’s firing over sexist comments about an ESPN reporter’s outfit, 2020 had its fill of tone-deaf and offensive acts against women in sports.
This isn’t the first time Collinsworth has made a controversial statement. Video surfaced years ago of him mentioning picking up younger women in an interview from decades ago when he was a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I’m not gonna deny it, I walk around with hundred dollar bills hanging out of my pocket…I like girls that aren’t too bright because you can trick ’em a little bit…high school girls love me,” Collinsworth said. “Fourteen to 18, I’m a big star with them. As soon as they mature, after they turn 18 years old, they start to figure it out.”
This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 10:48 AM with the headline "NBC’s Cris Collinsworth apologizes for his sexist remarks ‘insulting’ female NFL fans."