“Funky” can certainly sound like something else, especially if used with particular enthusiasm. And that had some initially thinking they heard a f-bomb on Eric Collins’ play-by-play call of the West Virginia Mountaineers-UCF Knights game. There, Collins described a “funky” interception from West Virginia. This came in the second quarter, where a pass from Knights’ QB John Rhys Plumlee bounced off the hands and feet of UCF receiver Javon Baker and went right to WVU defensive back Beanie Bishop Jr.:
“Plumlee to throw. Hasn’t had an incompletion today. And there’s his first! It’s a pick-off! How about that! The ball is picked off by Beanie Bishop! What a funky interception that was! Off the hands, and off the feet, and into the arms of Beanie Bishop!”
On a close listen, Collins does definitely say “funky.” But the way this comes out definitely got some people to hear otherwise at first.
https://twitter.com/CFBHome/status/1718309105310294092
nothing will top that first listen though
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 28, 2023
Collins’ passion here is great, and is a known tradition from him (especially on Charlotte Hornets’ games, where he’s the main TV voice for their local broadcasts on Bally Sports South). And it was appropriate for how odd that play was. And there’s nothing actually wrong with what he said. But it did definitely sound like something else. And, funnily enough, that overtook most of the discussion of the announcer jinx he also provided here by discussing how Plumlee hadn’t thrown an incompletion yet, right before this “funky” interception.
[Awful Announcing on Twitter]