When it comes to inhaling smelling salts for the first time while broadcasting live, you do so at your own risk. That’s a lesson San Antonio Spurs announcer Jacob Tobey learned the hard way Wednesday night.
Tobey and analyst Sean Elliott were previewing the evening’s game between the Spurs and Orlando Magic when, for reasons that remain somewhat unclear, the announcer decided to take a big ol’ whiff of smelling salts.
It had the effect you’d imagine.
Hey kids, don’t try smelling salts, especially on live television 🙃
At least I’m awake for this back-to-back 😂 https://t.co/qpzvfjJJcO pic.twitter.com/dRRdr1caS5
— Jacob Tobey (@JacobRTobey) December 4, 2025
“Hey kids, don’t try smelling salts, especially on live television,” Tobey wrote on X afterward. “At least I’m awake for this back-to-back.”
He also showed off the bottle he’d sniffed from, joking that he now had “energy, focus, and strength.”
I surely now have energy, focus, and strength 😅 https://t.co/z9oKdWNqFB pic.twitter.com/CH6Xwsplms
— Jacob Tobey (@JacobRTobey) December 4, 2025
After one person asked why he even had them in the first place, Tobey responded, “Our production truck has connections, apparently.”
Smelling salts, usually ammonium carbonate, are often used by athletes to sharpen focus or restore consciousness. We’ve seen an uptick in their use during broadcasts since 49ers star George Kittle caused a stir by claiming they were banned from the NFL (they weren’t). That led FS1’s First Things First crew to try them out, yielding results similar to Tobey’s.
Real investigative journalism here. The guys explored why NFL players like smelling salts so much. And the results might shock you. 😭😭😭@GregJennings | @getnickwright | @kevinwildes | @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/SFTPLTefmJ
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) August 7, 2025
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.