Mike Tirico puts damper on Detroit Lions' win with 'asterisk' remark, and fans lash out
Of all the NFL announcers, you'd think it wouldn't come from him.
As the Detroit Lions were putting the finishing touches on their season-opening win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, NBC cameras were showing players exchanging handshakes on the field.
It was then when NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, inadvertently or not, pulled in a rain cloud on the Lions' victory parade.
No offense to Mike Tirico, but this is a ridiculous thing to say after a team wins
We have teams with 10 guys on IR every year in the NFL (in later weeks of a season), you never hear someone try to take a win away by saying "Asterisks" - guys didn't playpic.twitter.com/21nZVz7aIu— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2023
"This (win) has an asterisk because of no Chris Jones and no Travis Kelce," Tirico begins to explain, finishing by saying that the way in which the Lions finished last season shows that Thursday's win in the home of the defending Super Bowl champs is no fluke.
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Tirico, the top voice of NBC and, before then, the voice of "Monday Night Football" has lived in southeast Michigan for 20-plus years. He's an ambassador for the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament and doesn't hide the fact that he's a staunch supporter of all things Great Lakes State and that usually shines through in his coverage.
Alas, the "asterisk" comment has drawn the ire of Lions fans and football observers alike. Injuries, like the one to All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce's knee a couple of days before the game, happen in the NFL all the time. And holdouts, like the one All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones is staging, are nothing new in high-stakes football. The Chiefs still had Patrick Mahomes, last season's Super Bowl MVP and perhaps the best player in the game.
The Lions were simply one-point better on Thursday night, which is all that matters in the NFL. A quick check of the standings only shows 1-0, and no other markings near or around that record for Detroit.
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Here's just a sampling of how people are reacting to Tirico's comments:
Mike Tirico called this win an “asterisk, because of no Chris Jones and no Travis Kelce.”
But when Herbert played with busted ribs without Bosa, Slater, JC Jackson, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams nearly all season… nobody cared.
What a ridiculous comment by Mike Tirico. pic.twitter.com/5u9kNTeMhu— Ryan DePaul (@RyanDePaul) September 8, 2023
Ain’t no Asterisks!!! Lions 1 and 0 beat the chiefs on their home field onto next week!! #Simple Lions gonna win a lot more https://t.co/jdLVWpiXP3
— Marcus Spears (@mspears96) September 8, 2023
Yeah that’s wack. No matter how much football you cover, watch, study, love, you can’t imagine what it feels like, to duke it out in front of 70-80k, with all eyes on you. Every mistake, every injury, every lost rep, everything. Ain’t no asterisk. Those guys earned that win. https://t.co/d5IRbpvhhs
— FOST (@GeorgeFoster72) September 8, 2023
This is lame from Tiricopic.twitter.com/rGJb4WgqMX
— Jim Costa (@JimCosta_) September 8, 2023
No, the Lions and their fans should take offense….how long has Mike Tirico been announcing games he should know better….this is so lame https://t.co/JLlNvlnQII
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) September 8, 2023
tirico is one of the best in the business but this was not a good call https://t.co/z0sWkANttF
— Joshua Snay (@jsnay1406) September 8, 2023
If Hutch and Amon Ra were out last night Mike Tirico would not have said this. https://t.co/Vy7tLvefNu
— Dolph (@Ruedoggy) September 8, 2023
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mike Tirico puts damper on Detroit Lions' win, and fans lash out
