The DUMBEST NFL Announcer Moment in NBC HISTORY | Reggie Rucker

[@jacobhayes4404]

Not to get political, but lying on TV used to be a bad thing.

[@buccizero]

You’re not getting political. It’s the truth.

[@humanbeing2420]

It's still a bad thing; what changed is the Republican organization and its voters. They're totally fine with people, including the former President, publicly making sh:t up out of whole cloth every day.

[@whatsthebigfndeal]

@@humanbeing2420 You're the embodiment of the Dunning-Kruger effect

[@storm14k]

@@whatsthebigfndeal naw....they aren't. They're just looking at the most recent and outrageous example of lying in the media. But this all really got rolling with the removal of the fairness doctrine. Wait don't tell me you're one of these folks that listens to fringe and RWM telling you that everyone else is lying....🤦🏾‍♂️

[@WheatSupreme]

@@humanbeing2420 corn pop

[@alfjgist]

His broadcast rating on that day was 28.7, which is worse than if he did nothing but spike the microphone into the ground on every single play.

[@Bruce12867]

Or a mic drop.

[@DrSkull1939]

LoL 😂. I was hoping Jaguar would bring something up like that

[@jamespgray6928]

>< that gave me a good laugh lol. Thanks

[@sparkythesecretsquirrel4013]

Truth is spoken.

[@00kt86]

Touché

[@jeffvanmeter1330]

“Of the 20,000 games played in the history of the NFL, this was definitely one of them...”. Al Michael’s couldn’t have put it better.

[@zagnorch1336]

Looks like JG9 is aiming to be a color commentator himself.

[@flintknudsen2155]

lol

[@insertcolorfulmetaphor8520]

The truth is the truth, even at its most inane

[@richardburns4194]

Fake news.

[@dozaarchives2225]

Love that Deslock avatar.

[@pronkb000]

Rucker didn't help his own cause by dragging Howard Cosell into things, saying, "We all know that Howard didn't have dinner with all those people he talked about on Monday Night Football."

[@amerikagaijin]

It is true though. Plenty of commentators did the same thing Rucker did. In other sports too. One guy was just mad at what he said.

[@JojoQuik]

Odd how we hold sports journalists to a higher standard than actual journalists.

[@CamaroSS-sy2ei]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@croc313]

😮 never looked at it like that 🤦🏾‍♂️. That’s deep asf but it shouldn’t be as deep frfr 💯

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

Who do you mean by "we"? Sports fans? In the journalism world sports journalists are looked at by serious journalists like doctors look at dentists

[@raekwonw359]

@@A-small-amount-of-peas serious journalists= lazy biased clowns, from both sides only believed by the ignorant.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

@steven milstead i didn't. I just think it's a generalisation and not true

[@markbrian7179]

Alex Hawkins, who during the 1977 NFC Championship game, said that Roger Staubach "ran like a sissy" and was fired by CBS the very next day.

[@pronkb000]

I always jump on that story when anyone complains about "PC culture" or "cancel culture" today. There's a lot of shit that would have gotten you fired even 50 years ago. Granted, Hawkins had also gotten a DUI and was also insulting one of the NFL's golden boys, which didn't help, but that wasn't shit you could say on the air even back then.

[@pronkb000]

Tom Brookshier had a Rucker-esque decline the year before this. After plugging a Louisville basketball game, he said, "They have a collective IQ of about 40, but they sure can play basketball." That got him suspended for next week's game (the final game of the year). He came back for 3 more seasons but his reputation definitely took a hit. He was different from Rucker in that he'd been already been around forever and probably would have been about done by 1986 regardless.

[@Jelperman]

@@pronkb000 He was already in hot water after a game where a defender was playing with a broken hand in a cast and broke the other hand in the second quarter. Hawkins said he wasn't sure if the guy would play the 2nd half with both hands in casts, but he WAS sure that if he had to pee, he would find out who his real friends were on the team!

[@davanmani556]

Hawk had no credibility is how he sold himself. He was funny and candid. His problem was that his drinking made him serious, mean and bitter.

[@sludge4125]

@@Jelperman That’s just plain funny!!!

[@genebaker6964]

Rucker then “I found out there’s never any excuse to not be 100% accurate in the broadcast business”. Media news today: Giggles at the idea of accuracy.

[@grinningchicken]

Sports news is actually the most accurate media we have in America. We know who played, we know who won, we know the players, we know what the score was, we know who did what, we know where they played, we know why they played. Afghanistan we aren't sure who we fought, we aren't sure why, we aren't sure what we were doing, we don't really know why it didn't work, we don't know who won, we don't know how many people died. In local politics much of that we don't know either. We might know who the mayor is but we don't know anyone else, we don't know the plans, what's being voted on, why its being done, or who will it effect.

[@danevertt3210]

Hahahahaha ask Trump about accuracy. Jesus Christ

[@danevertt3210]

@@grinningchicken this is one of the dumbest things I’ve seen someone post

[@CatsClaw44]

You mean Fox News

[@manuelper]

@@danevertt3210 WTF does that have to do with his post ya weirdo?

[@TheSonicsean]

"Father Time is undefeated" at this rate I think Tom Brady might at least get a tie

[@philthornton1382]

Father Time has requested a move to the nba, according to Reggie Rucker he said ‘im too old for this shit’

[@shadowraider964]

Everything comes to an end eventually he can't play forever

[@JohnDoe-od7ye]

He put up 48 points today at age 44. Father Time is at least nervous at this point.

[@GeneralBuckNaked]

@John Doe... And George Foreman was knocking muthafuckas out at the same age, even older.. Even he got beat by father time eventually

[@artpalombo4126]

Rocky knocking people out at 70 lol.

[@markbrian7179]

The moral of the story: Don't lie about who You had dinner with.

[@volzman2172]

I had dinner with 1990 Cindy Crawford last night.

[@jeffreyhutchins6527]

@@volzman2172 woke up with a smile on your face and cramps in your hands eh?

[@BP7BlackPearl]

I had dinner with Jesus last night. Oddly, there was no food in the house, yet somehow we had 5,000 loafs of bread and plenty of fish. I told Him, next time we should eat Italian or Mexican. He said ok, then left in a whirlwind.

[@illiogicalphilosophy2481]

@@BP7BlackPearl clearly never to be seen again.

[@amarirasheed6]

All this over fake dinner with a bum coach boasting a historic 44 win percentage

[@bryantsteury8910]

Why lie about something SO easily disputed?! At least if you say "I've heard from people close to the team..." it can be a lie (which you shouldn't do to begin with obviously) but at least then you can say you heard bad info, which then only is partially on you for not corroborating it, but can be easily dismissed overall

[@GarkKahn]

Or say there have been rumors of ... So the people could believe you were telling the truth even if it wasn't the case

[@mrmoose6619]

This episode should be MANDATORY viewing for any journalism student, even if they don't like sports. A cautionary tale about the dangers of not being 100% truthful about sources and material. Excellent job, JG9.

[@charismatic9904]

Naw. Liberal media like CNN MSNBC and others all do this crap with no consequences

[@studogable]

Sadly enough, I have to agree with Alex. In 2021, people pitch their own realities with relatively little consequence when they're proven wrong. When there were only three national networks and on alternative online media, you couldn't get away with that. Rucker lied, NBC shelved him, and that was that. Today, a guy like Rucker would have other options. Granted, this isn't NEARLY as pervasive in sports journalism as it is in political journalism. In political journalism, especially on the right wing, it's routine to create a false narrative and rant like a demon, then preemptively insult anyone who might call you on it and move on to your next narrative. It's tough to do that in sports journalism - if you rant for hours about how a team is falling apart, you look pretty damn silly when they win a title. Sadly, this has resulted in sports journalism having a MUCH higher standard for veracity than political journalism.

[@charismatic9904]

@@studogable all true except the left are the ones who make up things then get nasty when called out.

[@BadOpticon]

Maybe it should’ve been mandatory in the 80’s when the US had some standards and wasn’t a total joke from a media standpoint amongst others. Today you if you’re a “journalist” you can say a trusted source said something when it’s really something you thought up between writing $25 articles and flicking your bean

[@katieandkevinsears7724]

Theae days, Sam Wyche would be called racist and get fired for calling out the lie.

[@CTubeMan]

Fun fact, at 5:30 Browns Punter Steve Cox kicked the second 60+ yard field goal in NFL history.

[@bigbigjoel9710]

i remembered that, and how the announcer went completely bananas when Cox made it.

[@fraz72]

Steve cox was kicking consistent 50s back then like they were chip shots

[@imnotabotrlyimnot]

I didn't know you could punt field goals back then.

[@23_CM]

The fact that any straight-on kicker could kick accurate long FGs is amazing. My soccer-mind is bewildered anytime I see footage of old kicks haha

[@imnotabotrlyimnot]

@@23_CM Tom Dempsey definitely had somewhat of an advantage though.

[@timothyblevins9552]

Back in 2018 Rucker and I got together for dinner. I asked him why he lied like that. He said cause I just thought it sounded good man. I laughed...then he laughed. We laughed together for awhile. It was a moment I had with Rucker I will never forget.

[@beavcity]

Bro what

[@OsceolaNola7]

@@beavcity it’s sad that you honestly missed the joke

[@nymike06]

Who paid for dinner? lol

[@Blessed2bFresh]

I remember that man!!!! I was the server that Reggie asked to sit down and at 1st you were understandably apprehensive but, later that evening we all really learned about one another. The ladies of the night, the white lines, the hit and run that you kept calling a "fender bender" after letting that sweet gal Symphoneisha drive your Benz!!?? What a night. I miss us brother

[@Blessed2bFresh]

@@OsceolaNola7 I told the whole story down below

[@FFEMTB08]

“NBC won’t allow something to happen like this again.” That aged well.

[@glennhubbard5008]

👍

[@martinedwards4522]

😂😂😂

[@annoyedatthis1]

From now on, NBC will feed the lies to its reporters

[@hezamachine]

James Brooks revealed that he was illiterate during his proceedings for failure to pay child support. It hard to be tough for him to learn the playbook.

[@MrRyan-wu4jx]

Seriously? The man spent 4 years at Auburn, they must’ve really actively overlooked his academics.

[@hezamachine]

​@@MrRyan-wu4jx When asked by the judge how he graduated from Auburn, Brooks said, “I didn’t have to go to class.”

[@raypratt3611]

@@MrRyan-wu4jx u know nothing about college sports do u ??

[@MrRyan-wu4jx]

@@raypratt3611 I mean I’m totally familiar with the preferential treatments student athletes get, but for the guy to be straight up illiterate four years into college is egregious.

[@giancarlotoffoli6567]

You must be referring to Dexter Manley

[@DrSkull1939]

Sadly it got worse for him. In August 2016, Rucker was sentenced to 21 months in prison for embezzling money from the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance and other nonprofits.He was released in May 2018, and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in November 2018. I guess saying what he said about the dinner years earlier and the punishment of losing his credibility wasn't enough. The information I suppled was from his Wikipedia page. A damn good receiver I remember as a player and a broadcaster just got caught up in too many schemes allegedly

[@GMMBFans]

This is correct. He lied and stole, went to jail for 21 months and then admitted this lie/theft also. This guy has a pattern.

[@robertsprouse9282]

JJ, WOW!!!

[@robertsprouse9282]

He didn't just get "caught up", he grabbed it by the throat willingly..WILLINGLY..

[@mrlafayette1964]

Sounds like he's just basically a dishonest person, probably stole many other times without getting caught too.

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@mrlafayette1964, stats show that is likely.. DENNY MCLAIN AND RUCKER stealing from the vulnerable..= GARBAGE MEN.

[@blainecole5452]

"Everybody's not great. Everybody's not brilliant." No wonder he never made it.

[@freedomring3022]

Today Reggie Rucker would be given an emmy for this.

[@frolianmoreno7297]

he was sent to jail last year for stealing money from charities lol and 2016 he was arrested for assualt

[@freedomring3022]

@@frolianmoreno7297 sounds like a stand up guy

[@haha81Looc3bolt]

Or a podcast

[@goochfitness26]

@@freedomring3022 sounds like a guy who had his life ruined because of one little mistake that wasn’t even that big. Goes to show how back than people were still super sensitive

[@freedomring3022]

@@goochfitness26 good Lord man. If you’re gonna flex on me at least learn how to spell correctly and type in proper grammar.

[@rogerswab2131]

I haven't watched it yet, but I'm on the edge of my seat wondering how you're going to squeeze "Which is worse than if he had spiked the ball into the ground on every single play" into this one!

[@mrmoose6619]

Actually... what Rucker did to his career is exactly that.

[@mikeandreach3777]

Dammit I was gonna say that lmao

[@marcwhitlock5002]

He should've done the RB version of it when he described Brooks season so far saying something like, that's worse than if you were Kalen Ballage in 2019

[@creeper2054]

You have to wonder how James Brooks felt about the comments and how they may have motivated him to turn things around. A possible silver lining in the whole thing.

[@Jelperman]

It was really just a matter of adjusting to a new role in a new offense. He went from a scatback for Air Coryell to the featured halfback in Sam Wyche's offense, which was patterned after Bill Walsh's offense in S.F. (where Wyche was the QB coach).

[@monkberrymoon4042]

Well, he did produce The Simpsons later..... so there's that.

[@msarzo]

Ahh the good old days when an announcer gets caught in a lie and actually suffered consequences for it! Great work as usual, JG9.

[@fisheyedfool1]

😆 When black people get "caught" in anything we always suffer. Not so for those on the other side of the spectrum. FREE MOHAMMED NOOR!!!!

[@goochfitness26]

Yeah a small small lie but they say this generation soft😂😂 that’s the weakest reason I’ve ever seen someone lose their job basically.

[@jacoblebold8462]

Why do you want Mohammed Noor to be freed?

[@bassman6692]

@@fisheyedfool1 Always the victim huh?

[@muhammadthefabulous]

@@goochfitness26 you cannot lie to your boss that'll get you fired every time if you're new with a company.

[@TheMailmanOfSteel]

"This Michael Jordan guy is a scrub, he'll never amount to anything!" - Reggie Rucker commenting on an '84 Bulls/Pacers game, probably.

[@LeonardStauffer]

lol

[@kurtperleberg8669]

We know how mj turned out

[@recordtime4750]

And he took it personally

[@adamplace1414]

"It means you have to sound like you know what you're talking about." Sentient balloon animal Stephen A Smith: *evil laughter*

[@tommcintyre8092]

100%

[@robertsprouse9282]

Not just sound like..but, really know what you are talking about, and mistakes leading to incorrect info. will be forgiven, but only a very few times. Preparation, there is no substitute for it.. Don't LEAVE HOME, and enter the booth and put on the headset mic. WITHOUT IT.

[@Joseph-lz5er]

Especially when he is talking about MMA, which he knows nothing about.

[@ArticSun]

The public should hold politicians to the same standard.

[@randyhanson4973]

I'm shocked that CNN hasn't hired Rucker. He has the perfect resume

[@WTMNNJR]

He must have not groped enough women to be hired by CNN.

[@dentonyoung4314]

"Of all the 20,000 games played in the history of the NFL, this was definitely one of them" made me laugh. Two 1-6 teams going at it, in a game where zero TD's were scored... the only reason it had any meaning at all was because it was a rivalry game.

[@dylanandrich1949]

I feel like announcers and reporters make up stuff all the time. Especially when they talk about speaking to a player or coach before or during halftime... It's always the same crap. It's like common sense questions they claim to ask... I remember in mid 2000s the cowboys were playing the Giants and it was a big game. Giants had some of their starting dbs hurt so a rookie who was on practice squad had to play and the lady was like "I asked Parcells if Romo and the offense were gonna try to exploit the young corner he told me.... Probably. I'm Rachel Nichols... ESPN." Like it was some kind of deep insight or something. It's silly.

[@andrewhogan6533]

Gotta fill time somehow

[@jeffmiesen]

To put it mildly, they don’t hire those sideline reporters for their brains, more so for their “assets.”

[@CraigSmithII]

Just watch ESPN, you can tell some of the stuff is made up

[@johnmccall5576]

@@andrewhogan6533 But they really don't. I miss the gaps in announcers saying things and you could watch the game and they highlighted it.

[@anonymoususer450]

People in media make up stuff all the time in general

[@tweachiemercer1589]

Rucker also did color commentary for the Cleveland Indians from 1982-1984 with Joe Tate. Every game he would use some obscure word during the broadcast in an effort to make himself sound smart and to impress Joe Tate. The last time he ever did this he spoke some convoluted word that is rarely used and Joe caught him with a paper with the word written on it. Joe let it be known that he saw the paper and called him out on it, Rucker sounded like an idiot trying to explain what he had done.

[@deputay]

Terry O'Neil in his book "The Game Behind the Game" refers to this comparing it to the amount of prep they were doing at CBS before games in the 1980's. It all seems easy to just say this kind of stuff, but you have to do the homework for what JG9 is saying - the viewers will trust you...but when they DON'T...you're done

[@mikephalen3162]

Even if you do your homework, viewers won't care for you if what you say is obvious and if you are an apologist for players and coaches. Viewers want real knowledge shared, like Tony Romo does. If you're going to state the obvious, you have to do it with excitement, like John Madden did. When the average fan can predict each week's games as well as the studio crew on Fox Sports, you have to wonder just how much former players and former coaches bring to the table.

[@douglasstarr234]

Al Michaels was being interviewed and he spoke about the first Thursday Evening Thanksgiving game at NBC and they invited the then retired John Madden to call the game with them. John Madden felt flattered but declined the invitation because he didn't feel like it would be fair saying he hadn't done the preparation. John Madden was a true professional that studied all of the team plays and tendencies during the offseason so that he would be prepared to announce games. Since he hadn't put in that work, he didn't want to be invited as a legacy announcer. What Rucker did was nothing short of gossip.

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

Before there was Brian Williams, there was Reggie Rucker.

[@sludge4125]

Janet Cook.

[@Jelperman]

@@sludge4125 Chris Jones -and I'll raise you a Judith Miller!

[@lukem6180]

Damn near every news broadcasters these days!

[@bl18ce99]

Please don't forget Dan Rather, Walter Cronkite, and Joy Reid. I hate liars. Oh, also 60 minutes and NBC News.

[@c.l.freeman7654]

The whole Fox "News" line up, except for a very select few

[@jimclark6493]

It shouldn’t have cost him his broadcasting career. I told him over dinner last night.

[@tomkenniston9848]

I remember watching a game he was on. After a big hit, he said the player was literally decapitated. Then I knew he was a stooge.

[@stevenbauer4799]

Another proud moment to do is one for cbs. The time when during the nfc title game at rfk cbs had irv cross on the field to do an interview. One of jack kent cooke's henchmen came out there right while they were on the air and told him straight up to 'get the F off of the field'. irv was like 'i'm supposed to be here doing an interview for cbs before kickoff'. And they still escorted him off. Brent M. was like 'hahahaha' back in the studio then said 'this is the nfl...on c b s...'

[@Jelperman]

Cooke's security hoodlums (more likely George Allen's hoodlums) are the reason my cousins, aunt and uncle became Cowboy fans. Back around 73-74 one of my cousins was in a class that got to go on a field trip to the Skins' practice field. Well, that was where they were scheduled to go. When the bus pulled up, some crotchety old fart and several rent-a-cops told them no one was allowed to enter. The teacher produced the written invitation from the Skins' front office, to which the head mall cop shouted "I don't care! Get these #@!&-ing kids outta here!". Some were upset, some cried, most were pissed off at sitting on a bus for two hours for nothing, but my cousin went home and when she told everone what happened, they all became Cowboys fans for life.

[@fishharvester9434]

@@Jelperman why not colts fans. They were good in the early 70s and only up the street from the communist occupied Washington DC. Temporarily occupied till the call to arms is announced and we kick off the 2nd American Revolution ending with most democrats being tried for treason and crimes against humanity and publicly executed.

[@kdogg7882]

@@fishharvester9434 Because the Cowboys were division rivals and you could hate on Washington every year when they played each other

[@montanaelkwhisperer1744]

@@fishharvester9434 just curious....do the voices in your head get echoey when you wear the tinfoil hat?

[@newtheis]

I always loved how Ron Jaworski would say every week during his weekly show on ESPN " I watched every pass Yada Yada threw over the last two seasons...and I have picked up these tendencies.....". TFF, like Jaws held the title "The Master of the Quarterback Universe".

[@thecatswillplay86]

Bwhaahahaha. He's also famous for saying Kaepernick might be the greatest QB of all time when Kaepernick was at the top of his game.

[@donmurphyii4291]

@@thecatswillplay86 Kaepernick will, has, and always will be better than you ever were... How many times have you led a team to a Super Bowl appearance? Remind us all again... What round were you drafted in?!

[@teen_laqueefa]

@@donmurphyii4291 Trent Dilfer too

[@pronkb000]

Per Terry Pluto's book The Curse of Rocky Colavito: Rucker, trying to break into broadcasting, got a job doing color commentary for the Cleveland...Indians. "Only the Indians would make a decision like that," wrote Pluto. One of his big thinkpieces was, "If I were managing, if there was a runner on 3rd I'd put one of the outfielders *behind* the catcher. That way he can't score on a wild pitch." Pluto: "Not only is this strategy stupid, it's illegal. Only the catcher may be in foul territory at the time of a pitch. Rucker's broadcaster Joe Tait just had to silently sigh to himself and pretend he didn't hear him."

[@Bruce12867]

I read about this. It's a head scratcher as to why they hired a football guy for the job. Maybe no one else wanted the job.

[@pronkb000]

@@Bruce12867 The early '80s Indians made the '00s and '10s Browns look like the...well, 1950's Browns.

[@jamestepera3356]

I once put an outfielder behind my catcher when I coached my sons in little league on an intentional walk to keep a baserunner on 3rd from scoring on a wild pitch. The umpire allowed it. Lol.

[@urbanleftbehind]

@@pronkb000 yet they would end up with a w-l much closer to .500 than whoever was in the lower half of the AL West.

[@doncarpenter1040]

3:13 Christ, look at all of those empty seats at Arrowhead.

[@redngold3005]

Yeah, I remember my dad taking me when I was a kid in the 80s, and you could walk up and buy lower level tickets on gameday.

[@BigRobParty]

Yeah they were shitty in the 80s. Loved DeBerg, but ....he was the QB 😂

[@jonlanier_]

I'll never forget Reggie Rucker actually saying, "If they get a touchdown, they will get 7 points." Takes a genius for that and he was still wrong. LOL

[@tadpole8677]

He wouldn't know how many points in the current xfl.

[@joejay4646]

Classic John Madden material.

[@RRaquello]

1-6 Browns vs. 1-6 Bengals. Yeah, that sounds like a typical "Battle of Ohio".

[@JohnDoe-od7ye]

Battle for draft position is more like it.

[@Mistertbones]

TANK BOWL!

[@montanaelkwhisperer1744]

If NBC execs had been clever, they would have written a sitcom for him called "dinner with Rucker", and have famous athletes make cameo appearances.

[@NateDawg920]

Pretty hilarious when you consider that networks like NBC routinely nowadays. Back then being credible actually meant something. Also kinda shitty of NBC to never give him another chance. Not like it was much of a chance to begin with, calling a game between two 1-6 teams.

[@myklaaron7879]

I remember a time when stephen a smith was anxiously and energetically anticipating a matchup between a player released and a player on season ending I.R. so lets give him a raise and the keys to the entire network

[@escrapplem9454]

Got rid of Max Kellerman. Don't watch First Take anymore.

[@thatmanstumototours2270]

Hank Stram could tell the play before the snap damn near everytime. Loved listening to him.

[@cityhawk]

Ken Stabler was underrated as a broadcaster as well. He should have gone higher up the rung than he did.

[@kingfish4242]

Jack Buck and Hank Stram were the best crew ever

[@Jelperman]

If ESPN had the same standards as NBC had back then, Skip Bayless would have been gibbeted years ago.

[@fredleeland2464]

ESPN wanted Lebron controversy though That was their only way to get people to stay watching and Bayless was the perfect guy to head that offensive

[@Jelperman]

@@fredleeland2464 If Bayless was a heel commentator for pro wrestling, his lies and stupidity would be amusing. But he's not.

[@ericthomas917]

Stephen A Smith wouldn't be around now

[@fredleeland2464]

@@Jelperman tell that to all the people who found him and SAS amusing in 2010 and 2011 when that show really took off

[@Jelperman]

@@fredleeland2464 I will.

[@TheJohnnySlick]

I looked this guy up and… on one hand it looks like he got his broadcasting career at least somewhat back on track, as he started doing stuff for the Cleveland Browns in the 2000s. On the other hand, he was then convicted of embezzlement in 2018…

[@jackkitchen737]

I remember this. I remember Wyche's comments after he heard about the comments. I also remember Reggie Rucker still doing some games I watched. If I remember correctly, he and Jim Donovan announced the week 2 matchup between New England and Minnesota in 1988. The Vikings won, 36-6. He wasn't a great announcer, but he was capable. I'm glad he's found work since then.

[@marvincharles337]

This was a really interesting story to show but using the word color commentator that’s so 1930s and 40s you’re better off staying African-American or just black

[@edwinearl4584]

Just because you may be one of the best to ever play the game, doesn’t mean you’re qualified to be an announcer. Sincerely, Emmitt Smith. 🏈

[@julianisaac6004]

"Don't forget about me, Edwin"... -Earvin Magic Johnson

[@seanklingensmith7713]

Emmitt Smith would have been just fine if he could have found a better way to deal with all the varsity that comes with doing live TV.

[@adampender2482]

Jaggator: Father time is undefeated. Tom Brady: Hold my kale protein shake.

[@chichigotdayayo555]

Father Time just went to take a piss...he will be bacc for Brady very soon

[@LSBBD]

Some athletes can slow time down, Tom Brady is able to slow down the Father.

[@denisceballos9745]

Great story about Reggie Rucker (33). His football career was solid, as a member of the 1980 Cardiac Kids - a lot of huge plays. He was a fan favorite. But his post career, not so much. Hopefully, he’s in a good place now.

[@daBEAGLE1017]

Well he did go to prison in 2016 for embezzlement. He got out a few years ago so i dont think its a "better" place but it is better than the pokey.

[@e2go]

Hopefully he's not embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars again from charities again like an absolute dirtbag.

[@Tropicool]

It's the classic "I talked with him before the game" saying that every commentator says; literally every game. But he took it up a notch and said he had dinner with him.

[@diaz5292]

Brian Sipe was really something for a while there.

[@jimmiebeesapimp]

No no he wasn't he sucked like all the other Brownies

[@xdreampcs8554]

Sure was, some great comeback games but his jump to the USFL hurt him

[@mmaranta785]

Until Mike Davis interception

[@borganfreeman]

Rucker was ahead of his time if he did this today he would get a contract extension

[@garyelder4610]

If Joe Biden was a sportscaster…

[@getintothewildwithjeffruma8777]

Crazy thing is if he could turn the lies up he would be a perfect fit as an actual journalist today. Guess he was just ahead of his times🤷‍♂️

[@thecatswillplay86]

If Reggie pulled that stunt today most news networks would just give him his own show.

[@l_Live_In_Oregon]

I liked the combo of Hank Stram and Jack Buck for MNF

[@mcneildelancy1340]

Bob Trumpy, and Don criqui I like calling the Orange bowl games,Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen were great team also

[@bennylevine387]

Subscribed. This is like the 6th time you've brought life to these little faint memories I have swimming in my head.

[@clementeclyde7035]

I think the 21 months in prison for embezzling non-profits ruined his reputation more than this.

[@fraz72]

Agreed.

[@snewz9089]

Nonprofits of Clevland no less.the one City that kept his azz employed after NBC and had his back

[@rhythmjones]

We'd be playing EA Sports Rucker NFL22 instead of Madden

[@ecembrew]

No Madden was already star in the booth after the 81 super bowl

[@eugenedenbrook322]

You may be right

[@jw2par]

Skip to 7:00

[@yoopernow]

Nice to be reminded about Sam Wyche - a coach so innovative that the NFL had to INVENT rules in midseason to slow down his no-huddle offense...

[@hrtvfan2870]

And unfortunately this would not be Rucker's only run-in with controversy, as by 2016 Rucker did prison time on embezzlement charges related to stealing money from several Cleveland non-profits; later filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2018 shortly after completing his sentence

[@joeterzio7175]

I just remember Rucker as a good receiver for the Browns.

[@DMS-pq8]

Then - If you lie on air your career will be over. Now - If you lie on air you get your own show with a multi-million dollar salary

[@trentonnewman9683]

I’m gonna miss Sam Wyche. Rest In Peace man.

[@MusicGunn]

Today Rucker could be elected president. Nevermind, he admits to his lies.

[@danclemente485]

I'm real sorry that happened to Reggie. Though i never held down a professional media job I went to school for it. Little white lies CAN get you into trouble. He should've stuck to the basics.Don't say it happened when it didn't.

[@allancole6660]

It didn’t happen ‘to’ him, he did it to himself.

[@nhdproduction]

funny thing is announcers say that same line today or say they spoke too the player about it when they haven't spoke to them at all

[@CJL4x]

For real man. And its always easy to tell that it never happened.

[@toomanylies7716]

It'd be interesting to see how it would go over now if this happened. I guess it would just depend on how much support or criticism he got on social media.

[@MPOMusic88]

There would probably be similar ridicule. Brian Williams lied about being in a helicopter that was attacked in Iraq and he was mocked and memed into oblivion and he was a top reporter and lied about a much more serious topic. People still don't take well to blatantly being lied to. I'm sure if someone like Tony Romo said he had a dinner with Belichick and he told him how he thinks Mac Jones is trash, but it never happened, he might get fired but would most certainly no longer be alongside Jim Nantz as a lead announcer.

[@Jeffbambam]

He would do great today on CNN or MSNBC !

[@f1fan112]

10:38 Reasons why Sam Wyche might be my favorite head coach of all time. That guy was hilarious. Coming from a Browns fan too.

[@alice_evermore]

I really liked Reggie Rucker as a colour commentator but I never knew about this story. He was really smart and insightful and articulate during the games I watched him broadcast. Once the announcer he was working with ( I believe Marv Albert) joked that he had to bring a thesaurus into the booth to understand all the rich vocabulary Reggie was using: it was very entertaining. Too bad things played out the way they did....

[@tadpole8677]

If you watched him after this game then you probably saw a lot of meaningless games.

[@kingjuju79852020]

I thought I was hearing this wrong but to see people type it I'm hearing it right. This is 2023 why are you using 1920 terms "colour commmentators" ? P.S. is ok to be racist in my book I like to know where ya stand in life no skin off my qzz.

[@robertwhitten265]

Yo can't call him colored commentator anymore. It's African American commentator.

[@eugenedenbrook322]

😆

[@jamestepera3356]

Awesome!

[@leerussell586]

That's crazy

[@williamcoolidge9884]

Actually now they are back to saying "black."

[@southlake631]

Dang! Way to irrevocably damage what would have been a promising career, Mr. Rucker. He's my homie, too (Washington DC native, Anacostia High School).

[@marcwhitlock5002]

Ahh man you had a perfect opportunity to throw in an RB version of your QB rating spiking the ball into the ground, that's a worse rb season than if you were Kalen Ballage in 2019.

[@zagnorch1336]

I just can't take my eyes off of Marv Albert's helmet-hair rug every time he pops up in this video. It's so mesmerizing that I had to rewind and rewatch those segments of the video quite often because I paid absolutely no attention to what was being said. It didn't help that my mind would also recall Albert's arrest back in the late '90s for his pervy literal back-biting shenanigans.

[@chrisbg99]

I wonder if he was wearing something fancy underneath his suit or if that was just in the hotel thing.

[@jonlavezza2364]

@@chrisbg99 *In Marv Albert voice "Yes!!!!"

[@deeznuts8910]

Search Chris Elliott's impersonation of Marv Albert on KZbin.... freaking hilarious

[@zagnorch1336]

@@deeznuts8910 IIRC he did a few of those on Letterman back in the day, in full costume and everything. I'm almost certain I saw those clips recently on KZbin.

[@marvinkline5667]

Rumor has it the only time it moved is when he was biting prostitutes....YESSSSS!

[@r.williamcomm7693]

Excellent video. I remember Rucker playing for the Browns but never knew what happened to his broadcasting career.

[@DarrylFord33]

Speaking of dishonesty….He ended up going to prison for embezzlement after stealing money from a nonprofit in Cleveland back in 2016.

[@bennylevine387]

I predict a Lionel "Little Train" James video coming at some point. I think there was a 3-week window where he was the biggest star in the NFL. Nice job.

[@yankees29]

Wow i remember that.

[@SheltonWalden]

wow - why in the hell would he make up a story like that? Shame, because he was a GREAT receiver for years with the Browns. BTW, something similar happened to Brian Williams of NBC News and he lost his job as anchor of the Evening News. He does a great job on his own show, The 11th Hour .

[@williamhowe1]

You cross the line as a announcer if you miss lead your audience.

[@jeffstewart724]

3 minutes of information condensed into 13.

[@aegisofhonor]

is this as infamous as the "look at that monkey run" moment from Monday Night Football from September 5th 1983? Howard got fired for saying that. RIP Howard Cosell.

[@pronkb000]

Howard wasn't fired for saying that, though it arguably exacerbated his straining relationship with ABC.

[@sittingindetroit9204]

Detroit area had a famous sports writer (Mitch Albom) who was also a book writer who was caught making up his newspaper article and publishing it. If I remember correctly, he actually wrote the article before the game was played. He was allowed to apologize and go on like it didn't happen.

[@dudeliberty]

(((Albom)))

[@gluserty]

Yeah, I've watched some older NFL games on KZbin, and announcing back in the early 1980s wasn't always as nuanced. This video also explains why I never heard much about the announcing career of Reggie Rucker and more from his very good pro career (to be fair, it was never difficult to rile up Sam Wyche, as he was usually pretty fired up). I have to ask though: are Reggie Rucker & Frank Gansz friends? They have the same knack for unnecessarily telling made-up stories and sabotaging themselves.

[@frolianmoreno7297]

he was sent to jail last year for stealing money from charities lol and 2016 he was arrested for assualt

[@gluserty]

@@frolianmoreno7297 Geez, I didn't know that; gambling debts, huh? Wow, and assaulting a golfer? Well, I don't know what to say about that second one really (loud music & golf are a bad mix), but his charity was for anti-violence? Well, his faux pas on NBC pales to his personal life I suppose. Maybe he really does have a brain injury, I'm not sure:-(.

[@whatsthebigfndeal]

He was just too early. It's pretty common for them to make up stuff now without being held accountable. It certainly didn't hurt Kirk Herbstreit's career.

[@Bishop228]

A 12 minute video & you didn’t even include the clip that was the subject of the entire video? Are you kidding me? Take this dislike. What an utterly unbearable 12 minutes.

[@LeonardStauffer]

Agreed

[@donnydonnybrook8131]

100%

[@MotoM1234]

And that’s how MSNBC was created…

[@Grandizer8989]

I miss Marv Albert and Sam Wyche in the TV broadcast booth.

[@Luke7486]

You know another way to lose credibility? Talking too much. bla bla bla just get to the point.

[@chernosquare]

On the field he reminds me of Marvin Jones Jr, never the #1 guy but has been doing it at a high level for years

[@nathandebartolo8330]

Who?

[@diehardnygiantsfan6569]

I love how they put Super Bowl XVII for Sam Wyche even though he coached the previous one

[@billslocum9819]

Got to feel bad for Rucker. He lied to promote himself as an authority figure, but in about the most innocent way possible. It really should have been a blip in the guy's career. Was he really that great a broadcaster otherwise, though? I honestly don't remember him. Maybe being puffed up and pulled down by the same people was his real downfall.

[@Bruce12867]

He was OK, but I always thought he liked to hear himself talk, IMO.

[@tomservo75]

An NFL announcer had his career ruined by telling a proveably false lie... now if only we held news journalists to the same standards.

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

Once you lose credibility as a journalist, it can NEVER be recovered.

[@maxwellsiegel6538]

Skip disproves that

[@glennmorris4295]

Tell the so-called journalists on CNN that 🤷‍♂️

[@williamcoolidge9884]

Brian Williams is employed by MSNBC. So that theory is out the window.

[@Agent-xn1hr]

@@glennmorris4295 you spelled Fox wrong

[@glennmorris4295]

@@Agent-xn1hr you are a clever one😂🤣. Your Pres is doing great things.

[@troyturner173]

Rucker certainly didn't help himself here, but I seriously doubt he was as fast rising a star as you state. During the mid-80's, the NBC lineup of NFL analysts was STACKED on top-Olsen, Trumpy, Brodie, Griese and/or Cefalo. You're correct in stating that beyond the top crews, the analysts were interchangeable-and Rucker would have been lucky to crack the top half under the best of circumstances

[@Raddlesby]

There's one big problem I have with this story. Reggie Rucker is presented as a "star on the rise," someone who's caught the eye of the bosses and is being seen as getting the better assignments. Then, he makes his mistake...in a game between two teams that are 1-6. Sorry, folks, I'm not buying it. A "star on the rise" is NOT getting an assignment between two teams that are 1-6. THAT GAME is at the bottom of the barrel, the worst broadcasting crew is getting that game, the crew that IS ALL READY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DEPTH CHART is getting that game. So no, Reggie Rucker wasn't a rising star--one article written by one biased writer with an agenda to sing the praises of a black man, does not make one a rising star. Reggie Rucker wasn't a rising star; he was never there in the first place.

[@jamestepera3356]

All the suits at NBC saw was a guy who could fill a quota. No different than the brother on Hogan's Heroes

[@BokHog]

Don't let this story take away from the fact that in 1966 Al Bundy scored 4 touchdowns, including the game winning touch down, against his arch nemesis Bubba "Spare Tire" Dixon in the 1966 Championship game.

[@americankulak2294]

Sounds like Reggie Rucker has a promising career covering politics for NBC. If that falls through he has a bright future with the FBI.

[@damrgee8279]

Bingo baby

[@palaceofwisdom9448]

The irony of someone being punished for false reporting in 1984 of all years. Meanwhile, in 2021 we are basically living in 1984.