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Hall of Fame NFL coach Tony Dungy is no stranger to saying really, really stupid things.
In fact, it’s becoming a bit of a trend for the NBC Sports analyst.
But Dungy may have bitten off a bit more than he can chew when he took aim at Taylor Swift when discussing the state of NFL football.
The comments came in discussion with Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo at Thursday’s Hall of Fame banquet before the Hula Bowl in Orlando.
Arroyo asked Dungy why he believes Gen Z is watching less NFL football than prior generations.
To which, Dungy replied ‘“I think we’ll always have sports in some form or fashion. Some people are disenchanted with it.”
Arroyo then asked specifically about Swift and how she’s changed the sport. That’s where Dungy really stepped in it.
“That’s the thing that’s disenchanting people with sports now,” he said. “There’s so much on the outside coming in. Entertainment value and different things. Taking away from what really happens on the field.”
Of course, the numbers point to the exact opposite being true. But Dungy made up his mind long ago, numbers be darned.
Swifties, who are somehow both more committed and more rabid than NFL fans, quickly came for the 68-year-old.
The only ppl distracted by Taylor Swift at NFL games are the men w/ microphones. Everyone else is literally fine. They’re like “how much longer can the fans put up with that woman sitting at games?!”
Meanwhile NFL fans just want the refs to not make game-altering mistakes https://t.co/hruib5QsDj
— Tanya Ray Fox (@TanyaRayFox) January 13, 2024
I’m a Swifty now. It took Taylor Swift for Tony Dungy to really show the world who he is.
I want to be clear. The problem with pro football (and sports in general) are some of the folks that cover it. pic.twitter.com/HNoGBlR9Go
— Gee Scott Sr. 🎙️ (@GeeScottSr) January 13, 2024
https://twitter.com/cannoli1000/status/1635349343468404736
But it wasn’t just Swifties! Everyone took their chance to come after Dungy, who really has no one to blame but himself.
It’s not her fault the TV networks keep showing/talking about her!
She’s just a fan trying to support her boyfriend!! https://t.co/9t4faydiiS
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) January 13, 2024
This is so absurd. Look at all the top rated games that aren’t playoffs and Thanksgiving and special days and you’ll see a lot of random Chiefs games. There’s been way more interest in the team than ever before because of her and that’s a good thing, not bad. https://t.co/KifRHRuGEy
— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) January 13, 2024
the song is called *Enchanted please get it right https://t.co/WEZ6BF1ptv
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) January 13, 2024
Nailed it, Tony…