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New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson decided to check out Citi Field and the Mets on May 19, setting the stage for a tremendous on-air moment from Keith Hernandez.
The former MLB star-turned-broadcaster is one of the best color commentators in the business and part of that is due to his quirky personality. It’s not uncommon to laugh while watching the back-and-forth banter between Hernandez and his partners, Gary Cohen and Ron Darling, but yesterday’s mental mistake was downright hilarious.
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Hernandez Thinks Wilson Is a Fan of ‘the Mook’
While noting the quarterback’s presence, the SNY broadcast team conversed with on-field reporter Steve Gelbs. That’s when the gaffe occurred, and the realization of the error is even better than the blunder itself.
“Ah, he likes the Mook!” Hernandez exclaimed after the camera showed a shot of Wilson’s custom Mets jersey — confusing the football player’s last name for Mets legend Mookie Wilson.
That led to a Cohen intervention. “Keith, either that or it’s his own name,” the play-by-play analyst informed while chuckling. “Oh!” Hernandez reacted, and the laughter ensued.
It’s not surprising that the video clip has since gone viral, with over 91,000 views on Twitter. The moment was pure comedy, and who doesn’t love that?
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Time to Build the Brand
Wilson’s name may carry weight within the Jets community but he’s clearly still building his brand outside of the sport. Sure, it’s a common last name but there’s a reason Hernandez thinks of Mookie when he sees it.
One, he’s a former ballplayer and teammate, but Mookie Wilson has also earned that prestige. The baseball star accomplished 12 seasons in the majors with nearly 1,400 hits. He also won a championship for New York, something Zach Wilson would love to emulate.
A Super Bowl may be unlikely in 2022 — not impossible — but the Jets are set up long-term. Their young roster is bursting with potential and who’s to say all those pieces don’t come together in 2023 or 2024?
That promising core includes; Sauce Gardner, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Quinnen Williams, Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Mekhi Becton, Michael Carter II, Bryce Hall, Jeremy Ruckert, Quincy Williams, Bryce Huff, Micheal Clemons and so many others. And that’s not even mentioning some of their younger free-agent signings like Jordan Whitehead, D.J. Reed Jr., Carl Lawson or Tyler Conklin.
In football, however, the key will always be the quarterback. Even with a stacked roster around them, the signal-caller has to make plays in clutch moments. Wilson was able to do that as a rookie against quality teams like the Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but can he hammer out some consistency this season?
A championship run will take a blend of both, and if the 22-year-old can mature into that combination of talent and poise, the Green & White could become a perennial contender with the way they’ve constructed their foundation.
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