TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images Terry Bradshaw is flanked by the Kansas City Chiefs' Carlos Dunlap, left, and Patrick Mahomes after the game.
In January, fans roasted Pittsburgh Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw on social media for “ruining” the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFC championship trophy celebration. On that evening, observers questioned the way Bradshaw interviewed everyone from Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
After the Super Bowl, Bradshaw again had the job of hosting the trophy celebration for Fox’s telecast. And once again, he made what viewers perceived to be inappropriate comments during his interviews. This time, most of the complaints centered on his treatment of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who had just led his team to a 38-35 come-from-behind victory over the Eagles.
Terry Bradshaw to Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid: ‘Waddle Over Here’
“Big guy … let me get the big guy in here…. C’mon, waddle over here,” said Bradshaw, laughing as he beckoned the heavyset coach to walk his way for the interview.
Terry Bradshaw to Andy Reid:
“Big guy… let me get the big guy in here. Come on, waddle over here.”
“Have a cheeseburger on us.” #SuperBowl #Fox
After congratulating Reid on his Super Bowl win, Bradshaw went on to highlight Reid’s age, saying, “I know that you’re getting up there in years like me and I know there’s just got to be a time to ride off into the sunset. That’s not going to happen, is it?”
Reid, who turns 65 in March, told the 74-year-old Bradshaw that he planned to continue to coach but would take the time to enjoy this Super Bowl victory first.
“Have a cheeseburger on us and enjoy the Hawaiian shirts,” quipped Bradshaw, a reference to Reid’s self-professed love of cheeseburgers and propensity to wear Hawaiian shirts.
‘Could Terry Bradshaw Have Been More Disrespectful?’
Twitter was aghast at Bradshaw’s remarks.
“Could Terry Bradshaw have been more disrespectful to Andy Reid at the trophy presentation? Let Coach Reid enjoy the victory without being a jerk please,” tweeted one Chiefs fan.
“Making fun of a man’s weight on national television? @NFL do better, please… what an embarrassment! #fatshaming is not cool,” wrote another.
Did Terry Bradshaw just tell Andy Reid to waddle over here? Making fun of a man’s weight on national television? @NFL do better, please…what an embarrassment! #fatshaming is not cool…
“It’s time for Bradshaw to hang it up. It’s gotten painful to watch his interviews and studio commentary. Not to mention spending the entire Andy Reid interview discussing his weight and age. Just so bad,” opined yet another.
In fact, many fans used a specific written abbreviation to express their displeasure — or disbelief — about what they just heard.
@CodySuek You see Terry Bradshaw tell Andy Reid to “Waddle Over Here?” What the actual!?! 😂🤣😂
Yet not everyone agreed with the popular sentiment that Bradshaw should be fired for his remarks. One NFL fan claimed that “Reid’s own players gave him a cheeseburger BEFORE the SB as a joke, and Reid laughed about it.”
Fans say Terry Bradshaw’s ‘rude’ comment to Chiefs coach Andy Reid made him the loser t.co/mZoaPeKhE0 via @YahooNews
Those calling for Bradshaw to be fired are idiot’s. Reid’s own players gave him a cheeseburger BEFORE the SB as a joke, and Reid laughed about it.
But Bradshaw has to recognize that the Super Bowl audience is much more than hardcore football fans and that most viewers are not aware of story lines that might be familiar to Chiefs fans.
By the same token, most of the audience is no doubt unaware of Bradshaw’s recent health challenges, which have noticeably affected his on-air performance.
Specifically, Bradshaw has been battling two different cancers, undergoing surgery for bladder cancer and for a rare form of skin cancer.
All that said, some fans took care to praise Reid for his handling of the situation.
“Terry Bradshaw is a clown and Andy Reid is the best head coach in the NFL. Andy brushed it off like the champ that he is,” tweeted one observer.
@TheCalvinCooli1 @7h3_6h05t Terry Bradshaw is a clown and Andy Reid is the best head coach in the NFL. Andy brushed it off like the champ he is.
It was Andy Reid’s second Super Bowl win as a head coach, making him the 14th head coach who has won multiple Super Bowl titles.
As for Bradshaw, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1970 draft and went on to win four Super Bowls as quarterback of the Steelers. He has been a part of Fox’s NFL broadcasts since 1994.