Fire Booger – For NFL fans, from an NHL fan

Football fans, we feel for you. I know why you want ESPN to fire Booger. After years of dealing with the acidic rambling of Pierre McGuire, NBC gave us what we were begging for; less Pierre. After watching last night’s Monday Night Football broadcast, I realize you guys are shouldering a similar burden.

Boogers Breakdowns

While Drew Brees was setting records, McFarland was debating whether or not Tom Brady was the G.O.A.T. while simultaneously praising O.J. Simpson. Just like Pierre used to discuss where every goal scorer played juniors instead of enjoying the product on the ice in front of him. NBC heard our cries and removed him from the top broadcast team this season. Now, are Doc and Eddie perfect? Absolutely not. But Brian Boucher adds a more tolerable element to the game. Joe Tessitore has his flaws, but hearing what he has to deal with every time Booger opens his mouth is astounding. At one point tonight, Booger even drew a dick on the screen “by accident.”

Fire Booger Petition

Not even ESPN and Monday Night Football are immune to the perils that can be change.org. There’s a petition going around to get Booger off the current broadcast team. Larger than that is the social media militia that has mobilized against the former defensive tackle. From memes to straight-up slander, Twitter explodes with hate for McFarland every Monday night.

Which, again, I completely understand. Wednesday Night Rivalry, now Wednesday Night Hockey, drew hockey fans to NBCSN each week, knowing they’d have to deal with Pierre McGuire. Pierre is a hockey encyclopedia. Seriously, he’ll forget more than we’ll ever learn about the sport. That being said, the disdain hockey fans had for him wasn’t unwarranted. He played favorites, went off on endless tangents, and would routinely interrupt Doc Emerick and Eddie Olczyk to insert any number of useless tidbits. But he knew what he was talking about.

I don’t necessarily believe Booger knows what he’s doing.

Don’t Give Up

For a while, it felt like we were stuck with Pierre forever. Or at least until he weaseled his way into another GM job. Hockey Twitter went to war with NBC and fought tooth and nail to get the point across that he was literally ruining the broadcast for some people. While dramatic, it’s totally untrue. Even the possibility of him being the EA Sports NHL games was nauseating for the community.

Then one fateful day in September of this year, we got our wish. Pierre was demoted (regardless of what he claims happened) from the number one broadcast, and replaced with Brian Boucher. Freedom at last. My only worry for you NFL fans is that Booger may be deemed untouchable as other networks watch the outpouring of negative feedback through social media. Short of replacing Shannon Sharpe with Booger on FS1, I don’t think another network is going to save you from him.

Yes, the idea of “Booger for life” might be daunting. But ESPN is a business, and if they were to fire Booger, it would be because of the many of you fighting the good fight right now. The Monday Night Football season is almost over, so it’s probably going to be an offseason move. Still, it’s just another couple weeks of memes and hilarity before, fingers crossed, you finally get your wish. So for all my football friends, ESPN, please fire Booger McFarland.

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