Jason Witten of ESPN is a stand-up guy.
Despite the negative reviews he’s received from critics and fans as a rookie broadcaster on “Monday Night Football,” the self-deprecating Witten's able to laugh at his on-air malapropisms such as saying Aaron Rogers “pulled a rabbit out of his head.”
During a media call Wednesday, Witten vowed to improve on TV.
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“Yeah, there have been some flubs. I’ve made mistakes. You try to own it. You embrace it. Hell, I’m not perfect. I’ve certainly had my fair share of mistakes on live television. More than anything else, you try to embrace it. You laugh at it. You smile at it,” Witten said during an ESPN conference call previewing Monday night’s highly anticipated Rams vs. Chiefs matchup, which Witten called a possible Super Bowl preview.
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After the Rodgers comment, Witten mocked himself on Twitter. When you make a mistake, you own up to it and move on, said the former Cowboys tight end. Then you get back at it with the same work ethic that embodied his long Cowboys career.
Aaron Rodgers pulls another rabbit out of his head!! 🤦🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️ 🐰
— Jason Witten (@JasonWitten) October 16, 2018
Said Witten: “It’s a transition. I try not to take it too serious. I really try to embrace it and focus on improving. I understood when I took this job it was going to be hard, it was going to be a transition, certainly with (ex-Cowboys QB) Tony (Romo) and the success that he had.”
When it comes to on-air flubs, there’s no point trying to deny it or hide it, he said. You’re not kidding anybody, least of all yourself.
“That’s really all you can do in those moments is self-deprecate and move forward. Over time I hope to improve and get better at it,” Witten said.
It’s a smart, stand-up attitude that should serve Witten well the rest of the season.
