Kevin Harlan has had a fine career as a broadcaster. But he'll never top what he pulled off Monday night.
With less than 12 minutes to play in the Rams-49ers Week 1 capper, a drunken idiot darted out on the field and began a mad sprint across the turf at Levi's Stadium. The ESPN telecast followed the crusty old TV adage of, "We're not gonna reward this person with any attention" and ignored the incident. But Harlan, calling the game for Westwood One, seized on the moment to inject some life into an otherwise lethargic contest.
I love everything about the way Harlan called this, treating the drunkard's desperation sprint as if he were Barry Sanders reaching the open field on a winter day at Lambeau.
"Some goofball in a hat and a red shirt. Now he takes off the shirt. He's running down the middle by the 50! He's at the 30! He's bare chested and banging his chest! Now he runs the opposite way, he runs to the 50, he runs to the 40, the guy is drunk, but there he goes! The 20, they're chasing him, they're not going to get him, waiving his arms, bare-chested! Somebody stop that man! Oh, they got him! They're coming from the left. Oh, they tackle him at the 40-yard line!"
That is the sound of a man having fun while simultaneously finding an outlet to voice his disgust with Jeff Fisher's offense.
Bravo, Kevin Harlan. Bravo.
