Panthers’ Spanish radio broadcasters go wild as Gano hits game winner
The Carolina Panthers beat the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night with a field goal in overtime. The kick came after Carolina blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, and also after Ted Ginn Jr. dropped what would have surely been a game-winning TD pass. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a very dramatic way to win. But don't tell that to Jamie Moreno and Luis Moreno, Jr., who broadcast all of the Panthers’ games on 102.3 FM in Charlotte.
Geez, guys, it's a field goal in a regular season game. Can you imagine what an English-speaking listener might have thought if he/she were surfing through the radio and stumbled across that broadcast? It's further proof that sports are always more exciting when you watch them in Spanish.
It turns out these announcers have garnered a bit of Internet fame through their enthusiastic broadcasts. When the Charlotte Observer asked Jamie Moreno what the pair celebrates on the airwaves, he gave a fantastic answer:
“The coin toss. The first down. The good pass of 3 yards. The good run of 3 yards,” he said. “We’ve got to celebrate it so we can get excited to get into the end zone.”
Word. I want these guys to follow me around for a day, and celebrate my boring accomplishments.
Here's the best part of this story: The word “ganó” means “he won” in Spanish. So when the announcers scream “¡GANOOOOOOO!” after the field goal goes in, they could either be referring to either Panthers kicker Graham Gano, or the outcome of the game. The following “¡GANO LO GANÓ!” chant refers to both. Maybe the double meaning is why they were so excited. Either way, Graham Gano should consider playing a sport in a Spanish-speaking country if the whole NFL thing doesn't work out.
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- Jeremy Layton
