ESPN’s Ben Watson Leaves Set After Peter Burns Jokes About Wife
An awkward scene unfolded on the set of SEC Network’s halftime show Saturday that resulted in ESPN analyst and former NFL tight end Ben Watson walking off the set.
The incident began when co-analyst Peter Burns made a joke about Watson being the only member on camera wearing a light suit. Host Chris Doering, Takeo Spikes and Burns were all wearing dark-colored suits, and the crew seemed to be having a good laugh about the situation.
Watson kept the bit going, saying he didn’t care if he looked different from the rest of his peers, so long as his wife thought he looked good.
“As long as I get a text from my wife that says I look good,” Watson said. “Send me the text, baby. Send me the text.”
Burns then chimed in, chiding “That’s not the text she sent me.”
That’s when the situation seemed to get tense. Coming out of the commercial break, only Doering and Spikes were still sitting at the desk, when Watson came ambling back in with the show already back on the air.
Watson did not look happy, prompting Doering to try to downplay the situation, asking Watson if he told Burns to “keep your wife’s name out your mouth.” The analyst responded, “Huh?” but still appeared visibly frustrated.
Later in the afternoon, Burns tried to save face, posting a picture of the two on Twitter with the caption “#Friendship.” While Burns looks absolutely giddy in the selfie, Watson didn’t appear pleased.
Watson followed up hours later, all but confirming that he was upset with the way the situation unfolded. He added that Burns owes Mrs. Watson a “public apology.”
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