Jim Nantz Put An All-Time Announcer’s Jinx On Lions Kicker Michael Badgley Before A 29-Yard Attempt

There are few things fans hate more than when their team’s kicker strolls out on the field and an announcer starts to talk about whatever streak of made kicks they are on.

While play-by-play announcers at every level will insist the announcer’s jinx doesn’t exist, citing the thousands of kicks where they list off a kicker’s stats that go through, it feels like key misses are often preceded by a discussion of a kicker’s streak of perfection. On Thanksgiving in Detroit, Jim Nantz tried to laugh in the face of the fates, directly calling out the announcer’s jinx as not real as Lions kicker Michael Badgley strolled out for a 29-yard attempt, looking to remain perfect on the season.

Naturally, he hooked the kick wide left to the delight of Tony Romo, who instructed Lions fans to direct all anger to Nantz for not only hitting Badgley with the announcer’s jinx but also daring to say it didn’t exist.

It feels fitting that this would happen to the Lions, a team that seemingly knows no bounds when it comes to finding new ways to lose games in painful ways. A missed 29-yard field goal certainly could loom large against Josh Allen and the Bills, but Detroit did bounce back to score a go-ahead touchdown (and make a two-point conversion) to go up three in the fourth quarter as they look to overcome Nantz’s hex.