Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender and current football pundit, found himself at the center of controversy following a joke he made during the CBS Champions League broadcast of the Arsenal vs Porto match. The game itself was a significant one for Arsenal, marking their first quarter-final appearance in the Champions League since the 2009/10 season, achieved through a tense penalty shootout victory over Porto. This win also set a new club record for Arsenal, as they managed to go four consecutive home games in the competition without conceding a goal.
The CBS sports team, known for their detailed and engaging coverage, features a lineup of popular pundits including Carragher, Thierry Henry, Micah Richards, and presenter Kate Abdo. Despite the team’s generally well-received analysis, the broadcast faced backlash due to Carragher’s comment. During the post-match segment, Carragher suggested that Abdo wear an Arsenal shirt for the final part of the broadcast, a request she declined quite bluntly.
The incident sparked a debate online, with some viewers taking offense to Carragher’s remark. It highlighted the delicate balance sports pundits must maintain; while they are expected to provide insightful commentary, their attempts at humor can sometimes cross the line and lead to criticism. In this case, Carragher’s joke was not well-received, overshadowing the otherwise positive reception of the broadcast team’s coverage of the match.
“No I’m loyal,” The presenter responded to Carragher.
Then came the controversy, as Carragher decided to drop a joke about Abdo’s relationship with American boxing trainer Malik Scott.
“Loyal to who? Not to Malik,” Carragher said bringing complete silence amongst his fellow pundits Henry and Richards.
Despite Carragher’s best efforts to mask the awkward moment with laughter, it was clear the joke hadn’t gone down well with the panel and Abdo fired back.
“What? Why would you even say that?” Abdo told the former Liverpool defender.
Abdo wasn’t the only one to take issue with the joke as fans on social media were quick to call out Carragher, and even claimed he should be sacked by CBS.
One fan passionately wrote: “Not just for Kate Abdo but for all women, CBS must absolutely sack Carragher for this cheap shot.”
Another added: “Oi he’s getting sacked man.”
A third responded to the video with: “Carragher just ruined this legendary CBS lineup. He might get sacked for that.”
A fourth continued to sympathise with Abdo: “Oof this is so awkward. Carragher has been on Twitter too much, taken it way too far. The jokes aren’t even funny tbh I feel bad for her and her man.”
While it seems fairly obvious Carragher meant no harm, it was a rather odd decision to make that sort of ‘banter’ on live TV particularly when Abdo’s relationships are so irrelevant to the topic of the show.