During the Denver Broncos‘ 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, CBS cameras captured a baby Broncos fan dressed up as the “Barrel Man.”
The late Tim McKernan was a Broncos super fan who attended games wearing nothing but a barrel — rain or shine. A member of the Visa Hall of Fans at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the “Barrel Man” passed away in 2009.
Fifteen years later, whoever was running the NFL’s official Twitter/X page on Sunday apparently was not familiar with McKernan’s legacy in Broncos Country.
“What is happening here?? 😂🤠 @Broncos,” the NFL’s official page posted on Twitter/X during the game.
What is happening here?? 😂🤠 @Broncos
📺: #CARvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/mXpp4Rifvg— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
Broncos fans quickly chimed in.
“There was a Broncos super fan called Barrel Man who passed away, this is a Barrel baby,” @MileHighGreco responded to the tweet. “Happy to educate you.”
Dylan Pierce added: “It’s kind of sad that the official @NFL account admin doesn’t know who Barrel Man is, or what his significance is to the @Broncos.”
That sentiment was echoed by multiple fans.
“This is an embarrassing post from the intern running this account,” Mario Vetanze commented. “Barrel Man is a legend in Denver Broncos lore. To every single Broncos fan, it’s incredibly obvious ‘what is happening here.’ And I know I shouldn’t get upset about stuff like this but come on.”
“Feels like the official NFL account should know enough league history to know who Barrel Man was,” Shelby Manning wrote. “Big yikes.”
Yikes, indeed. A big whiff by the league’s official Twitter/X page.
