On Thursday, an emotional Daniel Jones read a prepared statement in which he essentially said goodbye to the New York Giants, acknowledging that his time in East Rutherford had come to an end.
Jones expressed gratitude for the organization and his teammates, many of whom have publicly stood up for him.
But it didn’t stop the vultures from circling. Almost immediately, Jones was mocked for being emotional and caring. Shade was thrown from every direction, including courtesy of ESPN.
Anchor Elle Duncan changed the entire format of her Thursday show in an effort to dunk on Jones in a segment that felt almost personal.
“We normally reserve ‘Taking the Elle’ for Fridays but Giants quarterback Daniel Jones just did something so inexplicable that we made an exception,” Duncan said. “After being benched this week, Jones took to the podium to say goodbye to the franchise and fans but with, like, seven games left in the season.
“I’m sorry, you have to write this down? Didn’t you go to Duke?”
Duncan continued to mock Jones with snide remarks, exaggerated facial expressions, and fake gagging sounds.
“Do you guys think he had this saved in his notes since, like, 2020?” she continued. “In all seriousness, DJ, I could have saved you like 90 seconds. A re-write: ‘Sorry you paid me $180 million for one playoff win. And I look forward to reviving my career as Brock Purdy’s backup.’ The end.”
Painfully unfunny. And sad that she didn’t even bother to fact-check the contract.
The awkward attempted comedy skit that fell flat was not well-received by the Giants as senior vice president of communications, Pat Hanlon, was quick to remind Duncan that neither she nor ESPN are in any position to throw stones from their glass homes.
That an #ESPN personality would mock Daniel Jones’ statement today is mind boggling. Given what has happened at that company over past few years, tone deaf.
— pat hanlon (@giantspathanlon) November 22, 2024
Jones may not have become the franchise quarterback so many in New York hoped he would, but the punching down, mockery, and disparaging remarks directed at such a hard-working, community-loving player are bizarre. It wreaks of desperation and comes across as immature. It’s bully behavior but in the weakest sense.
