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In a heated Christmas-adjacent battle between the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, there was a lot more at stake than just playoff positioning. Also on the line was how we, as a rational football-watching populace, utilize the English language.
With the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence once again rising to relative prominence lately, a natural “debate” about how to pronounce their mascot name has started to materialize more and more. The correct way (I will not entertain anything to the contrary) is, of course, “Jag-War.” The wrong way is “Jag-Wires.” TNF announcer Kirk Herbstreit pronounced it in the latter fashion, drawing questions, to me, of his credibility in understanding very basic words.
For those of you in the bananas “Jag-Wires” realm like Herbstreit: Do you also pour your milk before putting cereal in the bowl? I’d imagine you’re not a huge fan of seasoning your meat, either. You’re probably also a huge fan of biting straight chunks off your Kit-Kats.
Let’s get it together, folks. Let’s not butcher a pretty simple word for the sake of sounding so silly. What is a “Jag-Wire” anyway? Definitely not a recognizable animal that I know of! At this rate, before we know it, cats and dogs will live together, and there’ll be mass hysteria.
Herbstreit's Jaguars pronunciation drove NFL fans mad
What are Jagwires? I’ve heard Herbstreit and Fitzpatrick pronounce Jaguars that way.
— Dan Brandon (@DanPBrandon) December 23, 2022
Not sure I can take three hours of Kirk Herbstreit saying "jag-wires." #TNF
— Ryan Gruber (@ryangruber) December 23, 2022
Kirk Herbstreit just said “Jag-wires” and now everything he says, including his very valid point about Zach Wilson missing that delayed DB blitz, is now cursed.
— Khari Thompson (@kdthompson5) December 23, 2022
Why do people say Jag-WIRES? Why? Why? Why? Explain it to me. And make it stop. Why? That phonetic pronunciation is not even in the word. Why? Why? #TNF
— M Speier (@mspeier1) December 23, 2022
Why do so many of the commentators have an issue pronouncing Jaguars ("Jag-wires" 🙄) correctly
— Hall3lujah (@Hall3lujah1) December 23, 2022
WHY IS EVERYONE SAYING JAG-WIRES IS THIS AN APRIL FOOL'S GAME?!?
— James McGarvey III (@jamesmcgarvey3) December 23, 2022
Do you say:
Jag-wires or Jag-wars?— Bill Enright (@BillEnright) December 23, 2022
“Jag-wires”
-Kirk
— Polar Expresserson (@LockyLockerson) December 23, 2022
Look, if you pronounce it Jag-Wires, (much like nook-you-lur) people are going to judge you. You know this. Its your call. #JAXvsNYJ #NYJetsFootball @MemesJets
— Malcolm Harden (@malharden) December 23, 2022
They are not the Jag-wires! Stop it people! Say Jag-wars please!!
— Darlene Morse (@DarleneO25) December 23, 2022