Terry Bradshaw realizes he fumbled big-time.
The NFL superstar-turned-Fox studio analyst offered up a humble apology yesterday for a controversial comment he made regarding Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush during their game Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
The 64-year-old Bradshaw was addressing fellow NFL studio analyst Jimmy Johnson as the two were watching a clip of Bush running for a touchdown when he said, "Look at this, Jimmy—like he was chasing that bucket of chicken the wind was blowing the other day."
Realizing his mistake, the former footballer now tells USA Today the quip was never directed at Bush but was meant for Johnson in that he meant to say "you" instead of "he."
Pronoun trouble aside, given the racial connotations attached to the remark and the fact that Reggie is African-American, Bradshaw acknowledged his screwup.
"[I am] so sorry if I hurt anybody and I'm shocked I'm in this position," he told the paper.
The brash commentator said the quip was actually part of a running joke he'd been having with Johnson, noting Jimmy's "big thing is chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken. He won't share it with anybody."
But Terry said he botched the delivery, which was exacerbated by the fast-paced nature of covering the highlights, not that that's an excuse.
"I can't defend myself. I've never been in a situation like this. I don't know how to react, except to apologize for something I didn't know I said. I've been upset today. It's not me. I'm shocked," he admitted.
Both Fox and Johnson stood by that explanation, stating the ex-quarterback's joke was solely meant for his colleague.
"For all those 'chicken' comments...TB kids ME about how much I like chicken..He was referring to me!" Jimmy wrote on Twitter, adding, "I eat 4 pieces of fried chicken every Sunday on our set…only problem now is my wife knows…so I'm in trouble."
Bradshaw also got some support from fellow Fox News sportscaster Erin Andrews.
"I can vouch for this!" she tweeted, retweeting what Johnson had posted.
Glad they cleared that up.