Redskins President Bruce Allen Kept Calling Kirk Cousins 'Kurt'

Bruce Allen called him "Kurt" Cousins at least six times.
Redskins President Bruce Allen Kept Calling Kirk Cousins 'Kurt'
Redskins President Bruce Allen Kept Calling Kirk Cousins 'Kurt' /

Redskins president Bruce Allen reading a statement Monday afternoon that revealed a slanted view of Washington’s contract negotiations with Kirk Cousins was pretty insulting. The way Allen repeatedly mispronounced Cousins’s first name was even worse.

Washington posted a video of Allen’s brief statement to the team website. In it, you can clearly hear Allen refer to his quarterback as “Kurt”—not once, not twice, but at least six times, all in the span of two minutes. 

• Kirk Cousins Has All the Leverage Now

ESPN asked a team spokesman about the mispronunciation, who “said it sounded that way because of the Redskins president’s accent.”

Allen isn’t the only team president to botch a star player’s name while locked in a salary dispute. Back in February, Yankees president Randy Levine repeatedly referred to pitcher Dellin Betances as “Dylan,” the player’s agent said.

Cousins will play this season under the franchise tag, the first quarterback to ever play under the tag in two consecutive seasons. He’ll make $23.9 million this year.


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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).