Feb. 6 (UPI) -- A petition to stop Cris Collinsworth from announcing Philadelphia Eagles games had more than 40,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.
Damien Loatman of Ocean City, N.J., started the Change.org petition, titled: "Never have Chris Collinsworth commentate on another Philadelphia Eagles game."
Collinsworth, who works for NBC, was in the booth with Al Michaels for the Eagles' win against the New England Patriots Sunday in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. He also called the game with Michaels in 2015 and 2012.
He drew a large amount of criticism for his call of Sunday's game from fans claiming he showed bias toward the Patriots.
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Philly.com ran the headline: "NBC's Cris Collinsworth couldn't accept the Eagles scored a touchdown during the Super Bowl," after hearing Collinsworth's performance. Chicago Tribune sports reporters also called Collinsworth's commentary "partisan." Even a Pennsylvania congressman tweeted that Collinsworth should "never be allowed to call a game again."
"Chris Collinsworth is the most biased and horrible commentator ever," the Change.org petition reads. "Being a Philadelphia Eagles fan and having to listen to him constantly talk about the Patriots and hardly ever the Eagles during the game made it almost unbearable."
"As a professional he has a duty to if not be unbiased at least try to make the game enjoyable for all viewers. His constant fawning over Tom Brady and the Patriots the entire game was disgusting, making it sound like he was a local Boston radio personality and not a commentator for a nationally syndicated football game. His performance brought back recent memories of the horrible job Pete Morelli and his officiating crew did against the Panthers earlier in the year. Please NBC discipline him or at the very least keep him to only commentating on Patroit games who he so very much loves."
Cris Collinsworth can never be allowed to call a game again. It’s a catch and a TD. #FlyEaglesFly
— US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) February 5, 2018
The 59-year-old broadcaster started out in radio after his eight-year career as a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. Collinsworth made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons with the Bengals.
