Usually, when someone is asked to read lips, the lips in question belong to another person. Regarding a viral clip that requires reading the lips of 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Garoppolo expressed ignorance of what was said.
Of what he said.
On Friday, Garoppolo was asked whether he was saying in the clip, “Your plays suck, man.”
“I’ve heard about this clip,” Garoppolo said. “Actually, yeah, we were talking about it yesterday. I don’t know, I can’t read lips. I’m sure I’ve said a lot worse things on the field than that, so I’m glad they caught that rather than something else, but I’m not sure exactly what I was saying, but it is what it is.”
Jimmy, I can’t read lips, either. But I’m pretty sure I could make an educated guess while reading my own lips.
Garoppolo then was asked the broader question of whether friction exists between Garoppolo and coach Kyle Shanahan, or whether his comments were simply made in the “heat of battle.”
“You say a lot of things in the heat of battle that I hope people don’t hear, but no, me and Kyle are cool,” Garoppolo said. “We really are. We’ve been through a lot of different types of seasons, this being no different, but we’re early on in the season still, so we have to, as a team, find our identity. Me and Kyle obviously, just keep working and getting on the same page more and more, but we’ve been through this before and it’s a long process.”
It sure sounds like Garoppolo did indeed say what it looks like he said. And it surely sounds like he has said a lot worse when things aren’t going well.
Regardless, ESPN will should splurge for a dedicated camera for Garoppolo on Monday night, and maybe hire a real-time lip reader. Just don’t ask Jimmy to read his own lips, no new Texas.
