Terry Bradshaw has never shied away from the camera. The Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-longtime FOX analyst has been a familiar face in American living rooms for nearly three decades. But lately, that familiarity has come with more concern than comfort. Before his latest major blunder, we’d like to take you back in time. Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Bradshaw candidly admitted to PEOPLE that the backlash to his 2023 remarks about Andy Reid—telling the coach to “waddle on over” and “have a cheeseburger on us”—caught him off guard. “I am the worst there is,” Bradshaw said, recalling how he called Reid the next day to apologize.

That quote now reads differently after Bradshaw’s latest appearance at the Belmont Stakes. Tasked with delivering the ceremonial “Riders Up” command before the 157th running of the race, Bradshaw incorrectly welcomed viewers to the 137th running instead. The mistake was immediate, glaring, and not lost on racing fans. Social media lit up. “Terry Bradshaw and Chris Fallica, noted horse racing experts, on Belmont coverage. A microcosm of everything wrong with Fox Sports,” one user wrote on X.

But this meltdown has been a long time coming, as this wasn’t a one-off. Bradshaw has developed a track record of on-air blunders that now form a troubling pattern. During a 2024 Bears–49ers game, he misstated the score as 21–0 when it was actually 24–0. He mispronounced Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet’s name as “Zach Cabernet.” Each mistake chips away at his once-reliable persona and adds fuel to a growing conversation about whether he should still be on air.

But the Belmont moment might be the one that sticks. Horse racing fans—many unfamiliar with Bradshaw’s broader appeal—had little patience for what they viewed as a careless mismatch of personality and platform. FOX’s decision to bring in Bradshaw, whose love for horses is genuine but whose delivery was off-mark, struck many as tone-deaf. The network’s attempt to blend sports worlds fell flat, and Bradshaw bore the brunt of the criticism.

Bradshaw, 76, has admitted the end to his career is near. He told Mirror US Sports that he plans to retire after the 2029 Super Bowl, when he’ll be 80. But even he recognizes the tension. “It’s a young man’s game,” he said. “Everybody wants the new.” He added, perhaps half-joking, “If I could just die on the show, think about the ratings, right?” For now, he has two years left on his FOX deal, and while the network seems content keeping a legend in the chair, the calls for change are louder than ever.

Fans are tired of overlooking a repeated Terry Bradshaw pattern

Have you ever watched something and just gone, ‘Wait… what?’ That was the collective reaction when Terry Bradshaw, live on FOX, confidently declared the Belmont Stakes was in its 137th running—when, in reality, it was the 157th. That misfire didn’t just trigger chuckles. It reignited a deeper frustration fans have had simmering for a while now. “Imagine being a horse racing expert and you get your moment on TV… and then you’re placed on equal footing to Terry Bradshaw,” one viewer said. And honestly, who could blame them? When you prep for months and then get upstaged by a Hall of Famer who thinks a 19th-century voodoo queen is still taking calls, it stings.

Remember the Saints voodoo rant, the highlight of Terry’s 2024 season broadcasting? Yeah, the one where he claimed to have phoned Marie Laveau—a legendary figure who died in the 1880s—to help fix New Orleans’ losing streak. He went on about players drinking potions, and by the time he mentioned Derek Carr needing “a little more,” Curt Menefee had to jump in and ask if Terry himself had “a cup of something.” A joke, sure. But for many viewers, these bits have gone from quirky to questionable.

And that’s where it really starts to bother fans. As one fan flat-out put it: “NBC Sports needs the entire Triple Crown. Fox Sports is bad. Terry Bradshaw bad.” Harsh? Maybe. But it captures the point. FOX’s reliance on nostalgia and crossover star power is wearing thin, especially when it comes at the cost of actual insight. Bradshaw may be a football legend, but on a stage like the Belmont, accuracy and presentation matter. Getting the basic facts wrong? That’s not a good look.

FOX’s strategy of blending personalities across sports isn’t new. They’ve brought in Michael Strahan and even Tom Brady during marquee events. But that only works if the talent fits the moment. Bradshaw’s inclusion in the Belmont broadcast, to one viewer, was exactly the opposite: “Fox broadcast was horrible today.” No sugarcoating. No grace period. Just blunt honesty from fans who have been patient—maybe too patient—for too long. FOX may have the rights through 2030. But if Saturday was any indication, fans aren’t going to quietly tolerate more gaffes in the name of charm.