While the Detroit Lions’ 40-34 win over the San Francisco 49ers had little impact on the NFL playoff picture, it might leave a lasting legacy for a meme from an unlikely source: Lions kicker Jake Bates.
The 25-year-old rookie was captured by ESPN’s Monday Night Football cameras rolling out a cramp on the floor with a softball on the Detroit sidelines in a hilariously suggestive motion. Outside of a scrap between 49ers receiver Jauan Jenning and Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, Bates’ rollout might have been the moment of the game.
Reporter Lisa Salters emphasized that Bates received no treatment for a stiff hip. “You’ve probably done that at home when youve had a knot in your body somewhere,” she told announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. “I asked him how he was doing; he said he was fine.
Buck acknowledged just how silly the clip of Bates on the ground was. “[Well] that explains the video we just showed. Hes laying on something! Aikman chuckled in the background.
Fans on social media couldn’t help but chime in. Popular Cowboys podcaster Marcus Mosher put forth a sweeping verdict: “That Jake Bates video is very memeable.”
“Babe wake up. New Jake Bates meme just dropped,” one fan commented. “Leg-a-tron,” another said, paying homage to former Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (nicknamed ‘Megatron’).
“Jake Bates is getting there on the sideline,” posted the popular Barstool account Pardon My Take. The sexual references didn’t stop there, as one fan commented, “Lions kicker, Jake Bates on Monday Night Football: I want you to draw me like one of your French girls.
The rolling clearly worked for Bates – he came in and converted on a 42-yard field goal to increase Detroit’s lead to 34-28. On the night, he would connect on both his field goal attempts (including a 57-yarder) while canning two of his four extra points.
Bates’s extra point try in the first quarter was blocked. On the season, he’s made 25 of his 28 field goals and 60 of his 63 extra points.
The Lions signed Bates after a successful season with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL. His 64-yard kick was the longest in league history and helped him make the All-UFL Team.
Meanwhile, his counterpart Jake Moody (who wasn’t filmed seductively stretching) once again did not have his best game, missing two field goals and an extra point.
Moody, a 2023 PFWA All-Rookie selection, saw his field-goal conversion percentage drop from 84.0 percent in 2023 to 76.7 percent this season.
Leave a Reply