At times, reporting on sports can take on a whimsical tone akin to Dr. Seuss. This was precisely the case following a baseball game between the Blue Jays and Yankees on a recent Sunday, where the encounter between Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk and Yankees pitcher Jake Cousins, who incidentally shares a last name with Kirk Cousins, sparked considerable amusement.
The delightful wordplay and intersection of the MLB and NFL did not escape the notice of the internet community. A screenshot shared by Blue Jays Today captured the moment when Kirk faced Cousins at the plate, with the box score displaying “Kirk / Cousins,” accompanied by the caption “Kirk just faced Cousins who is Kirk Cousins’ cousin.”
There are numerous delightful layers to unpack here, making it a potentially legendary natural event of the week, overshadowing even a solar eclipse, for some observers.
Kirk just faced Cousins who is Kirk Cousins cousin pic.twitter.com/1yIME5xTHy
— Blue Jays Today (@TodayJays) April 7, 2024
Firstly, let’s dissect the Cousins family connections. Many sports enthusiasts are familiar with Kirk Cousins as an NFL quarterback, formerly associated with the Minnesota Vikings and now preparing for a new chapter with the Atlanta Falcons. The mere sight of “Kirk/Cousins” on the screen during a Major League Baseball game could have elicited chuckles or bemused reactions on its own.
However, the plot thickens with the revelation that the pitcher, Jake Cousins, in this particular matchup is indeed Kirk Cousins’ cousin. It’s a mind-boggling coincidence! Kirk’s surname happens to denote a familial relationship, and Jake is precisely that relative to Kirk. One can’t help but experience a moment of disbelief akin to witnessing a double rainbow!
https://twitter.com/explore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1777169550368264292%7Ctwgr%5E5cef35c50e82051d5314e2ad5f9d355a0dfb31b5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Finternet-goes-wild-for-wordplay-of-alejandro-kirk-facing-off-against-kirk-cousins-cousin
It seems I’m not alone in my astonishment, as the Blue Jays Today post has sparked equally seismic reactions. References range from classic movie quotes like “Einhorn is Finkle and Finkle is Einhorn” from Ace Ventura, to observations about the football-like timing of the game, being on a Sunday afternoon.
Memes have also emerged, including nods to Kirk Cousins’ famous post-game catchphrase, “You like that!?” And of course, there’s the inevitable dropping of metaphorical coffee mugs as the realization sinks in, reminiscent of a scene from The Usual Suspects.