How football fans reacted to ESPN’s ‘Cougar Tail’ segment

ESPN broadcasters Robert Griffin III and Mark Jones took time to sample a local treat Saturday as they called BYU’s big win against Baylor. The pair snacked on famous “Cougar Tail” donuts after viewing footage of a large group of BYU fans taking turns nibbling on the same one.

“That thing good now,” said Griffin, as his broadcast partner joked that there are probably 300 calories in every bite.

“I just gave back my workout,” Jones said.

What is a Cougar Tail?

As most BYU fans are well aware, Cougar Tails are 15-inch long maple donut bars. They were first sold in 2006, according to Y Magazine, and quickly became one of college sports’ most famous — and best-selling — confections.

“At each 2021 home football game, BYU sold an average of 8,500 Cougar Tails,” Y Magazine reported.

ESPN segment on Cougar Tails

During the ESPN segment on the donuts, Griffin and Jones had fun eating the treat and making fun of fans who appeared to love them a little too much.

Viewers watching the BYU-Baylor game from home also had strong reactions to the footage showing so many BYU fans share a single Cougar Tail.

“That communal Cougar Tail video could be a possible honor code violation,” joked one viewer.

Another said it was more disgusting than the worst football he’d seen on Saturday.

“The shot of like 10 BYU students all sharing a cougar tail and taking bites of that was the most disgusting thing I’ve seen all day and I watched Cals offense today,” he said.

And many other viewers predicted that the students would get COVID-19 — or at least strep throat.

“Didn’t sleep much last night. (I) was trying to process this,” said one man the next morning.

Meanwhile, the official Twitter account for Baylor Athletics must have found the segment tempting. It asked for a Cougar Tail care package.

Jones was also looking forward to enjoying more Cougar Tail after the game.

“I’m going to bring that back and throw it in the microwave at the hotel. Heat that thing up,” he said.