Chicago Sports Anchor Takes Brave Stand Against Viral Highlight Packages

Chris Long — not the former football player with perfect tattoos but a different one — worked no fewer than 45 references to Taylor Swift into a KSTP TV sports update over the weekend to coincide with the pop star swinging through town.

We've seen this type of behavior before across the pop culture universe and it's a perfectly fine way to spice up an evening shift and get attention for the station. The creativity is always appreciated and we'll probably be posting efforts from this genre for as long as the website exists.

But not form WGN's Pat Tomasulo. So please, stop asking him to do one.

"Someone forwarded me this and someone the other day forwarded me this weather guy who puts a song reference in every one of his forecasts, he's like this big TikTok guy," Tomasulo said on today's morning show. "And these people, they send these videos to me and [they're] like, I'd love to see you do this. It offends me on like a celluar level. It's fine what they do but it's like you people don't even know me at this point. You think I'm going to start slipping in 90s hip-hop references? That's not the currency I trade in. Cynicism. That's what I do. If it's happy, don't tell me about it."

Finally, someone on a morning zoo crew that's committed to being sardonic. And someone who is proud of it.

Respect.

If you don't like this, try getting up at 3:30 in the morning for 15-20 years or however long Tomasulo's been doing the highlights over there and report back what it does for your psyche. Perfectly understandable stance.