Idaho Sportscaster Delivers Segment Impersonating Ron Burgundy, Nails It
He didn’t break character—at all.
That was one of the most impressive aspects of Paul Gerke, the sports director of an Idaho news station, who dressed up as Ron Burgundy and delivered a beautiful sports report Thursday.
Gerke, a member of KIVI in Boise, Idaho, went all the way on Halloween night, going on-air in Ron Burgundy regalia and reading the news like a man whose apartment walls are adorned with lacquered billfish and framed ABBA vinyl covers.
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In other words, he went full Burgundy.
The report was spotted by Samer Kalaf of Deadspin, and while most Ron Burgundy impressions fall flat on their face after 10 seconds, Gerke picked up steam and became exponentially more entertaining as the segment developed.
The broadcast began with Gerke going through the usual Burgundy rhythms and talking about Leon Rice, the “shoot-y hoops coach” in charge of Boise State’s basketball program. He also threw in a pitch for the Dodge Durango (on a network sponsored by Ford, no less).
Gerke spread the shtick on liberally, working in many of the cliched Anchorman lines we all fell in love with nine years ago. Things took a turn for the awesome, however, when the feed returned to Gerke and his half-stunned colleagues in the studio.
The following are some of my favorite lines from the awkward banter that ensued:
“You’re a rioter! You flippin’ over cars last night, Scott?”
“I saw the Red Sox tie again. I hope you washed it. It’s the second time you wore it this week.”
Gerke also took over the weather forecast, because that’s what you do when you’re wearing a red sport coat in a news room.
“Saturday’s got a slight chance of ‘brezzy’…I believed it’s spelled.”
“Flurries…flurries from Dairy Queen.”
“Wednesday, Thursday…30 percent chance of those days happening. Watch out for the apocalypse.”
Well done, Gerke. You took an old, worn-out thing and made it great again. Don’t be surprised if your bit here is funnier than the entirety of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.
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