Jesse Palmer apologizes for demonstrating Horns Down taunt

Mack Brown doesn't like it that opponents get to tweak Texas's traditional hand salute by displaying the Hook 'Em Horns sign upside-down. Early in the TCU-Texas broadcast Thursday night, ESPN's Jesse Palmer showed off what the sign looks like when turned into a taunt. Two quarters later, he apologized and offered a conciliatory, "Hook 'Em."

Everybody was unhappy about this:

ESPN anchors REALLY went out of their way to apologize for the half-hearted Horns Down from earlier.

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 23, 2012

So because @espn is in bed with the #Horns, Jesse Palmer had to give an apology for this Horns down. Pathetic. twitter.com/johnehoover/st…

— John E. Hoover (@johnehoover) November 23, 2012

Mack Brown requested that TCU be penalized 15 yards for Jesse Palmer's horns down.

— cuppycup (@cuppycup) November 23, 2012

Breaking: DeLoss Dodds & the #Big12 have conditionally accepted Jesse Palmer’s apology. He’ll be calling his cable provider in the morning.

— Jason Zimmermann (@jzimmermann11) November 23, 2012

ESPN just had Jesse Palmer give a apology for the horns down.... Fucking kidding me?

— LandThieves (@LandThieves) November 23, 2012

And there was way, way more than that. I dunno if we should assume that because ESPN has a relationship with Texas that's unlike the relationship it has with every other school in the country, this apology was forced from on high. However ... is that the perception risk you take when you set up a special network that pumps money into just one team while also covering every other team?

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