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Fox’s Terry Bradshaw causes stir with ‘bucket of chicken’ comment

An attempt at an inside joke by former NFL quarterback and Fox studio analyst Terry Bradshaw during the Fox halftime show on Sunday has caused a bit of a controversy.

While describing Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush's remarkable 18-yard touchdown run against the Indianapolis Colts, a play where Bush made half the Colts defense look completely silly, Bradshaw took a shot at his colleague, former NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson.

"Look at this, Jimmy," said Bradshaw, "like he was chasing that bucket of chicken that the wind was blowing the other day."

Because Bush is African-American, many have jumped to the conclusion that the mention of a bucket of chicken means there was a racial element to Bradshaw's comment. In the video, Fox studio host Curt Menefee, who is African-American, audibly groans and asks, "What are we going to do with him?"

[More NFL: Watch: Chuck Pagano gives truly inspiring speech at Colts game]

On Monday morning, Menefee took to Twitter to say that Bradshaw's comment was actually an inside joke at Fox, where Johnson's love of fried chicken has apparently reached a mythical status, and that this whole affair is much ado about nothing.

While the focus of online reports has been on the "chasing that bucket of chicken" part of the comment, the first part ("Look at this, Jimmy") and third part ("that the wind was blowing the other day") is a good indicator that the comment, while ill-advised, was intended for Johnson, not Bush. Was it funny? To Bradshaw, Johnson and some of the people in the Fox studios, perhaps. To the thousands of people watching at home who for some reason hadn't turned the channel to another game or the NFL RedZone Channel, probably not. The biggest ramification from this incident will likely be the bosses at Fox telling Bradshaw to leave the funny to Rob Riggle.

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