November 22, 2017
Darren Rovell, ESPN's sports business reporter, is routinely roasted by sites like Deadspin for acting as a bit of a booster for various products and unvarnished public relations campaigns.
The criticism has obviously never impeded his efforts, or else he wouldn't have been sampling the Sixers' new meat pies, a concession item added at the Wells Fargo Center to riff on Ben Simmons' Australian roots.
Before getting on Rovell's case, I can anecdotally say that I recently tried one (alright, three) of these Four'N Twenty meat pies during a fundraiser for the US Australian Football League's Philadelphia Lady Hawks. They were at Cavanaugh's Headhouse Square celebrating the Australian Football League Grand Final.
These meat pies are something else, let me tell you. They sat tantalizing in a proofing case, glowing under the intense heat lamp, with a tub of gravy right next to it. I will confess that with the gravy, I used a fork and knife. Without the gravy, I just picked it up and ate it like an empanada.
So here's Rovell's review on Twitter.
The @sixers, inspired by Australian star Ben Simmons, are now selling Meat Pies at their games. I put them to the taste test this morning. pic.twitter.com/vgtSDaeLcv
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 20, 2017
There was no gravy, and his use of cutlery apparently was not okay with people from Australia.
darren the public desecration of a four n' twenty pie in the manner of which you have just done is a declaration of war as per the australian constitution we will see you on the battlefield
— wheels (@wheelswordsmith) November 20, 2017
A word of advice, don't use cutlery to eat a Four N Twenty, that's what you've got two hands for!
— James Rate (@J_Rate94) November 20, 2017
— carlosthedwarf? (@carlosthedwarf_) November 20, 2017
Even a police department warned Rovell he wasn't eating his meat pie correctly.
Steady on, you could get cautioned for treating a meat pie like that 😲 #FreshPrince https://t.co/o0SgyKxqat
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) November 20, 2017
Rovell has issued several apologies.
I have been destroyed all day for how I apparently tested out the Australian meat pie being offered at 76ers games. Now that the police are involved, I would like to extend my sincere apologies. https://t.co/HNa24A5YGc
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 20, 2017
I am sorry to all Australians for my lack of understanding on how to eat a meat pie.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 20, 2017
We’ve entered Day Two of the entire nation of Australia bashing me for my handling of a meat pie. It’s apparently now news. pic.twitter.com/kn5w92udH0
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 21, 2017
Honestly, the news here is that you should try these meat pies.
