George W Bush leaves NFL fans stunned with rare TV appearance on ManningCast: ‘What a pathetic joke’
George W. Bush left NFL fans stunned after making a shock appearance on ESPN’s ManningCast – but not everyone was happy to see the 79-year-old on screen.
The former president joined Eli and Peyton Manning for their coverage of the Monday Night Football showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders.
Bush, who attended the Cowboys’ game against the Cardinals at the start of the month, swiftly settled into the program and began cracking jokes with the brothers.
At the start of the broadcast, Eli said: ‘When president’s have important addresses to the nation, they often prepare for weeks, if not months. So my question is, how long have you been preparing for this ManningCast appearance?’
‘About ten minutes,’ the former president replied with a wry grin.
He continued: ‘By the way, I’m so pleased to see your faces not on the TV commercial’, before the trio burst into laughter.
Former president George W. Bush made a surprise appearance on ManningCast on Monday
Bush was on hand to watch the MNF showdown between the Cowboys and the Raiders
As they continued their discussions on the Cowboys-Raiders game, fans flooded to social media to react to the 79-year-old’s rare TV appearance – and it’s fair to that some people were left bemused by Bush’s cameo.
One wrote on X: ‘Guess im done watching ManningCast. What a pathetic joke’.
‘Why the hell is George Bush on the manningcast breh,’ another said.
However, there were some NFL fans who did enjoy his surprise cameo.
Another wrote: ‘Watching George W Bush on #Manningcast, he’s still got that old Southern charm to charm’.
‘George W. Bush ! The man’s still got it. Cunning, quick witted, kind and genuine,’ one user said.
At the start of the month, Bush and wife Laura were on the field prior to the Monday Night Football game between the Cardinals and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Bush was caught marveling at the size of Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell as the former president joined the coin toss for the game.
The 43rd president, who served from 2001 and 2009, flipped the coin before kickoff and appeared to be struck by Cardinals veteran Campbell.
Some NFL fans were left bemused by Bush’s TV appearance and voiced it on social media
Meanwhile, other fans enjoyed seeing the 43rd president of the United States on their screens
Bush and his wife Laura recently conducted the coin toss for the Cowboys-Cardinals game
As reported by Arizona writer Darren Urban, Bush was heard on the referee’s microphone as he shook hands with the 6ft 8in, 315lb lineman.
‘Good God, man!’ Bush, 79, said as he sized up Campbell, an NFL veteran who is in his second stint with the Cardinals.
He first joined Arizona in 2008, while Bush was still in the Oval Office. Bush was raised in Texas and served as the state’s 46th governor.
The 79-year-old, a former co-owner of MLB’s Texas Rangers, took part in the pre-game coin toss before the Cowboys’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in November 2024.
