NFL punter A.J. Cole left Winnipeg with a win and a geography lesson
NFL rookie A.J. Cole landed in Canada ready to play football. What he got was a geography lesson and mocked on Twitter.
Cole, who played football at Woodward Academy, was photographed as the Oakland Raiders landed in Winnipeg for a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
The Raiders tweeted a photo of Cole and Daniel Carlson sporting Winnipeg gear.
Looks like @DanielCarlson38 and @AJCole90 are ready for 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/Is0m7MqoY3
— Oakland Raiders (@Raiders) August 21, 2019
But it wasn’t long before an error on Cole’s shirt made him the butt of jokes.
"What the (expletive) is going on here?" Marc Silva tweeted a couple of hours later.
Winnipeg, Alberta! Oh come on. Seriously guys????? One Google search... just one. It’s Manitoba.
— Kim 🎈 (@KimBabij) August 22, 2019
We can’t wait to visit you in Oakland, Nevada 😏
— WPG Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) August 22, 2019
Winnipeg, Alberta? pic.twitter.com/mLWNo8l9a1
— Jason (@SubduedTheatrix) August 22, 2019
Cole responded to his faux pas and the ribbing on social media with humor, which infamously polite Canadians seemed to appreciate.
apologies to the citizens of Winnipeg, Manitoba... just a kid from Atlanta, Florida playing football in Oakland, Nevada with a low geography IQ @Raiders https://t.co/oh0i2tJbNR
— AJ Cole III (@AJCole90) August 22, 2019
It’s all good @AJCole90, Winnipeg and Alberta are BOTH cool places! Welcome to our city. We hope you and the other players from @Raiders & @packers enjoy your time in Canada. 🇨🇦 @NFL @TSN_Sports @doniveson @nenshi
— Mayor Brian Bowman (@Mayor_Bowman) August 22, 2019
All good dude! We’re Canadian. We forgive you and for some reason we’re sorry. 🤣👍
— Jeff (@BlueandGold71) August 22, 2019
Apology accepted. We’re Canadian after all. 👍🇨🇦
— Twitter Canada (@TwitterCanada) August 23, 2019
Cole said he bought the shirt on Amazon, and a quick search reveals more than 50 items featuring "Winnipeg, Alberta."
But Cole left Canada redeemed, wearing a shirt of the Winnipeg Jets hockey team.
yesterday we landed in Winnipeg, Alberta... today we are leaving Winnipeg, Manitoba with a win and a lesson on provinces! #GoRaiders 🇨🇦 https://t.co/s2kOC5zNyG
— AJ Cole III (@AJCole90) August 23, 2019
Cole saw playing time in Winnipeg. In the first quarter, he "placed a punt at the Packers' 12-yard line, prompting the P.A. announcer to call it 'a 30-yard punt — in essence to the 2-yard line,' " the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
"The Raiders' 22-21 preseason win over the Packers in Winnipeg took place on a short field after concerns arose over the condition of the end zones at Investors Group Field."
About the Author
Nancy Clanton is a lead producer for The AJC's platforms team, but also writes stories about health, travel, events and entertainment. A native of Knoxville and graduate of the University of Tennessee, she has worked at the AJC for 24 years.
