A Savannah Bananas player attempted a daring backflip during a CNN interview, only to faceplant spectacularly during the live broadcast.
Social media, of course, went wild, with fans splitting their sides over the fiasco.
The Savannah Bananas, famed for their wacky baseball antics, added another bunch of laughs to their legacy. It wasn’t just a stumble; it was a ripe disaster that had everyone in stitches.
Robert Anthony Cruz, formerly signed by the Washington Nationals to a minor league contract in 2021, took the fall with grace. He seemed a bit stunned that he had missed the flip, which he no doubt has performed thousands of times for fans.
Meanwhile, one of the CNN hosts could clearly be heard muttering “oh Jesus” while Cruz was mid-air. But Jesus did not intervene, and the player was left giving viewers a brutal memory with a resounding thud.
Banana Split: Viral CNN Clip of Savannah Banana’s Star’s Backflip Fail Has Social Media in Stitches
To his credit, CNN host John Berman does his best to continue on with the segment. But the awkward silence for a few moments following the last sound heard on the broadcast – thump – made it nearly impossible to salvage.
“That, what you just saw there, is a brand-new twist on America’s favorite pastime,” he said even as his co-host was holding her head, doing her best to stifle laughter.
Sadly, though, there was no saving things for this Savannah Bananas player, especially when it came to the reaction on social media.
“I know it’s immature, but any time an adult pulls a HEY LOOKIT ME GUYS move like a child, and then biffs it, it fuels me,” one viewer wrote on X.
Another responded, “Should have played dead.”
“It’s the ‘Oh Jesus.. that really does it for me,” one fan added.
I tend to agree. She really predicted that something bad was about to happen.
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What Happened?
Several others on social media attempted to dissect why Robert Anthony Cruz, better known as Coach RAC, fumbled a move that should have been easy for him.
Was it the mic and wire that popped out after he introduced his face to the floor? Were his sneakers not tied properly (one pops off his foot upon the failed landing)?
And we’ll be fair here, Cruz has done some pretty impressive stunts on the field and nails them just about every time. Including catching a baseball while doing a backflip.
The guy knows what he’s doing. Coach RAC took to Instagram to try to explain the blunder, chalking it up to a lack of sleep and possibly a bit of jet lag.
He also pointed out that he has performed similar stunts on television that were a degree or two harder without any issue. To his credit, Cruz has had a great sense of humor about the whole ordeal.
Despite the bruised ego (and possibly face), the player’s blunder boosted the Bananas’ rep for chaotic fun. This mishap simply proves the Savannah Bananas always deliver a bushel of entertainment.
