Kevin Harlan hilariously improvised the CBS studio update when Nate Burleson couldn’t hear anything

At this point, we have so many examples of Kevin Harlan being an improvising mastermind as an announcer. The commentator, who is perhaps best known for his work as the lead voice of TNT’s NBA coverage, is currently working through his NFL schedule.

As the Minnesota Vikings prevailed over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Harlan didn’t miss a beat. The announcer was so dialed into his work that when he sent it to CBS’s Nate Burleson for a studio update, he essentially did Burleson’s job when the latter’s sound wasn’t working.

Harlan’s partner, Trent Green, was impressed with how the play-by-play announcer seamlessly went from calling the Minnesota game to shouting out a touchdown from another matchup:

Kevin Harlan kicked it to Nate Burleson for a studio update. Burleson couldn’t hear.

So Harlan did the update himself, impressing Trent Green.

“You have called two games at one time. And now you’ve called a studio and a game at the same time.” pic.twitter.com/Pj3Dxvfc5C

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 15, 2024

Imagine if announcers had to do both the play-by-play and game updates of matchups, but they aren’t even watching the latter live. If there were a person who could do it without missing a beat, it’d probably be Harlan.