In case you missed it, the Friars Club held their gala Roast of Boomer Esiason on Thursday over lunch at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel — taking full advantage of Super Bowl week in New York City.
Of course, the Super Bowl actually is being played Sunday in New Jersey.
So New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made an appearance at the dais to roast Esiason and remind everyone of this. Among other things.
After a slow start, a Marino dig gets Christie into the crowd’s (and Esiason’s) good graces, and then he’s off to the roasting races. Upon learning Boomer isn’t from New Jersey but in fact from Long Island, Christie quipped: “Long Island? I mean, that’s like Staten Island without culture!”
Christie also jokingly announced his campaign plans for 2016, recalled booing Boomer when Esiason played for the New York Jets from 1993-1995 (following his more successful years as QB of the Cincinnati Bengals)
There were plenty of actual comedians at the Friars Club Roast, too — emceed by Jeff Garlin — but we’ll not denigrate them by lumping them into this post with Chris Christie.
Roll the clip!
Proceeds from the Friars Club Roast will benefit the Boomer Esiason Foundation, as well as the Gift of Laughter Wounded Warrior Program, a project of the Friars Foundation that has responded to the long-term plight and recovery of military service members injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(Top photo by Larry King, showing Chris Christie roasting Boomer Esiason while Dan Marino (left) looks on.)