What the f— are you talking about?<\/p>\n
By now, just about everyone with a social media account has seen the 20-second viral clip of a couple, donned in full Pacers garb, engaging in an animated back-and-forth during the third quarter of Indiana\u2019s 123\u201394 blowout win over the Nets on Thursday night at Barclays Center.<\/p>\n
Coming out of a commercial break on the Pacers\u2019 FanDuel Sports Network broadcast, longtime play-by-play announcer Chris Denari was applauding the impressive number of Indiana fans in attendance on the road in Brooklyn. The cameras panned over to a couple of those fans in Grace and Michael, who were deeply invested in a conversation.<\/p>\n
As Denari lauded the Indiana faithful over the airwaves, Michael\u2014who had no idea the television cameras were on him\u2014was in the middle of making a long point. While he spoke, Grace looked on toward the court taking every word in, only to turn to Michael and ask, \u201cWhat the f— are you talking about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Within the hour, that moment had gone platinum on social media. As of Saturday morning, a clip posted by On SI\u2019s Alex Golden<\/a> on X (formerly Twitter) has collected over 17.2 million views. Just about every big sports brand has posted the moment to their accounts, and the memes continue to roll in.<\/p>\n IM CRYINGGGGGGGG I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND THIS IS JUST HOW WE TALK!!!!!!!!!!!!! https:\/\/t.co\/V9yjPwAP43<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Grace (@gracecamille_) April 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n So, what the f— was Michael talking about, anyway?<\/p>\n In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Michael said they were having a conversation that stemmed from a recent New York Times podcast with Ben Sasse<\/a>, the former Nebraska senator and University of Florida president who announced last December that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Among the many topics discussed on that podcast was the future of liberal arts colleges.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were talking about the academic rigor of a liberal arts education, and essentially how it can be updated for the current economic status and job market,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n (It is worth noting that at the time of their conversation, the Pacers were up by 22 points in the third quarter in a matchup between teams with 19 and 20 wins. This is what the tanking epidemic<\/a> is doing to your fans, Adam Silver.)<\/p>\n \u201cEven saying that out loud, I can hear you yawning through the phone,\u201d Grace told SI. \u201d \u2026 The thing is, Michael and I have been together for four years\u2014wonderful, happy years. But that\u2019s just what we do. We both just talk. He\u2019s frighteningly smart. So what everyone witnessed was me listening to his well-articulated thoughts and responding with what you saw, which was \u2018What the f— are you talking about?\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think that was probably to kill time while I thought of a rebuttal. Because that\u2019s sometimes what you have to do. Sometimes you ad hominem, sometimes you just raise your voice, and other times you actually already have something to say. I think that I did a mix of the two while I sorted out my thoughts. That\u2019s just how we always talk, and it\u2019s fun, and we\u2019re always just doing that. That\u2019s it. It\u2019s so boring.\u201d<\/p>\n While their conversation probably wasn\u2019t as spicy as many initially thought online, the clip itself still will have its place in internet lore. It\u2019s another entry into the growing family of Guy Overexplains Something to Uninterested Girl<\/a> memes we\u2019ve seen over the last decade. But in this case\u2014unlike those other memes\u2014Grace was invested in the conversation, and Michael was fully open to the feedback he received, which made the clip come off as a fiery yet loving exchange between a longtime couple. Which it was, indeed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad they showed that exact moment versus probably 15 seconds later when he\u2019s staring off into the distance and I\u2019m the shrill, annoying person,\u201d Grace joked. \u201cThis is received very well. \u2026 Everyone has been very kind because everyone can relate to being an over-eager sports fan talking to their girl who doesn’t really care that much, maybe. It’s a very relatable moment for many.\u201d<\/p>\n Grace and Michael being in attendance at all Thursday night was a last-minute decision. Michael, a passionate Pacers fan who made sure to point out Indiana\u2019s disappointing season was a result of injuries and not deliberate tanking, usually tries to attend games whenever the team is visiting New York. He found tickets online at a good price and was initially going to attend the game with a friend, but when that friend backed out, Grace was in.<\/p>\n A subway ride and $70 in far-too-pricy concessions later, the two were having an enjoyable and normal night out in Brooklyn. That is, until those FanDuel Sports Network cameras found them in their seats.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have people texting me from high school that I haven’t talked to since I graduated being like, \u2018Was that you?\u2019\u2029It was crazy,\u201d Michael said. \u201cI didn\u2019t notice until I got on the train and I had like 15 text messages, and it’s only gotten worse since then.\u201d<\/p>\n The reaction to Grace and Michael has been largely positive across the internet, save for the expected dosage of online trolls. But there were a few things Michael wanted to address: No, Reddit users<\/a>, they were not planted at Barclays Center by SNL for a skit later Saturday night. And no, the Pacers sweater he wore Thursday night is not a knockoff from DHgate, the wholesale site that many of this article\u2019s readers probably used to buy a Reggie Miller jersey for $20 during college.<\/p>\n \u201cOtherwise, I really appreciate that everyone was reminding me that I have a gorgeous, gorgeous girlfriend who is very, very supportive,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n this is so romantic it\u2019s crazy https:\/\/t.co\/Cs0ieFWBIN<\/a><\/p>\n