WATCH: Andrew Luck drinking tea and getting British etiquette lessons
Andrew Luck is now an expert at more than just throwing footballs.
By
Jared Dubin
•
3 min read
Andrew Luck may be one of the frontrunners for NFL MVP this season, but that doesn't mean he's good at everything. He learned that the hard way when the NFL sent him to London for tea time and some tips on British etiquette. What did they call this excursion?
Of course. Great name. And who was involved in this thing? Well, for one: NFL quarterback Andrew Luck.
Who would teach him the etiquette?
Why, etiquette expert William Hanson, of course. Now, let's walk through Hanson's helpful tips.
1. Sit with your knees "sort of together," but not so much that it's uncomfortable.
Always good advice. You don't want to have your legs spread wide and bump into the person sitting next to you.
2. Before we start, we need to get ready to start.
What does this mean? It means we need to unfold our napkin. How do we do that? By unfolding it like a normal person unfolds things, but definitely not with "a big, theatrical flick" like some waiters would do. Once it's unfolded, we place it on our lap, with the crease towards us.
3. What is amuse-bouche and how do we eat it?
We eat amuse-bouche with a spoon. Hold the stem of the glass, and just go in and eat it. Bring it up to your mouth rather than leaning over the table, which is fine for soup or spaghetti but not amuse-bouce.
4. If you don't like amuse-bouche, what do you do?
5. If you are the host and a guest does not like your amuse-bouche, do not ask, "Did you not like it?"
That's rude.
6. If your host is rude and asks if you liked the amuse-bouche, speak the truth.
"I didn't care for it," is NFL quarterback Andrew Luck's suggestion for what to say if you do not like the amuse-bouche.
7. How should you hold a tea cup?
This is NFL quarterback and tea novice Andrew Luck's "natural" tea cup grip.
Is he doing it correctly? Of course not. That's a terrible grip. Let's check in with our etiquette expert.
Pinch with the thumb and forefinger, while using the middle finger to support the bottom. Let's see Luck's newly corrected grip.
Beautiful. Make sure to look into the cup, not over it, while drinking. It's not a murder mystery, Hanson notes.
8. Sandwiches
Vernon (there's a guy named Vernon taking these lessons with Andrew Luck) gets the first choice of sandwich because he came dressed appropriately for tea (i.e., in a suit). NFL quarterback Andrew Luck goes next because he wore a button-down shirt with chest hair hanging out and didn't even bother to shave.
When faced with the following selection, what should Luck choose?
Go with the salmon, Andrew Luck. Follow your heart.
Salmon!
"I'll have some lox," Luck says. Good choice.
Wait for everybody to make their choice before you start. And no, Andrew, it is not "free-for-all" once everyone gets their first choice. After that, you take a piece of one of the sandwiches so that the rest of the people at tea can share with you.
9. How to use a napkin
If you have serious chocolate on your face ... well, you won't, if you've eaten it properly.
INTERLUDE: WHAT IS THE LOCKER ROOM?
10. We do not vote people off the table, like Survivor.
William Hanson, etiquette expert, was not thrilled with that suggestion.
11. Dress appropriately.
Casual dress is not encouraged, even if it is going to be a long day with a fair bit of walking. If you're not in London, you may be able to get away with not wearing a tie. In London, though? Ties, always.
So how do we fix this whole situation?
Not with a cowboy hat (which Luck doesn't have, despite being from Texas) or cowboy boots (which he does), but a jacket, Hanson says. A plain, navy jacket, because that shirt is "loud," apprently. (Note: That shirt is not actually all that loud, but then again, this is London, where ties must always be worn to tea.)
12. Don't tattle.
13. Andrew's turn to teach.
"American football is a game of territory. One team tries to gain territory and end up in the promised land. The other team tries to stop you from gaining that territory."
And there you have it. That's all you need to know. If you just follow those simple rules, you will be able to have tea in London with NFL quarterback Andrew Luck, etiquette expert William Hanson, and Vernon.
