ABC Makes A 'Big Yikes' Blunder In Introducing Knicks-Heat Halftime Show
ABC was not in postseason form as it introduced the halftime show of the New York Knicks-Miami Heat playoff game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. (Watch the video below.)
The network oddly cut to stock imagery of the long-gone World Trade Center with no context, jarring viewers, Awful Announcing reported. And it stayed there for several seconds as the footage promoted MetaQuest’s presentation of “ESPN on ABC’s” halftime report.
This did in fact air on ABC. https://t.co/hsDSYXQUg6pic.twitter.com/mnOFk8hvrd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 30, 2023
Broadcasters sometimes use canned images or skyline video of the host team’s city during a game, but usually it’s contemporary. Historical background for an upcoming segment or perhaps a whimsical nod to the past with brief commentary can be exceptions.
This was not.
The twin towers collapsed shortly after passenger jets hijacked by terrorists rammed into them on Sept. 11, 2001. The iconic skyscrapers don’t really make for a jaunty intro to a sporting event segment.
“We mistakenly used an old stock image and we apologize,” an ESPN spokesperson told the New York Post after the Knicks lost Game 1.
Fans let the broadcasters have it on Twitter, calling it a “big yikes” moment and also joking about the blunder.
“It’s from the last time the Knicks were relevant,” one wrote.
How does this happen?
— Brad Christian (@Btchristian2000) April 30, 2023
Severely overproduce every segment of every broadcast but this slides by🤦♂️
— Kevin Kuzma (@Kuzmanomics) April 30, 2023
Weird fleeting feeling when it happened. The usual gulp and kick in the nuts feel whenever you see it. Then the comical wondering about who screwed that up.
— donny (@roryhaze) April 30, 2023
Here is a pic of the random fan they interviewed pic.twitter.com/4RtjHjiD83
— Jason Ciani (@jasonciani) April 30, 2023
It’s from the last time the Knicks were relevant
— Vito - off szn (@FinsFan2992) April 30, 2023
Ok that’s a big yikes @awfulannouncing
— Elijah Fox (@captainroyal99) April 30, 2023
Further proof the media is pathetic and taking shortcuts. Says a lot about their entire production staff.
— Blu Lola (@BluLola1) May 1, 2023
Not really good to associate a sporting event with a hallowed sacred structure
— Jay Ond (@jay_ond) May 1, 2023