What is your favorite story about a sports reporter who makes a big mistake on TV?

SanctionII

My favorite is one by none other than Bob Costas.

It was after the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordon won the 1991 NBA title. Bob Costas was in the Bulls locker room, microphone in hand, cameras on, live video being broadcast around the world. Costas was looking for people to interview. He approached a woman he thought was MJ's mother and asked her a question about "how she feels about her son winning his first NBA title". The woman turned to look at Costas and into the camera. She had a very angry look on her face and she snarled at Costas........................ "I AM HIS WIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The look on Costas' face was classic. He realized he made a huge mistake [mistakenly identifying MJ's wife as his mother] on live TV. Not a darn thing he could do about his mistake either. He looked stunned, embarassed and speechless at the same time. The TV techies quickly cut away to another shot, taking Costas and Mrs. MJ off camera, but the damage had been done.

Since then I have never seen a replay of this clip and have never, ever heard anyone question Bob Costas about the incident. I suspect that Mrs. MJ never spoke to Costas again.

bking

<< <i>My favorite is one by none other than Bob Costas.

It was after the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordon won the 1991 NBA title. Bob Costas was in the Bulls locker room, microphone in hand, cameras on, live video being broadcast around the world. Costas was looking for people to interview. He approached a woman he thought was MJ's mother and asked her a question about "how she feels about her son winning his first NBA title". The woman turned to look at Costas and into the camera. She had a very angry look on her face and she snarled at Costas........................ "I AM HIS WIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The look on Costas' face was classic. He realized he made a huge mistake [mistakenly identifying MJ's wife as his mother] on live TV. Not a darn thing he could do about his mistake either. He looked stunned, embarassed and speechless at the same time. The TV techies quickly cut away to another shot, taking Costas and Mrs. MJ off camera, but the damage had been done.

Since then I have never seen a replay of this clip and have never, ever heard anyone question Bob Costas about the incident. I suspect that Mrs. MJ never spoke to Costas again. >>



Read the old ABA history "Loose Balls" for another classic Costas faux pas.

PowderedH2O

This wasn't on television, but on radio. The Saints of the late 70's had Wayne Mack as the announcer and Danny Abramowicz doing color. At one point in a game, Danny got tongue-tied (which happened often) and instead of saying "the returner is back to catch the punt" he swapped the "c" and the "p" on "catch" and "punt". Wayne Mack just was beautiful. "What did you say there Danny?".... silence. "What did you say that returner was doing there Danny?"... silence. "Danny? Danny? What's that returner doing?"... silence. I can only imagine the shades of red on Abramowicz's face.

Connecticoin

Howard Cosell calling a RB a "little monkey" on MNF.

mlbfan2

Here's the clip of Costas and the Jordans. It really happened quite differently though.
link

SanctionII

My memory is off. Thanks for the you tube clip.

Still a classic on camera mistake.

megatron

Bert Blyleven is a classic

We are on live TV!!!!

Not a mistake, but Haray Caray had some classic quotes:

"Aw, how could he (Jorge Orta) lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

"They (Expos fans) discovered 'boo' is pronounced the same in French as it is in English"

TheTalkingWalnut

As a teen watching Rangers games on WOR my buddies and I loved Phil Esposito. Beavis and Butthead would appreciate the double entendres in such phrases as "Petit and Clarke are really banging in the corner" and "Hedberg really wacked him off good". I think ol Phil even once remarked that the Rangers had "shot their wad" during the first period b/c they were playing like crap in the third.

Being New Yorkers, we and everyone we knew swore like sailors. One time Phil said something like "If you're gonna bring the defense up, you better be damned sure you score" or something like that. We didn't think anything of it but after the next commercial break Phil came back profusely apologizing and telling all of the little kids that that wasn't how real hockey players talked. Yeah right.

Of course, Slap Shot was filmed partially in my hometown so maybe we were just a little bit jaded. A different buddy spent a summer in the late 70s hanging out with Goldie Goldthorpe's nephew; right now my buddy is doing 5-8 in Florida for manslaughter. Wonder how Goldie's nephew turned out???

recbball

More Harry Caray Quotes:

"Live from Busch Memorial Hospital"

Talking to Steve Stone about being a catcher, "Steve why would a nice Jewish lad like yourself ever don the gear"

If I think of more I'll let you know, I watched a lot of terrible baseball in my youth, thank god Harry was there.

Estil

How about those clowns on CBS (or is it BSPN?) saying that Kentucky has only 17 Elite Eights when in fact we have 33?

There was also a CNN-SI reporter several years back who goofed when she said that every year Kentucky has won a championship the Yankees won the World Series the same year. The 1948 World Series (KY's first title) was won by the Indians, not the Yankees.

Boopotts

<< <i>How about those clowns on CBS (or is it BSPN?) saying that Kentucky has only 17 Elite Eights when in fact we have 33?

There was also a CNN-SI reporter several years back who goofed when she said that every year Kentucky has won a championship the Yankees won the World Series the same year. The 1948 World Series (KY's first title) was won by the Indians, not the Yankees. >>



Those are pretty egregious errors. Thanks for sharing.

MantleMarisFordBerra

This particular call of McGwire's 62nd always makes me laugh:

NSFW

Estil

<< <i>This particular call of McGwire's 62nd always makes me laugh:

NSFW >>



That's not even real...is it?

DIMEMAN

>>>Howard Cosell calling a RB a "little monkey" on MNF. <<<

I remember that one......cost Howard his job.

That's a good thing because he didn't know beans about Football!!