ESPN Makes Midgame Change on 'Monday Night Football' After Angry Viewers Complain on Social Media
The chief criticism of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” last year — Jason Witten’s often bumbling and inaccurate color commentary — lingered for the entire season.
This year, it only took ESPN one half to address an avalanche of viewer complaints.
Of course, this year’s blunder was solely self-inflicted.
For some reason, ESPN decided to feature prominently on its on-screen graphics during the Saints-Texans game the one color that can strike fear into a football fan’s heart, instantly turning a touchdown celebration into agony — yellow.
ESPN gave the down-and-distance display a yellow background, making it look similar to the indicator most networks use when there is a penalty flag on the field.
As a result, many viewers were repeatedly tricked into thinking there was a penalty on every play, which is, unfortunately, more accurate than it should be.
MNF has a new scorebug, and uh…. pic.twitter.com/iuzfeUCIUQ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 9, 2019
The graphic flashed after each play, making it look more like a flag had been thrown.
Dear ESPN, please stop using yellow in your Monday Night Football down-and-distance graphic: https://t.co/htLlQOUdvL pic.twitter.com/y2I3nc54Dv
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) September 10, 2019
That bright yellow graphic to show down and yardage needs to go @espn!
It looks like a flag is popping up on every single play (and really it’s only usually like every other play).
— Jimmy Spencer (@JimmySpencerUN) September 9, 2019
Not a single person at ESPN looked at this graphics package and thought “hey it looks like there’s a flag on every play with this yellow pill in the bottom right corner”?
— Anthony Masterson (@MasterTones) September 9, 2019
ESPN needs to change the yellow graphic on the bottom right of the screen. I keep thinking it’s a flag. Whose idea was this?
— Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) September 9, 2019
The anger was apparently so widespread that ESPN decided the problem needed to be addressed immediately, and changed the graphic to black for the second half.
Breaking: ESPN is switching away from the new Down-And-Distance graphic it debuted in the first half of Monday Night Football. ESPN heard the fans’ feedback and acted, quick.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 10, 2019
ESPN legit changed the down and distance graphic from yellow to black mid-game because of the Twitter uproar ?? pic.twitter.com/Qm64MNEKFv
— TLM Sports (@thelinemovement) September 10, 2019
Just like that, ESPN managed to shoot itself in the foot and bandage itself back up within two hours.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
