We’ll never live down the fact, in early 2007, we posted an item regarding rumors that Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw had died. Never mind the fact that we were merely citing reports from Shreveport television stations or that we obtained word from a FOX source within five minutes that the rumors were not true.
We were, are, and always will be the news outlet that prematurely killed Terry Bradshaw.
ESPN had a similar gaffe during Monday morning’s SportsCenter, though it likely won’t stick to Bristol with the same kind of tombstone permanence. During the live SportsCenter, anchor Sage Steele proclaimed that new Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb will face the Eagles for the first time on Monday, October 26.
Some of you pointed out that October 26, 2010 isn’t a Monday; it’s a Tuesday. But, in 2009, October 26 was a Monday. And that’s relevant in this context because Steele’s information came from a perusal of the 2009 schedule.
Yes, someone at ESPN who draws a paycheck (but may not be for much longer) was not aware that the NFL has not yet announced the regular-season schedule for 2010, and then compounded that error by relying upon the 2009 schedule as the resource for the timing of McNabb’s reunion with the Eagles.
We’re not knocking ESPN on this one. It shows that we’re all human, and that as such we’re capable of making really stupid mistakes from time to time.
Terry Bradshaw undoubtedly agrees.