[null, {"document_url": "http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/10/danyelle-sargents-bill-walsh-gaffe-was.html", "unformatted_src": "http://www.bloguinnetwork.com/awfulannouncing/images/stories/moved.png", "src": "http://www.bloguinnetwork.com/awfulannouncing/images/stories/moved.png", "formatted_filename": "moved"}, null, {"document_url": "http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/10/danyelle-sargents-bill-walsh-gaffe-was.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1OMiSrEJXnY/SQaChhPqUoI/AAAAAAAAMUI/JqTOx1JTLf0/s400/Sargent.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1OMiSrEJXnY/SQaChhPqUoI/AAAAAAAAMUI/JqTOx1JTLf0/s400/Sargent.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Sargent"}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]
Danyelle Sargent's "Bill Walsh" Gaffe Was Used In Violation By Francessa
 Okay, now this makes soooo much more sense. The Danyelle Sargent interview, in which she asked Mike Singletary about a phone call to his deceased mentor Bill Walsh, was never supposed to see the light of day. It was actually a taped piece (which explains her pause after the mistake), and was taken from something called an "open feed" that is used by various news organizations. Via the SJ Mercury News....

Fox producers were understandably mortified and didn't air that portion of the interview. (Interestingly, the "pregame" interview aired after the opening kickoff Sunday, and although it was taped, it could have left viewers with the impression that Singletary was talking to a reporter instead of coaching.)

But the clip was part of the "open feed" that live telecasts use and that news organizations can access for clips and highlights. Mike Francesa, host of New York station WNBC's "Mike'd Up," showed the gaffe late Sunday night.

Dan Bell, Fox's vice president of communications, apologized for the error but said it should have been left on the cutting-room floor.

So here's what happened. Francesa actually used an unauthorized clip from a taped segment and completely made it look like something that went down live. I still think someone working in Football should know if Bill Walsh is alive, but if it was a fixable mistake (which it obviously was), Sargent shouldn't have been embarassed on National Television like that. Bell also issued the following statement that I think sums everything up perfectly....

"We've filed a complaint with the league of them using this. It's unauthorized footage. It's footage that was recorded but that never made our air. If we saw that on a CBS game, we're not going to take that and have one of our stations run with it."

That's a pretty slimeball move by Francesa and WNBC now that the truth is out there, and as I should have mentioned yesterday, there's no one with more dumbass comments and mistakes than Francesa himself.

My apologies to Ms. Sargent for raking her over the coals yesterday, and thanks to JS for sending along the whole story.

Update: Mike Francesa was finally reached for comments and he replied that he was, "unaware it had not been broadcast by Fox. Obviously a mistake was made. If we'd known that, we wouldn't have used it"

Fox reporter's Bill Walsh gaffe wasn't supposed to make the air (SJ Mercury News)
Wait, So It's Wrong To Ask A Guy About A Phone Call He Had With His Dead Mentor? (Awful Announcing)
Posted by Awful Announcing- at 7:42 AM

Labels: A**holes, FOX Sports, Mike Francesa, NFL on FOX, Sideline Reporters


>>>My apologies to Ms. Sargent for raking her over the coals yesterday, and thanks to JS for sending along the whole story.<<<

why apologize? the fact this was an embargoed video doesn't hide the fact this woman's abject ignorance of the NFL.

Oct 28, 2008, 8:40:00 AM

Agree with Mr. Anonymous. Who cares if it was live or a taped fixable error. It was still a tremendous gaffe.

Oct 28, 2008, 8:50:00 AM

Are you serious, dude? For all the heat that Erin Andrews gets, much of it deserved, I don't think she'd ever do something like that.

This is yet another example of why we need to get rid of sideline reporters, or at the very least get rid of all these women "reporters" that don't know anything about the sports that they cover.

Where's Michael Strahan and his peanut butter & jelly sandwich when you need him?

Oct 28, 2008, 9:31:00 AM

You guys are right, no need to apologize. It would be pretty rude of me to walk up to Fred Goldman and ask him how his son is doing.

Oct 28, 2008, 10:58:00 AM

The fact is, someone who makes as many errors as Mike does passed this footage off as though it was live on Fox air, when it wasn't.

Oct 28, 2008, 11:51:00 AM

This women reporter didn't belong on the field in the first place. The only reason she is there is because she is a woman and not a man. She clearly has no grasp or knowledge of football. I find it extremely sexist that woman are hired for these positions with little or no experience over men who are clearly more qualified. Most of the female reporters are nothing but eye candy and it nothing but degrading to rest of the female gender and not good for sports in general. Political correctness strikes again.

Oct 28, 2008, 12:56:00 PM

I'm a broadcast journalist and one who desperately wants to do sideline reporting for the NFL. Nevertheless, since people wouldn't find me sexually appealing and I'm a male, I'll forever lose out to the Michelle Tafoyas and Lisa Salters of the world. Nevertheless, Lisa is hot, so that's all right.

Oct 28, 2008, 3:08:00 PM

Bill Walsh should have never been mentioned in the 1st place. Walsh was never Singletary's mentor. This interview was flawed before it ever began.

The eye candy had no clue.

This speaks volumes about ESPN's hiring practices.

Oct 29, 2008, 9:09:00 AM
