Boston’s FOX 25 blows off the National Anthem before the ALCS
Posted by: Richie Rich in 2007 MLB Playoffs, Announcers, Indians, Red SoxOkay - This might go down as one of the worst displays of TV Sports Journalism in the history of TV Sports Journalism.
Friday night, Boston’s FOX 25 was doing their pregame for Game One of the 2007 American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians …
But there’s something interrupting their broadcast.
- A drunken streaker?
- A F-14 flyover?
- Jonathan Papelbon?
No, just that pesky National Anthem …
During the National Anthem at a sporting event, you’re supposed to stop what you’re doing, stand up, remove your hat, and maybe even put your hand over your heart - and by all means … you sing. If you’re gonna protest it, either sit down or stand up and turn your back to the flag (I don’t recommend this, but if you’ve gotta, this is the way to go).
And if you’re a TV/radio announcer on Live TV and it catches you off guard… you stop midsentence and stay silent during the Anthem. Your thoughts on the starting lineups will wait.
Kudos to whoever is behind the camera (during the roster graphics) that told these two to stop their report and pay respect to the flag and their country. I’m not sure, but there might be someone in the crowd telling them to stop too.
At least Dwight Evans (the older broadcaster) looked really uncomfortable doing it.
Thanks to the commenters who gave me the name of Butch Stearns (the little pipsqueak).
Entries (RSS)
October 13th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I’m shocked at Dwight Evans there not stopping for the National Anthem especially being an old Red Sox player. Of course, he may not have known the protocol. And I am not defending them by any means at all.
They should be ashamed of themselves and be banned from broadcasting from the Fens anymore.
October 13th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Wow, this is terrible. Linking to it now.
October 13th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
In the news broadcast which followed the game, the sports guy apologized for both he and Dwight Evans for talking over the anthem. I think it was a case of them being just a little over zealous.
October 13th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Many times when I’ve listened to Cubs games at work in Minneapolis, we hear the live feed come in at the anthem, and of course Pat Hughes waits until it’s done before launching into his pregame introduction of Cubs legend Ron Santo. How odd to hear those beantown bozos talking over it.
October 13th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Fox announcers doing something stupid? Don’t see that every ten minutes.
October 13th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Another fine example of “fair and balanced” by FOX.
October 14th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
“Your were not listening”……?
October 14th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Local sports guys might be slightly excused because they never never never show the anthem during the regular season. Ever. ( Maybe on opening day, but that might be all. ) They probably didn’t realize it was being broadcast.
October 14th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
The reporter is Butch Stearns. He’s an idiot. When the whole Aqua Teen Hunger Force bomb freakout happened, someone mentioned Time Warner, which caused him to ask “Wait a minute, is that the Times Corporation also that owns the Red Sox?”
October 15th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Not suprised at all that Butch Stearns is the reporter. He’s a meatball. The guy grabbed the World Series trophy in ‘04 and was screaming (on the air) “Who looks better than me with this?!?!”
I am suprised about Dewey, however. Maybe he just didn’t know what to do. I hope.
October 15th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
What about the poor woman who sang the anthem, probably told all her friends to watch, only to not just be omitted from being seen on the telecast, but also was BARELY HEARD in the background!!! FOX should be ashamed of themselves.
October 15th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Butch Sterns is obnoxious. Also it looked like Dewey Evans was resisting going along with him.
Butch Sterns ALWAYS is annoying
October 15th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Another reason The Red Sox are just not a classy organization, with men and women overseas, the anthem representing them and the whole nation, these clowns are doing an interview. Go Indians!
October 15th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Cant really blame Butch on this one.
If they say “ok, you’re on!”, what are you supposed to do?
I blame the producers, not Butch.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Hey Sparks58, the Red Sox aren’t classy? If you know anything about Boston, you’d know that Fox 25 has nothing to do with the Red Sox, is not owned by the Red Sox, and is just a second-rate TV station trying to be a big player in town. Know what you’re talking about, you clown.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
It’s a freaking song!
October 15th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
“…no class– Go Indian”!? Yeah, “Indians” and “Chief Wahoo” are quite classy by comparison. Knucklehead!
October 15th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
That has to be about the most classless, no honor, performance I have ever seen.
October 15th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
What about the poor woman who sang the anthem?
That was no woman, that was a little Cancer Kid
October 15th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Hope it isnt unpatriotic to laugh at these morons!…lmao!
October 15th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
omg now that was funny!!!!!!fell off my chair laughin at those morons…
October 16th, 2007 at 9:47 am
What a couple of “JERKOFFS”. You can tell the guy on the right is clearly uncomfortable, he should have just stopped. The other buffoon, just wanted to hear himself talking. He probably is watching the loop on you tube, just to see and hear himself. Real Classy, GO INDIANS!!!
October 16th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
I got news for you, You can tell they are uncomfortable that they are doing thier standup during the Anthem. I will just bet that it was a $10 a hour, freshly graduated, Make your Own Music Video TV School Producer in his is 1st job who was way over his head yelling in thier IFB’s to do the standup.
I feel for those guys, I have been on the end of new producers who dont have a clue what they are doing. spend $60k for school, learn from a book and think they can do a Live Broadcast, Yeah Right.
Well there goes his Sports Emmy and hopefully he’s now an intern at the local cable public access or better yet, looking at going to school for Home Decorating.. after all, dont we need some more Home Make over shows on TV?
October 21st, 2007 at 7:28 pm
FOX IS A BUNCH OF PUKES
October 22nd, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Butch Stearns, like most other sports media hacks, has the intelligence of a Wal-Mart door greeter. Thanks to schmoozing and kissing butt and generally just being in the right place at the right time, Butch is a sports media hack instead of a Wal-Mart door greeter. But Butch takes the prize for being one of the most hated sports media hacks in Boston for several reasons besides the one noted here. He’s mostly known as sports media whore, who will show up on the radio and puff out his chest there if there’s beer money at the end of the stint. Butch shows you what comes of Connecticut School of Broadcasting ‘graduates.’
October 23rd, 2007 at 10:43 am
First and foremost, I am appalled at Butch Stearns and Dwight Evans talking through the National Anthem. It was the wrong thing to do, and I don’t condone their actions.
However, I do take issue with the above statement of ” it shows you what comes of Connecticut School of Broadcasting “graduates.” ”
I am a CSB grad and am enjoying success in the field now in large part to their training.
Please do not group us together with Butch Stearns and what he did. It is an unfair thing to say.
November 6th, 2007 at 10:00 am
You sheep saying Fox news are a bunch of pukes, etc. etc. are annoying.
Associating local fox news broadcast with the “hated” cable news station is a stretch. It is along the same lines as trying to connect the dots between the Simpsons and Bill O’Rielly.
November 6th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
This is classless. Our nation is choice above all other lands, so we don’t need to have losers to make themselves larger than the anthem.