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.
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