ESPN wreck US national anthem with embarrassing mistake as Trump watches on | NFL | Sport
Even before kick-off of the College Football Playoffs National Championship between Miami and Indiana on Monday evening, the occasion became a major talking point following ESPN’s embarrassing broadcasting mishap during the United States national anthem. After Donald Trump received a notably loud and revealing response when displayed on the big screen, what ought to have been a standard ceremonial opening went awry after audiences heard persistent microphone tests intrude upon the live broadcast during the anthem.
Vocalist Jamal Roberts, the American Idol season 23 champion, performed before an anticipated crowd exceeding 70,000. Florida Memorial University’s Ambassador Chorale also delivered “America the Beautiful,” whilst local secondary school pupils provided an American Sign Language interpretation. Rather than silence, hat removal, and hand-over-heart gestures, TV viewers encountered a voice continuously stating “check, check, check” throughout the transmission.
Online spectators questioned how a live microphone test could have reached broadcast during one of the evening’s most-watched segments, particularly during a patriotic moment in front of US President Donald Trump.
The blunder appeared to stem from unchecked or inadequately muted microphone feeds, permitting production audio to talk over the anthem.
The mishap also overshadowed Trump’s entrance for the national championship, leading ESPN personality Pat McAfee to express concern that his presence might postpone kick-off.
No postponement materialised, and McAfee was the sole ESPN College Gameday presenter on a panel which featured Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, who backed the Hoosiers for victory.
What rendered the mistake particularly concerning for ESPN was its repetition. Several viewers pointed out that the identical “check check check” microphone-check problem occurred on ESPN less than a month previously during Gonzaga’s December 14 triumph over UCLA at the Seattle Hoops Showdown.
The Indiana Hoosiers saw off the Miami Hurricans 27-2 to win the school’s first ever national championship.
