The Philadelphia Flyers are apologizing to their fans after last night’s Sabres/Flyers broadcast, but it has nothing to do with how the Flyers played. It had everything to do with an announcer who made a big mistake during a hot-mic moment.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy,” this scene might seem a little familiar to you. A broadcaster is saying inappropriate things, when someone informs them that they’re on the air, and they refuse to believe them.
Last night during the third period of the Buffalo Sabres vs. Philadelphia Flyers game, Flyers play-by-play man Tim Saunders got caught making an inappropriate comment. He said that they were taking a TV timeout, but when the television broadcast split to commercials, for some reason, the radio broadcast was still live. The commentary that continued was not fit for air.
*Beware: NSFW sexual content follows.*
Saunders: “Now they’re going to take the TV timeout. We’ll take it as well, seven (minutes) gone in the third, it’s 3-2 Buffalo on the Philadelphia Flyers broadcast network.”
(pause)
Saunders: “While you’re down there, would you mind blowing me?”
Fridge: “I think we’re still on the air Tim.”
(boisterous laughter)
Saunders: “No we’re not, are we?”
(long pause, then more laughing)
Saunders: “Are we?” (long pause)
The Flyers Responded To The Situation Today
Today, the Philadelphia Flyers responded that there were suspensions coming.
They didn’t say specifically who was being suspended, though. Will they be suspending Tim Saunders, or the person responsible for leaving him on the air when he thought they would be going to a break? While the statement was definitely inappropriate for the air, Saunders didn’t know that what he was saying was being broadcast over the air. He probably had no control over it.
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