ESPN debuted a new down-and-distance graphic on for their 2019 Monday Night Football opener between the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints. The graphic was yellow, leaving viewers annoyed and confused.
That’s the same color viewers are used to seeing on football broadcasts when a flag has been thrown for a penalty.
And for penalties, the down-and-distance graphic turned black with “FLAG” (featuring a yellow outline and yellow letters) to only make things more confusing.
Here’s a look at it in action:
And here’s a sampling of Twitter reaction:
Checks to see if anyone else is wildly annoyed by ESPN’s yellow graph … OK, you’re on it.
— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) September 10, 2019
https://twitter.com/LandryLocker/status/1171201842283458561
i still cant get over how ESPN thought the yellow down markers were a good idea. Love thinking there is a flag every play
— Jon Reed (@Jon__Reed) September 9, 2019
https://twitter.com/lbrgdl/status/1171199731487379457
Well, after just one half of the Texans-Saints game, ESPN got rid of the yellow down-and-distance graphic on MNF.
Here’s what the down-and-distance graphic looks like now (the “FLAG” graphic remained the same):
So, while the original graphic was nonsensical, at least ESPN quickly listened to the viewer complaints and made the adjustment.