Update: Awful Announcing has learned this was a technical error with the feed rather than an intentional cut over NFL Network footage being shown at Saunders’ party. The post has been edited to reflect this development.
The fall of Shedeur Sanders was the big story of Round 1 of the NFL Draft, but fortunately, Sanders didn’t have to face endless interview requests and sad shots of him in the Green Bay green room. Instead, Sanders was home in northeast Texas with family at a draft-night celebration.
Of course, ESPN’s all-out coverage of the draft included a live feed peeking into Sanders’s celebration. As Sanders was passed over by the Saints, Steelers, and Giants, the broadcast frequently cut to that feed to get an instant reaction from the Sanders family.
Right after Pittsburgh selected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon over Sanders at No. 21, ESPN cut to the Sanders feed as analyst Louis Riddick gave his strong response to the move. However, as ESPN flashed over, neither their broadcast nor the ABC draft broadcast was on the huge television screens at the Sanders residence.
Instead, Sanders and his loved ones tuned into the NFL Network coverage, which featured a larger-than-life image of Ian Rapoport onscreen.
Within seconds, the feed froze while Riddick’s monologue continued. After a beat, it flashed back to the ESPN desk.
It’s a little funny that the ESPN feed just so happened to cut out with NFL Network being on at the Sanders house before cutting to them. ESPN is reportedly close to the goal line on a deal to acquire NFL Media. That would mean that the NFL Network and all its staff, including Rapoport, may be working for the same telecast in the near future.