In an awkward moment flagged by Awful Announcing, the NFL Network cut off the ceremony honoring Steelers legend Franco Harris, who died Wednesday at age 72. As the late running back’s wife and son were on the field at Acrisure Stadium to accept a jersey to commemorate Harris’s No. 32 being retired by the franchise, the stadium’s public address announcer introduced a video tribute to Harris being played on the big screen.
But fans at home never got to see it. The NFL Network promptly cut to commercial. When the broadcast returned, no further mention of the ceremony was made, and highlights from other NFL action earlier in the day were shown.
The NFL Network had promoted Saturday night’s game between the Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders for weeks — as this week marked the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, arguably the most famous play in NFL history. Harris was the man who made the incredible catch off of a ricochet, and ran the ball in for a touchdown to help his Steelers defeat the Raiders in the 1972 playoffs.
[I was FURIOUS about this last night. I had other obligations at the time this aired live, but I recorded the game specifically to watch the halftime tribute. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that an Intel commercial meant more to the NFL than Franco Harris. (Well, maybe “surprise” is the wrong word.) Fans watching this heavily promoted event only got to see half of it, thanks to the NFL Network’s incompetence and/or greed. It’s absolutely shameful. — Ed]
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