American Football: abc apologises for monday night intro

i was wondering if it would hit the fan over the introduction to monday nights game, i rather enjoyed it, was the best part of the evening other than seeing the cowboys get whipped...

ABC Sports apologizes for steamy intro to 'Monday Night Football'

By ANDREA ADELSON, AP Sports Writer
November 16, 2004
NEW YORK (AP) -- ABC's ``desperate'' bid at cross-promotion backfired on ``Monday Night Football.''

The network's steamy intro to the Philadelphia-Dallas game, featuring a naked Nicollette Sheridan jumping into the arms of Eagles receiver Terrell Owens, drew complaints from viewers and the NFL.

ABC Sports apologized Tuesday for the segment, used a day earlier to promote the hit show ``Desperate Housewives'' and broadcast just nine months after another football flap -- the Janet Jackson Super Bowl fiasco.


``We have heard from many of our viewers about last night's 'MNF' opening segment and we agree that the placement was inappropriate,'' ABC Sports said in a statement.

The NFL called the intro ``inappropriate and unsuitable for our `Monday Night Football' audience.''

``While ABC may have gained attention for one of its other shows, the NFL and its fans lost,'' NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

The spot showed Owens and Sheridan in an empty locker room, with Sheridan wearing only a towel and provocatively asking Owens to skip the game for her.

After she dropped her towel, he smiled, agreed to be late for the contest and she jumped into his arms. Sheridan was shown only from behind and above the waist after she dropped the towel.

Then the shot panned out to two more stars of ``Desperate Housewives,'' Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman, watching the scene unfold on a television and commenting on desperate women.

The Eagles said they appreciated ABC Sports' apology.

``It is normal for teams to cooperate with ABC in the development of an opening for its broadcast,'' the team said. ``After seeing the final piece, we wish it hadn't aired.''

ABC has broadcast ``Monday Night Football'' with a 5-second delay this season, a precaution after Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at February's Super Bowl.

At halftime of that game, Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Jackson's brassiere, exposing her right breast to a TV audience of some 90 million. The Super Bowl was broadcast on CBS, which was fined a record $550,000 by the FCC

I'm upset that I missed that...

they showed it on sportscenter like 8031590871350987 times tonight. i'm sure you can catch it again. watch nfl live and stuff.

Guys, it really wasn't anything to get excited about. If I were a guy, I'd be more excited about watching the cheerleaders on the sidelines.

haha, maybe we should just watch desperate housewives. it really was nothing to worry about. which is why this whole situation is retarded.

people are making this too big of a deal to begin with

I agree. I was listing to a national morning radio show this morning (Lex and Terry) and they were talking about this. It's so stupid. The way I look at it, there's just a bunch of old fashioned people running the NFL and they don't like sex. If people want to have a hissey-fit about what their kids shouldn't watch, attack the music awards! Their kids watch that crap and the music videos that go with them. Now THERE is some stuff to bitch about. Eww. Pisses me off that they'll attack the NFL but not soap operas or award shows, or anything else like that. I can understand the Janet Jackson thing. Yea... probably was on purpose. I don't care.

Only Sheridan's upper back was exposed and no foul language was used -- in fact, the scene was no racier than what's routinely seen on soap operas. But ABC said it received complaints from viewers who thought it was inappropriate.

ESPN

Took them five months to rule on this?

Wow. Even some road work gets done faster here in Oklahoma than that decision. Maybe the NFL should come here... Then again... maybe not.

Its abit of a joke that any one found it offensive

just noticed that this is my 203rd mail did not realise id hit over 200 lol

[Edited on 3/15/05 by AdyBaby]

Originally posted by ProudAmerican
Took them five months to rule on this?

Moving at the speed of government...

Originally posted by Gibbs Baby!!!

Moving at the speed of government...