Why did Channel 5 miss the end of the Lions-Rams game? It was a ‘mess up,’ not a storm
KXAS/Channel 5, “The Weather Experts,” gave viewers 2 minutes too much weather Sunday night.
A mistake in the control room Sunday accidentally switched to a routine weather report, cutting off the last 1:52 of the Detroit Lions’ 24-23 NFL playoff victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
The weather segment, reporting a light “dusting” of dry snow and the daily forecast, was meant for NBCDFW’s website, according to an apology delivered by news anchor Katy Blakey nearly 40 minutes later before the regular weather segment.
“A cut in that was supposed to only be on our digital channel ended up covering the end of Sunday Night Football,” weather anchor Rick Mitchell wrote on X.com, formerly Twitter.
Way to pull a Heidi @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/yMYuhjCRCZ
— Brian Ketcham (@CoachKetcham) January 15, 2024
“ I want to apologize for this mess up. It was not our intention to ruin the end of the game for you. ... I don’t blame you. I’m angry too.’
On X.com, former Chief Meteorologist David Finfrock guessed the probable cause: “I am sure that was supposed to be a web broadcast, but I think someone pushed the wrong button and it went out over the air on the broadcast channel instead.”
The game involved two prominent local sons. Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell is from Glen Rose and Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is from Highland Park.
When the telecast suddenly cut to a scene of light snow in Denton, the Lions were running out the clock to celebrate their first playoff victory in 32 years. Campbell was in high school then at Glen Rose.
Viewers missed NBC Sports announcer Mike Tirico describing “one of the most memorable nights in Detroit football” as the cameras showed scenes of jubilant fans.
The flub evoked references to a famous network TV incident on Nov. 17, 1968, when NBC intentionally started the much-promoted made-for-TV movie “Heidi” on schedule at 6 p.m., with quarterback Joe Namath and the New York Jets leading the Oakland Raiders, 32-29.
The Raiders scored twice in the final 42 seconds and won, 43-32, reversing the outcome and beating the gambling point spread while NBC viewers jammed network switchboards.
