Since last Saturday, the college football world has been at odds with ESPN’s coverage of Aaron Judge’s quest to become the home run leader in Yankee and American League history. Games on ESPN and ABC had to deal with cut-ins for Judge at-bats last weekend, including when Wake Forest drove the length of the field for a touchdown against Clemson.
The frustration multiplied as Judge went homer-less in each at-bat, drawing walks and striking out.
This week, fans were mentally prepared for more cut-ins — and audio! — that they didn’t ask for or search out. Mother Nature delayed the pesky interruptions (albeit briefly), leading to the perfect, sarcastic response from ESPN commentator Sean McDonough during the broadcast of No. 7 Kentucky at No. 14 Ole Miss.
“Oh. What a shame.” McDonough stated dryly. If that seems a little excessive, keep in mind that McDonough was also on the call for Clemson-Wake Forest, so the irritation is compounding as they try and do their job without being interrupted. He wasn’t too happy with it last weekend, either.
No denying it’s a big moment for Judge, but if people wanted to watch baseball, they’d watch baseball.
