NBC Forced To Apologize After Stanley Cup Celebration Gets Vulgar On-Air
The St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history Wednesday night, and the players didn’t hold anything back in expressing their joy.
In fact, viewers got an earful of some their colorful language during the NBC broadcast.
As Blues players skated around the TD Garden holding up the Cup, the vulgarities were flying left and right.
Blues center Ryan O’Reilly was heard on the air yelling “F—ing right!” when he hoisted the Cup.
How many F bombs did NBC’s mic catch during the Cup skate around?! ??3 or 4 at least!#StanleyCup
— Dave C (@davecdnb) June 13, 2019
It got to the point where NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Emrick issued an apology.
“We do apologize that there is some exultation language that got on. We have taken measures that that microphone is not turned on now,” Emrick said, according to Yardbarker.
The Blues beat the Bruins 4-1 in Game 7 at TD Garden.
O’Reilly, who scored the first goal and assisted on the last, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Conn Smythe Trophy ✔#StanleyCup ✔
Ryan O’Reilly, take a skate! pic.twitter.com/MrVw9jsoxy
— NHL (@NHL) June 13, 2019
He became the first player since Wayne Gretzky in 1985 to score a goal in four straight Stanley Cup Final games, according to ESPN.
“Oh my God. You know, with the way Binner (goalie Jordan Binnington) performed there, he was unbelievable. That first period he made unbelievable saves to give us a chance to get a little mojo going,” O’Reilly said in the postgame interview, before dropping another F-bomb.
“Once we got that lead, we knew we were going to f—ing get it,” he said before immediately apologizing.
“I’m sorry, I apologize,” O’Reilly said. “I’m so amped up, I’m so sorry.”
Ryan O’Reilly dropped the F’bomb and immediately apologized ??… #TrueCanadian
Via @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/xpS2XB63Im
— Bar South N Celly™ (@BarSouthNCelly) June 13, 2019
Emrick just laughed it off.
“I’ve heard that word in hockey before,” he said.
“I’m terribly sorry, I apologize,” O’Reilly continued. “But I just … it was unbelievable. We worked so hard. I don’t know what to say. It was amazing.”
It’s not surprising that professional athletes would use vulgar language, particularly after such an amazing win. But it is a little surprising that it took so long for NBC to realize that fact.
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