"Even sitting here right now, it just troubles me. Yeah we fixed it, but it doesn't matter. That one can't happen."
During breaking news coverage on Scott Van Pelts late-night edition of SportsCenter last weekend, the show displayed an image of Minnesota Vikings player Myles Price in place of the deceased Rondale Moore.
Van Pelt and the production crew fixed the mistake for the re-airs of that nights SportsCenter, while anchor David Lloyd offered an apology on-air Sunday.
Moore died at 25 of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound after a memorable career with Purdue and the Arizona Cardinals.
In a segment on the SVPod on Monday, Van Pelt offered an apology for the mistake and to both Price and Moores family.
Ive always said about the show that I do, its not my show, its our show. Because its our show. And its a group of people. And its a group of people that work their butts off and do an awesome job and put us in a great position to try to do the show we do, Van Pelt explained.
I dont do the graphics. But Ill say in this case, thats my show. And Im the one sitting out there. So Ill put my hand up and say, Im the one who wants to say about that mistake that it cant happen. And its hard for me to articulate how much it bothers me and how upsetting for that to happen, because it cant. And it did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HTbY-MMIj4t=5308s
Pro Football Talks Mike Florio later reported that the mistake was likely to do a common labeling error in photo syndication sites, writing that he nearly used the same incorrect image himself in an article about Moores passing.
However, Scott Van Pelt did not offer any explanation or excuse for the miscue.
I just wanted to say that how it happened is not as important as just owning the fact that it did, and just to let everyone know, and especially Myles Price and the Moore family, that are going through this unimaginable time, that thats an error that was made that truly, truly bothered me, he said.
Even sitting here right now, it just troubles me. Yeah we fixed it, but it doesnt matter. That one cant happen.
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.
