ABC apologized for a steamy intro to "Monday Night Football" after receiving complaints from viewers and the NFL.
The spot featured a naked Nicollette Sheridan jumping into the arms of Terrell Owens.
Before the Philadelphia-Dallas game, ABC showed Owens and Sheridan in an empty locker room in an attempt to spoof the network hit "Desperate Housewives." Sheridan, who stars in the show, was wearing only a towel and provocatively asked Owens to skip the game for her.
After she dropped her towel, he agreed to be late for the contest and hugged her. 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.
"We have heard from many of our viewers about last night's MNF opening segment and we agree that the placement was inappropriate," ABC said in a statement. "We apologize."
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 Eagles said they appreciated ABC apologizing for the segment.
"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 Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at February's Super Bowl.
At halftime of New England's win over Carolina in the Super Bowl, 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 subsequently fined a record $550,000 by the FCC.
2 comments:
The opening tease before Monday Night Football in prime time on Nov 15, 2004 is not acceptable. Yes, I’ve seen the apologies at http://www.nfl.com/news/story/7894527. But that doesn’t cut it. Very few will ever read them.
I WANT JOHN MADDEN TO APOLOGIZE PUBLICLY FOR THE NFL ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN, AND AL MICHAELS TO APOLOGIZE FOR ABC.
I was shocked when I turned on the game this past Monday to watch the Philadelphia Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys and the opening tease was Nicolette Sheridan, one of the stars of the disgusting new Sunday night prime time 'sex opera,' "Desperate Housewives," clad only in a towel, then taking off her towel and jumping naked into the arms of Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens. This is at 9 p.m. eastern time, SIX PM ON THE WEST COAST. This was viewed by millions, many children, on the Disney owned ABC Network!!! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!
AGAIN - I WANT JOHN MADDEN TO APOLOGIZE PUBLICLY FOR THE NFL ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN, AND AL MICHAELS TO APOLOGIZE FOR ABC.
We are appalled that ABC / WTAE would air such a vulgar and crass promo (Housewives - pre NFL - Monday night).
I am speaking now for everyone I've spoken with (dozens of disgusted viewers) on this issue over the past 3 days. We have had it!!!
Is the Housewives show that weak that you have to sink to this level to get an extra lousy rating point or two?
We are Particularly appalled so in light of :
The Kobe Bryant situation
The moral values vote by the US electorate
The FCC ongoing voiced concerns
over unacceptable national TV content
The crumbling credibility ABC and the other
networks already have with viewers
There are lots alternatives to network TV !!!
I will make sure my family avoids WTAE and ABC TV. I hope the FCC fines you (ABC / WTAE) to the limit and that the NFL looks elsewhere
to showcase Monday Night Football.
We are forwarding our concerns to the NFL and the FCC and others.
We will avoid supporting your sponsors.
We are fed up.
Donald Jordan
Pittsburgh, PA
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