Fox came under fire for much of its soccer coverage this summer, and it couldn’t avoid another blunder on Saturday — even though it was broadcasting a baseball game.
During Saturday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Fox took a moment to recognize Mallory Swanson’s heroics earlier in the day.
Swanson scored the only goal in the Olympic gold medal game, giving the U.S. women’s national team a 1-0 win over Brazil. She also happens to be married to Cubs star Dansby Swanson, so her inclusion in the broadcast made plenty of sense.
Except the person Fox included in its graphic very much was not Mallory Swanson, but instead her forward line partner Sophia Smith.
Quite a time for a hard launch, @LieutenantDans7 & @sophsssmith.
Who’s gonna tell @MalPugh & @mikewilllyy? pic.twitter.com/qD7xo4TWTk
— Sarah Spain (@SarahSpain) August 11, 2024
Yikes.
Both Smith and Swanson are paired up with fellow pro athletes, as Smith and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson got engaged earlier this summer. But that, needless to say, isn’t much of an excuse!
Later in the game, the inevitable apology arrived, along with a corrected graphic that humorously acknowledged the mistake.
It hasn’t been the greatest summer for Fox, which took plenty of heat for its coverage of Euro 2024 and Copa América. It appears that the network’s soccer blunders now transcend all sports in its coverage portfolio.
Watch Fox apology for Swanson graphic error
Kevin Kugler and AJ Pierzynski acknowledge the mistake of an earlier graphic that misidentified USWNT player Mallory Swanson.pic.twitter.com/Ju2obv0xCW
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 11, 2024
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