Game 1 of the 2015 World Series was a classic encounter, but it was somewhat overshadowed by some of the worst technical difficulties a major sporting event has seen in some time. During the middle innings, Fox’s telecast went dark when the network lost power to their truck. As Fox kicked it to their Los Angeles studio, it actually delayed the game because of the impact on the equipment needed for replay reviews.
It was a surreal couple of innings as viewers were treated to Matt Vasgersian and John Smoltz on the MLB international feed (I’m sure there were many fans who preferred them to Joe Buck, Harold Reynolds, and Tom Verducci) as Fox scrambled to try to get back on the air. In a weird broadcasting moment, the Fox crew kicked the Vasgersian-Smoltz team out of their own booth until the full Fox broadcast was finally restored in the 6th inning.
Late in the evening, Fox released this statement on what transpired:
“Before the start of the bottom of the fourth inning of tonight’s World Series Game 1, a rare electronics failure caused both the primary and backup generators inside the FOX Sports production compound to lose power. The issue was immediately addressed, although it resulted in the audience missing one at-bat during the time needed to switch to carriage of Major League Baseball’s international feed, powered by a different generator on site. The on-field delay was due to replay capability being lost in both team’s clubhouses. We apologize for the interruption in tonight’s coverage and are working to ensure that the remainder of the World Series is broadcast without incident.”
Local station KCTV actually posted video of the Fox crew working feverishly to fix the situation during the game:
A lot of jokes were had at Fox’s expense on Tuesday night, but this is one of those freak things that happens when broadcasting live television. Ok, let’s see some of those jokes…
https://twitter.com/rembert/status/659181567093383168
MLB International taking over on FOX. This is their Ron Burgundy at the San Diego Zoo moment. #WorldSeries #LGM
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) October 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/billbarnwell/status/659177689371287552
Verducci should have turned on Buck and Reynolds and joined forces with Vasgersian and Smoltz to prevent the incursion.
— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) October 28, 2015
In a weird way, it definitely got people talking about the game and the Fox broadcast… but my guess is Fox would give almost anything to make sure they don’t have to endure something like this ever again.
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