WFTV ABC Orlando shows rocket launch Georgia-Georgia Tech game Photo Credit: WFTV ABC Orlando
ABCCollege FootballBy Arthur Weinstein on

The finish of that incredible Georgia-Georgia Tech eight-overtime thriller Friday night rudely interrupted an important event in central Florida.

Georgia defeated their in-state rivals, 44-42, in a game with huge College Football Playoff implications. Fans watched as Bulldogs running back Nate Frazier rushed for the 2-point conversion to win the game.

But in central Florida, fans watching on WFTV 9, the ABC affiliate in Orlando, had to squint to see what happened, because most of their TV screen had been taken over by a split-screen image of … a rocket launch.


The rocket launch, from nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, dominated the screen with what appeared to be about a 4:1 rocket-to-football ratio. Fans could track the rocket launch by looking at telemetry displays showing speed and altitude (almost certainly the very first rocket scorebug shown during a college football game).

And fans could track the thrilling finish to the Georgia-Georgia Tech game by squinting really hard (pity the poor fans who were watching the post-midnight finish in bed, on a 19-inch TV on their dresser).

The SpaceX launch carried Starlink satellites into orbit. Let’s hope this is not some new Elon Musk Department of Government Efficiency idea (say, let’s have my SpaceX rocket launches share TV screen time with the finish of key sporting events).

Here’s the strangest part of the story — most fans in central Florida didn’t seem to mind, and some even appreciated it. Rocket launches are a huge event in the state. If you’ve never seen a nighttime rocket launch in person, it is a truly memorable experience.

Fans elsewhere didn’t understand that mindset.

[WFTV 9 Orlando]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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