Zeev Buium was hyped after helping deliver the University of Denver its 10th national championship in program history. So hyped that he couldn’t help himself from dropping an f-bomb during a live interview on ESPN.
There’s a double-edged sword to live TV. On one hand, it delivers an unmatched sense of authenticity and immediacy. On the other hand, for broadcasters, it carries the risk of unscripted moments slipping through the filters.
ESPN’s live broadcast of the Frozen Four final wasn’t without its challenges, which came after Denver’s decisive 2-0 shutout victory over top-seeded Boston College to claim its latest national championship title.
After the game, ESPN’s Taylor Tannenbaum interviewed the Buium brothers. Shai, a junior defenseman and the elder brother spoke first and was asked how to describe how he was feeling at the moment. Following his answer, Tannenbaum turned the question over to Zeev, asking the freshman defender what it felt like to do this alongside his big brother.
Shai, who described it as an “unreal feeling,” was probably slightly more aware of his surroundings than his younger brother.
“It’s ****** unbelievable! Oh, sorry. Uh, it’s great.”
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1779312056640196820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1779312056640196820%7Ctwgr%5E98986b5a5dc70df0dee305be872c72ea99ee6d8b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fawfulannouncing%2Fstatus%2F1779312056640196820
You can make out Shai in the background, putting his hand over his face before checking around him and letting out a smile. He just witnessed his little brother do the one thing you probably shouldn’t do on national television, but hey, they’re national champions.
From a network perspective, this is less than ideal. That said, those who saw Zeev’s interview generally loved his raw reaction.
The eff word is a legit hockey term. https://t.co/gWozgFl2gI
— Mɪᴋᴇ Sᴄʜᴍᴀʟᴛᴢ (@Schmaltzlosophy) April 14, 2024
Why is an athlete dropping a curse on live tv the most endearing thing ever https://t.co/Ax9npb7Q0w
— ꧁ Sav ꧂ (@NicoHischier13) April 14, 2024
Uncensored quotes are the best ones https://t.co/Up1HgrW5lZ
— Ryan Stieg (@RyanStieg) April 14, 2024
https://twitter.com/Kyle_Cush/status/1779312384923869211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1779312384923869211%7Ctwgr%5Ef6e0693b8f4162a4f039ec3ae75e9e3a0a034c8b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FKyle_Cush%2Fstatus%2F1779312384923869211
Usually, players are just monotonously going through the motions during pre- or post-game interviews. Zeev shared his passion and excitement with the fans, which was entertaining.
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About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.