During ESPN’s presentation of the 2023 Easypost Hawaii Bowl, something hilarious happened. A fortuitous timeout saved color commentator and former NFL lineman Orlando Franklin’s bacon, to say the absolute least.
Coastal Carolina led San Jose State early in the third quarter, 7-0. ESPN play-by-play man John Schriffen attempted to take the game to its scheduled commercial break following a Chanticleers’ punt away to the Spartans.
But that’s when fate intervened in a positive – and revealing way – for Franklin and the Hawaii Bowl broadcast. Just before the commercial breakon ESPN, Franklin could be heard saying, “I’m gonna run to the bathroom.”
A fortuitously timed time-out for Hawai'i Bowl color commentator Orlando Franklin, who had to make a quick business trip. pic.twitter.com/APQ5jD9tzm
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 24, 2023
The biggest takeaway from this moment? The ukelele playing in the background only enhanced this moment. Truly. Sometimes, you do wonder how commentators make it through games without needing to use the bathroom. Other times, you wonder how situations like this don’t happen more frequently.
You may remember Franklin from his NFL playing days with the Denver Broncos. The former Boise State Broncos standout played on Denver’s line from 2011-2014, playing alongside NFL great Peyton Manning. He had a pro career that extended to 2017, having played for Denver and San Diego while also being on New Orleans and Washington’s practice squads.
Innocuous in the grand scheme but hilarious in every other spectrum. Live television, ladies and gentlemen. There’s nothing like it sometimes.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022