Los Angeles Angels superstar and dubious fantasy football commissioner Mike Trout was being interviewed in-game during his team’s Sunday Night Baseball showdown against the New York Mets when he nearly committed the unforgivable sin of forgetting about corporate synergy.
Trout was the center of the fantasy football firestorm a few weeks back that led Tommy Pham to slap Joc Pederson before a game. The drama appeared to stem from a difference in opinion over transactions as well as some GIF-related banter in the chat room. Pham then pointed the finger at league commissioner Trout, who did his best to downplay the dramatic situation, though he admitted that “every commissioner I know always gets booed.”
We were so so so so close to Mike Trout shitting on ESPN fantasy. Makes him so relatable pic.twitter.com/KtpWNbV3sg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 13, 2022
During the interview on Sunday, Trout was asked if things might have gone smoother had the fantasy football league used ESPN to host it, to which Trout responded, “I think that’s what we ran.”
Then, without a chance for his media-trained brain to intervene, Trout started to explain why ESPN’s fantasy league website might have been one of the reasons for all of this.
“I think that’s why there was some confusion, cause that…that website wasn’t…”And then, the media training kicked back in. “Ahh, I can’t say that right now, it’s the ESPN game.”
Cue nervous laughter from the broadcasting crew.
The sentiment that ESPN’s fantasy offerings might not be the best breeding ground for drama-free fantasy football encounters appears to have been shared by others who were watching.
Best promo ever for @YahooFantasy https://t.co/uxFuJILwQS
— Stu Mitchell (@stumitchellQB7) June 13, 2022
Proof that Yahoo is the premier fantasy site. https://t.co/3t4P9yWd6l
— Andy Lipari (@alipari27) June 13, 2022
Agreed Mike. Only use @YahooSports app. It’s the best https://t.co/x2LkRbPeHA
— Trevis Smith (@TrevisSmith) June 13, 2022
ESPN executives hearing Mike Trout about to criticize their fantasy football league site pic.twitter.com/dagtoqCLO7
— Josh (@jetsfan24x7) June 13, 2022
We’re guessing ESPN won’t try their luck again with open-ended questions to people involved in this fantasy football league anytime soon, lest they get an answer like that again.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.