On Monday Night Football in Week 2, ESPN and ABC aired a doubleheader with one game featuring the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers and another seeing the Cleveland Browns playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unfortunately, what will be most remembered from the evening’s doubleheader is a horrible injury to star Browns running back Nick Chubb.
In the second quarter, Chubb received a carry inside the 10 yard line looking to score. He was tackled high and low and the hit by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick appeared to give Chubb a serious leg injury.
Viewers truly found out how serious it was when Joe Buck shared that ABC would not be showing the replay of the hit. In the background, the replay was shown on the jumbotron in Pittsburgh as an immense groan from the crowd was audible on the broadcast. The noise coming from the stands was a haunting one.
Joe Buck: "I am told that the replay of Nick Chubb getting injured is not to be seen."
The groan from the Pittsburgh crowd probably tells us all we need to know. Chubb was carted off.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was also hurt on the play but was later seen on Pittsburgh's bench. pic.twitter.com/QGYMKzuFBy
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 19, 2023
Chubb’s leg injury brings to mind some comparable injuries from the past, so much so that Willis McGahee’s name was trending for suffering a similar looking blow at the University of Miami in their National Championship Game against Ohio State. Except, McGahee’s injury was replayed multiple times.
In recent years, networks have shown more and more discretion when it comes to replaying serious injuries. Although it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it became the norm, Kevin Ware’s shocking leg injury in the 2013 Final Four might have been a turning point. Nowadays, broadcasts now rarely show obviously brutal injuries. Although it certainly does happen on occasion. ESPN’s decision could also be the influence of MNF’s live coverage of Damar Hamlin’s frightening collapse last season and how the network had to navigate how to responsibly share what was happening in real time.
Most fans seem to appreciate the discretion.
THANK YOU, ESPN for not showing the Nick Chubb injury.
There's absolutely no need
If you're that twisted that you feel the need to watch a ghoulish injury in one of the worst moments of a man's life, I'm sure there are places on this platform to find it
— Pete Fiutak (@PeteFiutak) September 19, 2023
The way the entire stadium gasped as they showed the replay on the Chubb injury… good on ESPN for not showing that one
— Austin Harvey ✭ (@AustinHarvey24) September 19, 2023
Gruesome doesn't even to begin to describe the Nick Chubb injury. Credit to ABC/ESPN for not showing the replays. They're out there if you want to see it but I'd advise it against it.
— PitViperMediaIndiana (@PitViperMediaIN) September 19, 2023
Kudos to ESPN/ABC for not showing the injury to Nick Chubb.
Sports don't need to be a snuff film.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) September 19, 2023
Prayers up for Nick Chubb, and kudos to ESPN for finally not showing gruesome injuries for the audience.
(but why show it in the stadium though?)
— Tyrone (@tyronem) September 19, 2023
We all know that if you really want to see the replay of Chubb’s injury, you can find it on social media. Perhaps knowing that, networks are sparing those that don’t have any interest in seeing a leg break or a knee shred. It’s a tasteful and sensible decision.
