AI Slop SportsCenter Credit: ESPN
By Sean Keeley on

UPDATE: Awful Announcing has learned the video was not AI-generated but rather created by humans. We regret jumping to the conclusion that it was AI slop.

That said, we still find it concerning that the video’s look and feel take on some of the qualities often attributed to AI-generated videos (an artificial, plasticky sheen atop reality, unnatural crowd movement, quick cuts). AA was not privy to the thinking behind the video’s creation but worries that human CGI artists are attempting to mirror AI-looking content rather than differentiate themselves from it.

AA also learned that the “Worth the Weight” phrase at the end was purposeful, and meant to echo Josh Hart’s comments, that “Nobody talks about the weight of that Knicks jersey… Right now, it’s the lightest it’s ever felt.” The usage of an eggcorn (a purposeful linguistic mistake that reinterprets a phrase) in an ad or video requires some kind of tangible connection to the aforementioned images. Ideally, there would be visual cues, such as the shoulders of Knicks fans lightening or some kind of heavy weight lifting off the city, that would, in turn, inform the eggcorn so that it makes sense contextually. The video didn’t really have that, so when the phrase appears, it lacks the intended impact and reads like an error.

AA apologizes for jumping to a conclusion about the video, but hopes it doesn’t portend stylistic choices in the future that blur the distinction between human-generated content and AI-generated content, which in the end, makes AI slop more acceptable, purposefully or not.

ORIGINAL: ESPN pays roughly $2.6 billion per season for NBA media rights, including the NBA Finals.

They might want to consider kicking in a few more bucks to hire a human graphics designer instead of the lazy AI slop they produced to celebrate the New York Knicks’ first NBA title since 1973.

Behind Finals MVP Jalen Brunson’s 45-point performance, New York finished off the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Saturday. New Yorkers, many of whom had already been outside at various watch parties, took to the streets to celebrate the historic championship.

Everyone seemed to be ready for the Knicks to win on Saturday. Nike had a Josh Safdie-directed commercial ready to go. There was a Fanatics commercial for commemorative gear on ABC right afterward as well.

On social media, every sports-centric account attempted to make their mark and go viral, riding the good vibes. That includes the SportsCenter account, which posted a video that was very clearly AI slop from the jump. If someone watching hadn’t figured that out immediately, the “helicopter shot” above Central Park with a NYC skyline full of fake buildings certainly cemented it. And that’s before you get to the final shot, which reads “Worth the Weight,” which was certainly supposed to read “Worth the Wait.”

This actually makes a great illustration about why people don’t like AI-generated videos. The AI-generated images depict scenes of exhilaration and happiness, yet you can feel the soullessness emanating from the crowds of fake people within. Including a skyline full of fake buildings is an insult to the city you’re attempting to honor. And posting it with a literal spelling error is just the icing on the lazy cake.

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.

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