ESPN announcer Tom Hart tries to make amends after embarrassing word vomit on-air: “I know it’s after midnight”

ESPN announcer Tom Hart found himself in an uncomfortable situation during a recent live broadcast when an unfortunate slip of the tongue led to an embarrassing moment. During a late-night broadcast, Hart unintentionally uttered a phrase that left many shocked.

“You can’t turn the black ..err, clock back" - Tom Hart said by mistake on-air during the SEC Baseball Tournament.

Even though Hart wasted no time in attempting to make amends, the incident, which quickly went viral, sparked a wave of criticism and raised questions about the broadcaster's professionalism. However, instead of avoiding it, Hart addressed the mistake on air and did his best to sound sincere in his apology.

“I know it’s after midnight. But you can’t turn the clock back and turn it back to the mid-80s,” Tom Hart said.

Hart's swift response and sincere apology have been met with mixed reactions from viewers. While some commended his accountability and willingness to address the issue, others remained critical, questioning Hart's professionalism in such an incident occurring in the first place.

ESPN is yet to release an official statement regarding the incident. It remains to be seen how this slip-up will impact Hart's future assignments with the network and whether further actions will be taken to address it along the lines of Oakland A's Glen Kuiper and NBC Sports California.

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Tom Hart repeated the mistake that Glen Kuiper's made

Oakland Athletics play-to-play announcer Glen Kuiper (Source: CNN)

Well-known baseball announcer Glen Kuiper has recently landed himself in a stormy controversy after being relieved of his duties by the Oakland Athletics. The decision came after a significant on-air mistake during a recent game. In response to the incident, Kuiper said he was bewildered and disappointed.

The Athletics made a public announcement stating that NBC Sports California, the broadcasting network for the team, had chosen to terminate Kuiper. His final day on the job was on May 5, 2023, during the MLB matchup between the Oakland A's and the Kansas City Royals.

Kuiper's grave error occurred when he inadvertently used a racial slur while discussing his visit to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City earlier that day alongside his broadcast partner.

Taking full responsibility for his on-air blunder, Kuiper openly acknowledged his mistake and also expressed genuine difficulty in fully grasping the severity of the consequences that followed.