The NFL has always come with an inherent tension as a viewer. The sport is thrilling, a near-perfect television experience, but those who play it suffer for our escapism. One of the questions NFL media rightsholder always have to ask themselves is how much do they show when a gruesome injury happens — and do they show it upon replay at all. No matter how they decide, there will always be viewers who feel you erred on the wrong side of the decision. Anecdotally, I think the majority of viewers would err on the side of no replays.
We did a number of pieces on this last October regarding the decision by Amazon’s production truck to show a half-dozen-or-so replays of Tua Tagovailoa’s injury that included some high-def close-ups. NFL game producers have told me for years that the singular charter they have is to chronicle the game on the field. To gloss over the uncomfortable is to not fulfill the charter you claim is most important. But that is a very hard call in real-time and knowing you will be severely criticized for it.
On this topic Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb took a violent shot from Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick at the end of a first-and-goal run in the second quarter of his team’s Monday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The injury, to his knee, was so severe that it required him to be transported off the field.
Viewers did not see the replay. Here is what the broadcasters said during the telecast:
Joe Buck: "I am told that the replay of Nick Chubb getting injured is not to be seen."
Troy Aikman: Yeah, we’re not going to show it. It’s as bad as you can imagine.
Buck: “They just showed it on the big screen here in Pittsburgh and the crowd gasped.”
An ESPN spokesperson said a decision was made by the Monday Night Football production team onsite in Pittsburgh not to show viewers at home a replay. Said the ESPN spokesperson: “We viewed the replays in our production truck immediately after the play and decided to use discretion out of respect to the viewers and Nick Chubb.”
