Fox Sports has issued an apology for using an iconic New York City landmark as the backdrop for a graphic on Saturday night’s “Baseball Night in America” broadcast.
Following criticism on social media for superimposing the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox logos onto the memorial pools at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site leading into a commercial break, the network on Sunday acknowledged its mistake.
“During last night’s telecast, we used poor judgment on the use of a graphic,” a Fox Sports spokesman said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY Sports. “We sincerely apologize and regret the decision.”
Of all the NYC aerial shots Fox Sports could have used, they decided to superimpose their baseball logo over the 9/11 Memorial?
Horrible. pic.twitter.com/aM8XtGpACU
— Steve Scott (@SteveScottNEWS) July 17, 2022
The memorial pools “sit in the footprints of the former North and South Towers” that collapsed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The names of those who died on 9/11 and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing surround the pools.
The Sept. 11 memorial opened exactly 10 years after the 9/11 attacks on Sept. 11, 2011.
The graphic choice largely overshadowed the actual game, a 14-1 Yankees win. Aaron Judge hit two home runs, tying Roger Maris for most home runs by a Yankees hitter before the All-Star break with 33.
Contributing: Steve Gardner
