Fans watching the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament probably did a double take at what they heard on a broadcast just after midnight Wednesday.
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ESPN's Tom Hart was on the call for Auburn's matchup against Vanderbilt in Hoover, Ala. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Hart attempted to say, "You can't turn the clock back" during an at-bat. What actually came out of his mouth is something that we can't type and, well, belongs in someone's search history.
Just take a listen:
Can't turn the WHAT back? pic.twitter.com/5eE34LC2pf
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 25, 2023
Whew.
Hart's broadcast partner recognizes the mistake and is likely thinking what we're all thinking. Hart then blames the mistake on the time of day, saying, "I know it's after midnight" before continuing with his thought.
I imagine Hart stayed off social media the rest of the game, and probably all morning, because the video posted by AwfulAnnouncing.com already has close to 2 million views.
ESPN announcer Tom Hart discusses the game with Jordan Rodgers from the field during the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Vanderbilt Commodores on November 20, 2021, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Ms. (Photo by Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Listen, calling a game isn't always the easiest thing to do. Slip-ups happen, because the folks on the broadcast are human. Some faux pas have serious consequences, such as the Oakland A's broadcaster who was recently fired for uttering a racial slur. Others, such as Lee Corso's F-bomb on College GameDay, go down in broadcasting lore because they're so damn funny.
Vanderbilt wound up winning the game 6-4 and will now play Florida on Thursday night. Auburn will take on Alabama in a win-or-go-home game Thursday.
Still, the most memorable thing to happen in the game may be what was said in the broadcast booth.
