In a moment that left American football fans both cringing and chuckling, a Georgia television station committed a hilarious on-air blunder during their coverage of the NFL draft.
WTOC-TV, based in Savannah, Georgia, found itself at the centre of an embarrassing mix-up when discussing the Atlanta Falcons' first-round draft pick. The broadcaster mistakenly referred to quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as "Michael Penix" throughout their segment - adding an extra layer of awkwardness by pronouncing it like "phoenix".
Viewers Spot the Error
Eagle-eyed viewers quickly took to social media to point out the repeated mistake, with many questioning how the station's sports team could get the name of such a high-profile draft pick so spectacularly wrong.
The error was particularly noticeable as Penix Jr. had been one of the most talked-about prospects in this year's draft class after his impressive performances for the University of Washington Huskies.
Social Media Reacts
Sports fans didn't hold back on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with one user joking: "Guess WTOC didn't get the memo that Phoenix is a city, not our new QB." Another added: "Someone in that newsroom is definitely getting a talking-to tomorrow morning."
The blunder comes at an awkward time for the Falcons, who surprised many analysts by selecting Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick despite recently signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive $180 million contract.
Not the First Broadcasting Blunder
This isn't the first time a sports broadcaster has tripped over a player's name. Similar incidents have occurred across various networks, though rarely with such a high-profile draft selection.
WTOC has yet to comment on whether the error was simply a production mistake or if there was confusion among their sports staff about the correct pronunciation of the quarterback's name.
One thing's certain - this won't be the last we hear about Michael Penix Jr. in Georgia, though hopefully next time his name will be pronounced correctly.
