ESPN.com - Golf Online - US Open Men 2000 - WFLA apologizes for 'Heidi'-like gaffe

Associated Press
Tuesday, June 20

TAMPA, Fla. -- With Tiger Woods in the process of smashing records at the U.S. Open, one TV station cut away to a weather bulletin.

Thousands of viewers on WFLA-Channel 8 were irate at missing the historic finish for a thunderstorm report. They telephoned and e-mailed more than 3,000 complaints to the station and newspapers.

"It was a bonehead call," said Dan Bradley, WFLA vice president of news who rushed into the office Sunday evening to help answer the nearly 1,000 calls.

Bradley said the weather bulletin should have waited two or three minutes.

At 8:57 p.m., WFLA broke into the final three minutes of "Dateline NBC" to apologize.

"We interrupt this program to apologize to thousands of our viewers," anchor Yolanda Fernandez said. "We mistakenly preempted the last few historic minutes of the U.S. Open with urgent weather information."

Added sports anchor, J.P. Peterson: "This was quite simply the most dominating performance in golf history and we failed to show its conclusion."

He narrated a few shots of early highlights. Then the final two putts were shown.

The station replayed the putts on its 11 p.m. newscast and again on Monday morning.

"This puts you in the Sports Broadcasting Screw-up Hall of Fame," viewer John Hayes told Bradley.

After Woods' third shot on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, WFLA meteorologist Mace Michaels came on air to report dangerous weather in the Tampa Bay area.

While Woods was missing his birdie putt, viewers were looking at a picture of a waterspout over Tampa Bay.

And while Woods was sinking his par putt for his unmatched 15-shot victory, viewers saw a Doppler radar map of severe storms.

Among the records Woods tied or set was the largest victory margin in any major tournament, breaking the record of 13 set by Old Tom Morris in 1862 in the British Open.

"You missed it big time; that was worse than 'Heidi,"' said viewer Mary Stablein. She referred to an infamous 1968 NBC decision to break away from an American Football League telecast to show the movie on time.

With less than two minutes remaining and the New York Jets leading the Oakland Raiders, NBC switched to "Heidi." Viewers missed two late touchdowns as the Raiders won 43-32.