The Week 6 Monday Night Football game with the Titans versus the Jaguars turned out to be a real snooze fest with a final score of 30 to 3. Things got a little interesting in the post-game though when Jeff Fisher, the Titans head coach, incriminates that ESPN requested more timeouts to be used so they could fit in more commercials.
You can read ESPN’s NFL Nation blog for more details:
Fisher said ESPN was pushing for the timeouts, but was grinning wildly when he sketched out the scenario. No network is dictating what a coach does with his timeouts.
“I understood what was going on,” Fisher said. “I believe they asked him to use them. It’s the first time I heard of it…”
“Honestly I have no issue with Jack with the way he managed, handled the game at the end. I certainly don’t think he’d have an issue with me handing the ball off.”
You can see the suspicious remarks for yourself in the post-game press conference.
ESPN holds the line at this statement:
“ESPN did not directly or indirectly ask the coaches to take a timeout during the game.”
I was also shown this, from Jeff Fisher on WIP Radio’s “Howard Eskin & Ike Reese Afternoons” show in Philadelphia.
WIP: Did ESPN ask you to call an extra timeout?
Fisher: “No, ESPN didn’t. No. Basically what happens at 2 minute warning — the NFL gives you the status of TV, and with commercials they said we’re two behind. When I was asked about coach Del Rio’s use of time outs at the end of the game, I mentioned in the press conference later that they may have connected the dots, or it may have been Jack giving the QB some more time to figure out another play. ESPN never came to me and said to call a timeout.”
We’ll see what the NFL’s investigation turns up.
