CBS caught online criticism for a badly timed joke about Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith’s painful injury last week.
Before the Redskins took on the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, “NFL on CBS” aired a voiceover on the pregame show about Adrian Peterson being thankful for his health that ended with the line “but the same can’t be said for the Skins’ centerpiece, who broke his drumstick.”
The Thanksgiving pun referred to Smith breaking his tibia and fibula last week in a game against the Houston Texans. The compound fracture has been compared to the career-ending injury suffered by Joe Theismann 33 years ago.
Former Redskins QB Theismann was actually in the stadium with Smith suffered his season-ending injury. “It was just an eerie moment,” Theismann said after the game, according to ESPN. “It was surreal. You see him go down in a pile and then there’s a shot that showed his leg bent and I turned away right after that. I feel so bad for him.” He later tweeted that the injury was “exactly like” his.
The flippant joke at Smith’s expense did not sit well with many football fans on Thursday, with one Twitter user saying the network “should be embarrassed,” and another writing: “Hey @NFLonCBS making a bad Thanksgiving themed joke about Alex Smith breaking his leg last week is terrible. I don’t know who approved that, but they’re doing an awful job.”
“That wasn’t clever it was just poor taste,” said another.
A representative for CBS Sports did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Heard on @NFLonCBS in the pregame show: “Alex Smith is out after breaking his drumstick last week.” Let’s cool it with the Thanksgiving puns. Real tough scene.
Hey @NFLonCBS making a bad Thanksgiving themed joke about Alex Smith breaking his leg last week is terrible. I dont know who approved that, but they’re doing an awful job
12 Super Bowl Commercials That Sparked Outrage (Videos)
GODADDY (2015)
In the ad, a puppy falls off a truck and hearteningly finds its way home. The seemingly sweet commercial shocked viewers as the owner then sells the puppy. Outrage ensued, forcing GoDaddy and ad agency Barton F. Graf to remake the spot, dog-free.
SNICKERS (2007)
After two men accidentally kiss, they respond by having to do something "manly" in this spot for the Mars candy bar. The Gay and Lesbian Anti Defamation League said the ad's message was homophobic, and a few years later it was voted the second worst Super Bowl ad of all time by Ad Age.
NATIONSWIDE'S "BOY" (2015)
This ad depicted the unrealized life of a boy who never grew up after dying in an accident. The spot sparked online debate about the inappropriateness of using tragedy to sell insurance. Nationwide's Chief Marketing officer left the company three months later, and the insurer skipped the Super Bowl the following year.
JUST FOR FEET (1999)
This was considered one of the biggest "oops" commercials of all time. In the spot, a group of men hunts a barefoot Kenyan runner to force shoes on him. After objectors hinted at the ad's blatant racism, the client sued its ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi. The next year, Just for Feet went bankrupt.
ANTI-DRUG PSA (2002)
This commercial ran shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks and uses the excuse making that's common to narcotics use to suggest a link between drug money and terrorism.
GROUPON (2011)
Starring Timothy Hutton, this spot starts by highlighting the crisis in Tibet, but pivots to a pitch for Groupon, hyping a deal that offered $30 worth of Tibetan food for $15 at a restaurant in Chicago. The slogan, "Save the Money," prompted widespread Twitter indignation.
FEDEX (2008)
This "Wizard of Oz"-inspired commercial was banned for allegedly encouraging viewers to huff substances.
TIM TEBOW FOR FOCUS ON THE FAMILY (2010)
The NFL star and his mother starred in this ad discouraging abortion, enraging many over the commercial's pro-life message.
SKETCHERS DOG RACING (2012)
This spot for the shoemaker outraged animal lovers and was accused of promoting abuse for promoting dog racing. More than 100,000 people signed a petition to get the ad pulled from from the Super Bowl, but it aired any way.
SALESGENIE (2008)
Racism was the charge leveled at SalesGenie for this ad featuring a pair of animated pandas who work in a bamboo furniture store and sport hyperbolized Chinese accents. It was pulled from the airwaves following the Super Bowl.
HOLIDAY INN (1999)
Holiday Inn came under fire first by transgender advocates when it ran this ad comparing the $1 billion worth of upgrades at its hotels to gender reassignment surgery. The commercial was cut shortly after the Super Bowl.
84 LUMBER (2017)
Just weeks after President Trump's inauguration, 84 Lumber made an ad depicting a group of Latin migrants on a journey to America before coming face to face with an imposing border wall. Fox deemed the conclusion of the ad "too controversial" and aired an edited, 90-second version without a wall, with the ad directing people to a website to watch the full version.
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Animal abuse, racism, anti-gay sentiment — they’re not just for football players anymore!
GODADDY (2015)
In the ad, a puppy falls off a truck and hearteningly finds its way home. The seemingly sweet commercial shocked viewers as the owner then sells the puppy. Outrage ensued, forcing GoDaddy and ad agency Barton F. Graf to remake the spot, dog-free.
