Adam Schefter isn’t necessarily known for his humor. But even an old dog can learn new tricks. And the ESPN reporter threatened to unleash his inner Redd Foxx on Saturday, sending his co-anchors into a tizzy during the Worldwide Leader in Sports’ “ESPN on ABC” NFL training camp coverage.
Tim Hasselbeck was providing a detailed breakdown of what he hoped to see from Packers QB Jordan Love when Schefter struck. The ESPN star slipped through the shadows, emerging only when his cell phone started crooning for all viewers to hear.
Glorious tunes swept ESPN’s studio, with Anita Ward’s 1979 classic, “Ring My Bell,” swirling along the moody backroom. Schefter’s accomplices — Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick and Field Yates — took delight in Schefty’s faux pas, laughing in unison as the insider fidgeted with his newfangled device in an effort to silence it.
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Here’s a clip of the encounter for those unable to check it out earlier:
Adam Schefter’s “Ring My Bell” ringtone going off in the middle of the ESPN on ABC NFL training camp coverage.
Everyone on the set laughing hysterically.
“GO TO BREAK! IT WON’T STOP! MY PHONE IS OFF AND IT WON’T STOP! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?! I DON’T HAVE THAT RINGTONE!” 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/3U3kBbmEaD
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 29, 2023
Schefter’s composure dwindled as his device continued to sound. He claimed that his phone was not just silenced but turned off completely. And still it blared, unafraid to dance around the rigors of ESPN protocol. It got so bad, Schefter begged his producers to cut to a commercial.
“Go to break, it won’t stop,” Schefter pleaded. “My phone is off and it won’t stop. What is going on here? I don’t have that ringtone!”
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Perhaps it was the football gods playing a cruel trick on one of the sport’s more polarizing personalities. Either way, the “NFL Live” producers eventually acquiesced to Schefter’s request. Our long national nightmare was finally over.
Still, it produced quite the moment for Schefty and Co. And it reminded television anchors far and wide of an undeniable fact: don’t bring your cell phone on set.
