ESPN's Rich Eisen noted that the Chargers beat the
Chiefs yesterday for the team's first win of the season, and
said, "Just the Chargers' luck. They finally walk off the
field winners and nobody in San Diego saw it. With 1:07 to
go, the Chargers clung to a one point lead, but the only
lead fans watching the game on TV heard about was [TX Gov.
George W.] Bush's 537-vote lead over [VP Al] Gore in
Florida. In 'Heidi'-like fashion, [CBS'] Dan Rather busted
in with a special report on the certification of votes. By
the way, Bush won. So did San Diego -- although that one's
not going to be contested" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/26).
Rather broke into the Broncos-Seahawks game with 3:00 left
in the fourth quarter for the live press conference of FL
Secretary of State Katherine Harris certifying Bush as the
winner of the state's 25 electoral votes (THE DAILY). A
KIRO-CBS newsroom spokesperson said that the station
received "30 to 40 angry calls" from viewers when CBS News
broke in to the game's broadcast. The spokesperson: "We had
no option. All the CBS stations took it. ... Sometimes we
try to have the little picture in picture so people can
still see the game, but this time we couldn't." When the
game was rejoined after the certification, "a few viewers
called to complain that the station didn't stay with the
election coverage" (SEATTLE P-I, 11/27). USA TODAY's
Michael Hiestand notes Fox "never cut away from football"
yesterday for election coverage (USA TODAY, 11/27).
