At halftime of Sunday’s AFC Championship game, Kansas City led the Cincinnati Bengals 21-10. In order for the Bengals to win, they need to make some adjustments.
But those hoping to listen to an analysis of the tranquility on the CBS broadcast probably wouldn’t hear any comment. It was almost inaudible.
While the “NFL on CBS” crew, consisting of James Brown, Boomer Esiason, Phil Simms, Bill Cowher and Nate Burleson, broke down the first half plays, country singer Walker Hayes performed the halftime show at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mr. Hayes’s music was so loud it almost drowned out the analysis of the silence.
When Mr. Burleson explained the changes the Bengals had to make, the music was so loud that his colleague next to him, Mr. Esiason, couldn’t help but laugh.
“I have no idea what you just said,” Mr. Esiason said after Mr. Burleson finished his remarks. “I can’t hear anything that anyone has said.”
The indistinguishable commentary quickly attracted attention online, with clips garnering tens of thousands of views on Twitter.
Sarah Spain, a commentator on ESPN, said on: Twitter that she couldn’t hear a word of the halftime broadcast.
“Yikes, don’t think CBS realized how disruptive the Walker Hayes halftime show would be on *their* halftime show,” she wrote.
Craig Miller, a sports radio host in Dallas, said on: Twitter that the “audio disaster during the halftime show” was “very entertaining”.
CBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday evening.
In a dramatic extension of extra time, the Bengals defeated Kansas City, 27-24, with a winning field goal that will take them to the Super Bowl to face the Los Angeles Rams. Fortunately, for the “NFL on CBS” crew and those watching at home, there was no live music performance to interrupt the post-game analysis.
