David Haugh didn’t hold back Monday. The 104.3 The Score host shared his disappointment in FOX Sports’ handling of Saturday’s fog delay between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.
What We Know: Fog delayed Saturday’s Cubs-Cardinals broadcast on FOX Sports. In the sixth inning, a game that started late due to rain was again paused when a blanket of fog rolled into the stadium. Despite an effort to play on, the players’ complaints eventually led to a weather delay of roughly 15 minutes. Haugh shared his recollections of how FOX Sports play-by-play announcer Joe Davis acknowledged the network lacked enough content to fill an 15-minute gap. Consequently, the broadcast retreated to studio coverage instead of adapting live. Haugh discussed the moment extensively on Monday’s Mully & Haugh program.
What They Said: (all quotes via 104.3 The Score)
David Haugh believed FOX Sports wasn’t prepared for a fog delay during Saturday’s Chicago Cubs / St. Louis Cardinals broadcast: “Fox was not ready for this. Fox was, in real time, very disappointing to me… They had 18 minutes before the game was going to resume, and Joe Davis talked about not having 18 minutes worth of content. So, we’re going to go back to the studio, we’re going to take a break, because we don’t know what to do. Okay, essentially telling America we’re unprepared. Bad idea.”
David Haugh says FOX Sports was disappointing in it’s approach to a weather delay: “I thought it was very disappointing the way they handled the entire impromptu nature of the game. They were uncomfortable turning it into more of a talk show type back and forth with John Smoltz and Ken Rosenthal. I didn’t think they handled that that well at all… I just feel like that Fox seemed some woefully unprepared. Yeah, there were elements he don’t expect. But there was a novelty to it. They kept on showing the crowd shots were entertaining, at least. But they didn’t feel comfortable narrating. It was weird.”
What Remains Unclear: FOX Sports has not discussed the matter on its approach to the weather delay in Chicago.
What It Means: Ultimately, Haugh’s comments highlight a broader challenge for live sports broadcasts: adapting when scripted content runs dry. Weather delays require flexibility, and improvisation becomes essential. The fog delay created a legitimate reason to believe producers made the call in haste. In addition, little assets were likely even available. Davis, who also serves as the TV voice for the Dodgers, likely was leaning on production staff to make the judgement call. However, the critique serves as a reminder that broadcasters must be ready for everything. No matter if on radio or television.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.