Former Bucs and current Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy did not like the provocative towel-dropping promo aired by ABC prior to the network's most recent Monday Night Football broadcast.
"I thought it was uncalled for," Dungy said. "I thought it was in really bad taste."
So did Chicago coach Lovie Smith.
"I was shocked, just like most other people were at the time. It should not have happened, and I can't believe it did happen," Smith said.
Nine months after CBS found itself apologizing and was fined $500,000 by the Federal Communications Commission when Janet Jackson's right breast was exposed during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII, ABC opened itself up to questions regarding inappropriate prime time programming.
Its lead-in to the Philadelphia-Dallas game on Monday night served as a promotion for the network's Desperate Housewives, ABC's racy Sunday night series. It included Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens and Nicollette Sheridan, one of the series' co-stars.
Owens was wearing his uniform. Sheridan, it appeared, was wearing only a towel.
At one point, Sheridan dropped the towel and jumped in Owens' arms.
Dungy was offended on many levels. As an African-American, he considered the segement racially insensitive. As an NFL coach, he considered it totally inappropriate for ABC to use the league's popularity to hype "trashy shows."
Just as concerning, though, was airing such a titillating spot at 9 p.m. EST, when young children are camped in front of the TV. Dungy's 12-year old son, Eric, routinely does his homework while waiting for Monday Night Football. Dungy's brood also includes 17-year-old James.
"When we turn on Monday Night Football, you're expecting to see football," Dungy said. "I want my boys to watch that. I don't want them to see what they saw."
Dungy had yet to arrive home when the promo aired, but Eric gave him a critique.
"It was a good teaching moment to have a discussion about . . . what is appropriate and what isn't," Dungy said.
"I asked him what he thought of it and he thought it was stupid."
Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb wasn't quite as vocal, saying he didn't find the segment offensive and believed people were overreacting. Owens wasn't at practice Wednesday, excused for what the team said were personal reasons.
Smith agreed the prime-time promo was inappropriate viewing for his sons.
"I'm a father. I have young kids at home, too," Smith said. "I'm a Christian man. I think it goes without saying it was totally inappropriate what happened."
Reverberations are being felt across the NFL landscape.
On Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney categorized the racy promo as "an out-and-out disgrace." Rooney's voice and influence are significant in NFL circles.
"We took a lot of heat from the public because of what CBS and MTV did during the Janet Jackson halftime Super Bowl fiasco," Rooney said to Pittsburgh media. "Now, this was Disney and ABC's Monday Night Football. This is NFL football. We don't do those things."
NFL officials were upset, and said so. ABC quickly issued an apology, acknowledging its promo was "inappropriate."
On Wednesday, the nation's top media regulator weighed in.
"I wonder if Walt Disney would be proud," FCC chairman Michael Powell said during an interview on CNBC.
ABC is owned by Walt Disney Co.
"It would seem to me that while we get a lot of broadcasting companies complaining about indecency enforcement, they seem to be continuing to be willing to keep the issue at the forefront, keep it hot and steamy in order to get the free advertising it provides," Powell said.
