Getty ImagesNEW YORK - ABC’s “desperate” bid at cross-promotion backfired on “Monday Night Football.”
The network’s steamy intro to the Philadelphia-Dallas game, featuring a naked Nicollette Sheridan jumping into the arms of Eagles receiver Terrell Owens, drew complaints from viewers and the NFL.
ABC Sports apologized Tuesday for the segment, used a day earlier to promote the hit show “Desperate Housewives” and broadcast just nine months after another football flap — the Janet Jackson Super Bowl fiasco.
“We have heard from many of our viewers about last night’s ‘MNF’ opening segment and we agree that the placement was inappropriate,” ABC Sports said in a statement.
The NFL called the intro “inappropriate and unsuitable for our ‘Monday Night Football’ audience.”
The spot showed Owens and Sheridan in an empty locker room, with Sheridan wearing only a towel and provocatively asking Owens to skip the game for her.
After she dropped her towel, he smiled, agreed to be late for the contest and she jumped into his arms. Sheridan was shown only from behind and above the waist after she dropped the towel.
Then the shot panned out to two more stars of “Desperate Housewives,” Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman, watching the scene unfold on a television and commenting on desperate women.
![]() |
Elsa / Getty Images Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens |
“It is normal for teams to cooperate with ABC in the development of an opening for its broadcast,” the team said. “After seeing the final piece, we wish it hadn’t aired.”
ABC has broadcast “Monday Night Football” with a 5-second delay this season, a precaution after Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction at February’s Super Bowl.
At halftime of that game, Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Jackson’s brassiere, exposing her right breast to a TV audience of some 90 million. The Super Bowl was broadcast on CBS, which was fined a record $550,000 by the FCC.
Chris Johnson 'has worked very hard' and will rebound from a bad season, Tennessee offensive coordinator Chris Palmer says.
Special feature |
NFL Draft HQ A complete breakdown of the 2012 NFL draft, including pick-by-pick analysis, which teams drafted well, player bios and more. NBC Sports |
Latest from ProFootballTalk |
Video: Football from NBC Sports |
Looking over his shoulder SportsTalk: Is Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez concerned about being benched for Tim Tebow? |
Slideshow |
NBCSports.com |