ESPN’s SportsCenter Posts Mysterious Tweet, Apologizes For Misunderstanding

Robert Alvarez

8 years ago at 4:19 pm ET

David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports

Following the New England Patriots 20-13 win over the Buffalo Bills Monday Night, this curious tweet below was sent out just as the game concluded that sent Patriots fans into a frenzy over it’s true meaning.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/669017754452803584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

At first glance, it appeared to be a bizarre jab at the Patriots for Spygate, as it contained a cluster of footballs and camera emojis. Fans quickly lashed out their anger and frustration with the tweet, demanding to know an explanation.

@SportsCenter grow up.

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) November 24, 2015

@SportsCenter really good sports journalism

— Zach Williamson (@Zilliamson) November 24, 2015

@SportsCenter what even is this?

— Katie Nolan (@katienolan) November 24, 2015

@SportsCenter is this a Spygate joke? I don't get it

— Andrew Luck (@FauxAndyLuck) November 24, 2015

Some even felt it was ESPN’s retaliation for the Patriots declining to have a player interviewed during the postgame show.

So @espn doesn't get their postgame interview so like whiney preteens they tweet out a Spygate/Deflategate emoji jab.

— Adam Bogdan (@PatriotsInform) November 24, 2015

The controversy would finally reach its conclusion Tuesday afternoon when SportsCenter tweeted out this clarification explaining what message they were really trying to get across stating “we’ll be better.”

CLARIFICATION: We were referencing the numerous replays and length of MNF. It didn’t come across. That's our mistake. We'll be better.

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 24, 2015

Regardless of the true nature of the provided explanation, its safe to say the Patriots and their fans are still very much at odds with the national media sports outlet. Over the summer, ESPN publicly apologized for running an erroneous story about the Patriots videotaping the St. Louis Rams walkthroughs before Super Bowl XXXVI, a story that was later proven false with no evidence.

However, the other now proven false Chris Mortensen report regarding 11 of 12 footballs from the AFC championship being “inflated significantly below the NFL’s requirements” can still be found on the ESPN website to this day.