ESPN analyst Mike Greenberg was forced into an embarrassing live TV apology during the NFL Draft after mistakenly celebrating a family connection that doesn’t exist.
Greenberg, a regular fixture of ESPN’s daytime programming, was handed an important role by the network calling the 2026 Draft this week, and he was prepared with a fact as the Cleveland Browns selected Denzel Boston at No 39.
As the cameras cut to Boston’s family home, where he hugged his nearest and dearest, Greenberg told viewers: ‘You remember his dad, David Boston, first-round pick out of Ohio State in 1999’.
The only problem? The new Browns star isn’t related to the wide receiver with the same surname.
Around two hours later in the broadcast, around the time the Browns should have been picking again, Greenberg fronted up about his mistake and apologized.
‘The Cleveland Browns traded out of the spot (pick No. 74) just a moment ago,’ he began. ‘I was waiting for them to come around again so that I could make an apology to Denzel Boston, who, earlier tonight, I misidentified as being the son of former NFL wide receiver David Boston.
Denzel Boston reacts with his mom and dad immediately after being picked by the Browns
He hugged his father – who is *not* the former Ohio State wide receiver David Boston
‘It was a mistake in my research. It was a terrible one, and I apologize to them both. They are not related to each other.
‘And so I apologize to both David and Denzel Boston, and congratulations to Denzel for being drafted in the second round tonight by the Cleveland Browns. It is my mistake, and I apologize for it.’
He was widely praised for admitting to his mistake, but many questioned how such a bizarre error could have been made in the first place.
While 320,000 fans were reported to have been in attendance at the Draft on night one, millions more have been tuning in from home across the first two days.
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, calling the Draft this week, was forced to apologize for his mistake
Greenberg (left) is a regular fixture on ESPN’s daytime programming, such as Get Up!
When the error was first made on air, one viewer wrote on X: ‘MY GOD! Greenberg is so useless! Why has ESPN been stuffing him into so much content for so many years??’
A second added: ‘IF espn wants to gain respectability get rid of this dummy in Mike Greenberg who has made so many mistakes throughout this draft. ESPN should be absolutely embarrassed by Greeny’s performance.’
After the apology, another noted: ‘There is 0% chance Mike Greenberg did this research himself. Guy read off a sheet of paper and some statistician is getting fired for this.’
