Play-by-play commentator Tom Hart could not hold himself back from making a slick comment about a screeching fan trying to interrupt his broadcast.
During the first-round NIT matchup between Dayton Flyers and Florida Atlantic Owls on Thursday, Hart called the action alongside analyst Perry Clark on ESPN.
Early in the first half, Clark raved about FAU’s guard play off the bench after KyKy Tandy and Niccolo Moretti checked into the game.
However, fans occasionally struggled to hear the commentary with a screeching fan seemingly trying to disrupt their presentation.
As a result, Hart nearly lost his cool while fighting to hear his colleague due to the noise behind them.
‘Sorry, I couldn’t hear you,’ Hart aptly told Clark. ‘I was listening to that person getting murdered in the third row.’
ESPN’s Tom Hart lost his temper with a screeching fan during the Dayton-FAU NIT matchup
Despite the fans’ annoying antics, Hart and Clark remained true to the job as Dayton secured the 86-79 win to advance.
This was not the first time a screeching fan sat behind the broadcast desk and drove announcers crazy during a game. In December, a similar incident occurred with announcer Joel Meyers and Antonio Daniels during a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and LA Clippers in the NBA.
In the last minute, a foul was called on New Orleans’ Dejounte Murray as he tried to take the ball from James Harden with the score tied at 112.
As the Pelicans challenged the call, an overzealous fan could be heard screaming through the broadcast microphones courtside.
The excessive volume led Daniels to comment ”Oh my gosh, if they don’t get out of my ear, screaming in my ear…’
Fortunately, Daniels kept his composure for the rest of the game as the Clippers held on for a 116-113 victory.
