Fox Sports commentator Dan Ginnane has addressed speculation following an incident during the Knights versus Tigers match on Friday night, where he seemingly dropped an F-bomb live on air. The moment occurred after Newcastle winger Greg Marzhew scored, with Ginnane remarking that the Knights were on the brink of “mucking it up.”
However, the audio quality during the live broadcast, influenced by a referee’s whistle and background sound effects, led to confusion. Initially, viewers thought they heard something inappropriate. Ginnane reflected on this during a subsequent appearance on Triple M, admitting that while the audio does sound incriminating, he did not actually say the offensive word.
Ginnane heard a playback of the controversial moment for the first time on Sunday and explained that he hadn’t realised the clip had gone viral until he woke up to a flood of messages referencing “mucking.” He avoided listening to the clip sooner, fearing it might play tricks on his mind. He stated, “Until I’d heard that (audio), I thought whatever was going around might have been doctored.”
He further recounted receiving a reassuring call from Fox Sports’ managing director, Steve Crawley, who also believed there was no foul language used. “I’ve done live broadcasting for over 20 years. I’ve never sworn live on air, but I understand how it might sound,” he clarified.
Returning to the Fox Sports booth for the Dragons versus Bulldogs match, Ginnane chose to lighten the mood surrounding the incident. While discussing a mistake made by player Lachlan Ilias, he jokingly advised not to use the term “mucked it up,” given the recent scrutiny. Nevertheless, he found himself, moments later, stating the very phrase in reference to another error. “It must be just entrenched in my brain,” he laughed.
This light-hearted approach helped to diffuse any lingering tension surrounding the incident. In summary, Ginnane maintained his professionalism while addressing a misunderstanding that arose during live commentary, showcasing his understanding of live broadcasting and the challenges of maintaining clarity amidst distractions.