
ABC boots UFL game to ESPN2 for NBA pregame show — right before ex-Giant seals wild finish
Move over, UFL, the NBA Playoffs are on.
On Sunday, ABC interrupted its live broadcast of a United Football League (UFL) game between the Arlington Renegades and the D.C. Defenders to air the pregame show for Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals featuring the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The switch occurred just before the UFL game's dramatic conclusion, leaving viewers without the live ending.
Though, admittedly, many more people will care about the Western Conference semifinals, hence the change to begin with.
Deon Jackson of the DC Defenders is tackled by Joe Powell of the Arlington Renegades during the second half at Audi Field on May 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Getty Images
But at the time of the broadcast interruption, the Defenders were leading the Renegades 33–30.
The game concluded with the Defenders securing the win when former Giants first-round pick Deandre Baker intercepted a pass — off of a fake spike — on the game's final play, clinching a playoff spot and eliminating the Renegades from postseason contention.
The decision to prioritize the NBA pregame show over the live conclusion of the UFL game is not that surprising given where we are in the sports calendar, but unfortunately, the dedicated spring football fans might have missed the dramatic ending.
Interim head coach Shannon Harris of the DC Defenders receives a conference championship berth after a 33-30 win against the Arlington Renegades at Audi Field on May 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Getty Images
The Defenders clinched a playoff spot with the win and improved their record to 6-2, which is tied for first in the XFL Conference with the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

an hour ago
Oilers unravel in Game 3 against the Panthers and now are chasing the Stanley Cup Final
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Falling behind early, parading to the penalty box and losing grip of their composure, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in an all-too-familiar position: trailing the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. Not much went right for them in Game 3 on Monday night, a 6-1 blowout loss that put them down 2-1 in the series after taking the opener at home. Many of their 85 penalty minutes, the most by a team in the final in nearly four decades, came in garbage time, but there is far more concern about the mistakes that piled up to put them in a hole. 'We didn't play very well,' said Evander Kane, who was whistled for two of his three minor penalties in a miserable first period and got a misconduct late. "That's evident. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We can definitely be a lot better.' Stuart Skinner got pulled after allowing five goals on 23 shots, but captain Connor McDavid acknowledged, 'I don't know how much we're going to put on Stu.' The play in front of him was disjointed and disconnected, at 5 on 5, on the power play and on the penalty kill. If not for Skinner, the score could have gotten out of hand much earlier because the Western Conference champions had their worst showing since perhaps the first couple of games of the playoffs. 'It was a weird game,' McDavid said. 'Obviously it wasn't our best — not our best at all. I don't think our best has shown up all series long. But it's coming. We'll shift the focus to finding a way to get a win in Game 4.' Even with an extra day off before Game 4 on Thursday night, coach Kris Knoblauch scheduled practice for his team Tuesday afternoon. There is much to discuss and work on. 'Collectively, goaltender, defense, all our forwards, we all have to be better,' Knoblauch said. "They played a heck of a game, and we're going to have to raise ours.' Being more disciplined is a good place to start. After giving up a goal to Brad Marchand 56 seconds in, Edmonton took four minor penalties in the first period. The dam eventually broke on a power-play goal that made it too tough a deficit to overcome. 'Almost half the period you're killing, so it's not a good way to get into your game,' McDavid said. "Never got to our game.' The Oilers' play was almost indistinguishable from how they've looked for much of this run, getting balanced scoring and star performances from McDavid and Draisaitl. Ill-timed defensive breakdowns proved costly, and guys lost their cool — like Jake Walman squirting water at Panthers players on their bench from his place on the visiting side. 'I obviously did that for a reason,' Walman said, reluctant to explain why. 'It's just gamesmanship, I guess.' By the time brawls ensued in the third period, the game was out of hand. Players downplayed the margin of defeat, quick to try to spin their thoughts forward to what they need to do to tie the final. 'We know what we're going to be up against,' Skinner said. 'It doesn't change how we're going to respond again. We've got two days to come back and I think there's some things that we're going to have to change.' That could mean lineup changes and certainly some major adjustments by Knoblauch and his staff. The Oilers also need to be better prepared to play in Game 4, perhaps channeling the pain from back-to-back losses. 'Losing in the playoffs, whether it's in round 1 Game 1 or the Stanley Cup Final, it's never a good feeling, but we've been here before," Kane said. "We've been down in series before, and we've had tough losses. It will sting right now and we'll flush it tomorrow and get ready for Thursday.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Will head coach Joe Mazzulla change the way the Boston Celtics play?
Will head coach Joe Mazzulla change the way the Boston Celtics play after their early exit from the 2025 NBA Playoffs? The Celtics were sent fishing by the New York Knicks in their Eastern Conference Semifinals second round series with their Atlantic Division rival, and Boston's over-reliance on shots from beyond the arc were arguably a significant factor in what went wrong for the Celtics. To be sure, injuries to Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and other key players compounded the matter. But at least some of the blame should fall on a version of Mazzulla ball that was not as complete as it was when the Celtics won the title in 2024. Advertisement The folks behind the "98.5 The Sports Hub" YouTube channel put together a clip from their "Felger and Mazz" show that takes a closer look at such a possibility. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say! This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Will head coach Joe Mazzulla change the way the Celtics play?


USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Will head coach Joe Mazzulla change the way the Boston Celtics play?
Will head coach Joe Mazzulla change the way the Boston Celtics play? Will head coach Joe Mazzulla change the way the Boston Celtics play after their early exit from the 2025 NBA Playoffs? The Celtics were sent fishing by the New York Knicks in their Eastern Conference Semifinals second round series with their Atlantic Division rival, and Boston's over-reliance on shots from beyond the arc were arguably a significant factor in what went wrong for the Celtics. To be sure, injuries to Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and other key players compounded the matter. But at least some of the blame should fall on a version of Mazzulla ball that was not as complete as it was when the Celtics won the title in 2024. The folks behind the "98.5 The Sports Hub" YouTube channel put together a clip from their "Felger and Mazz" show that takes a closer look at such a possibility. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say!