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plus: wtf sports moments ONE CRACKED FACT | [View in Browser]( [logo]( [We Get NFL Broadcasts Today Thanks To Everyone Hating The Movie 'Heidi']( By: [RM Avatar] [Ryan Menezes]( • November 23, 2021 [11232021](www.cracked.com/article_31871_we-get-nfl-broadcasts-today-thanks-to-everyone-hating-the-movie-heidi.html?newsletter-cat=sports?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=23112021) We were talking a few days ago about sports events running long and pushing back the TV schedule, particularly one time when a game cut into the news, sending an angry Dan Rather storming off the set. Now let's look at the reverse situation: What happens when everyone gets mad because the network cuts away from the game? On November 17, 1968, NBC thought they'd set aside plenty of time to air a game between the New York Jets and the LA Raiders. The game started at 4:00 PM, and the schedule was free till a 7:00 PM movie. But between timeouts and a bizarre number of penalties, the Jets and Raiders wound up stretching their game longer than any NFL game previously televised. At 7:00 PM, a minute of play still remained. Sometimes, when there's this little time left in a football game, everyone stops playing and the leading team starts celebrating. Tonight, the Jets were ahead 32 to 29, which probably meant they had the win, but it wasn't certain. With that score on the board, everyone watching the game at home saw the broadcast suddenly cut out. Replacing it was the scheduled screening of the 1968 movie Heidi. There was no way for people to check the score besides watching TV. There was no internet of course, no premium sports channels, and not even a 24-hour news channel they could switch to for updates. People at home sat in ignorance as Los Angeles scored a touchdown and took the lead, with 42 seconds still remaining. At this point, NBC execs tried to phone the station to tell them to switch back to the game, but they couldn't get through—because the station was flooded with calls from angry viewers. The Raiders then scored another touchdown, winning the game 43 to 32. That's two touchdowns within nine seconds of play, and viewers missed them both, not learning about the comeback till reading the newspaper the next day. Thanks to the "Heidi Game," the NFL insisted on a deal that live games have to air in their entirety. And Americans learned to harbor a deep hatred of Heidi ... actually, a hatred for the entire nation of Switzerland. For more memorable sports moments, check out: - [7 Great Sports Moments (That Might Have Been Fixed)]( - [NFL Safety Ronnie Lott Amputates His Finger So He Can Keep Playing]( - [Both Teams Try Winning a Soccer Game by Scoring on Their Own Goals]( Top image: //click1.newsletter.cracked.com/sjlrrzbdffctrfsvtclwrtzvdktrblgbhcwvdzfpssmc_drphrmhdhmmftmhdmschpg.html [Daily Digest]( [Tim Heidecker And Taking Weird Comedy To The People]( [By Matt Solomon / November 23rd, 2021]( [Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock Almost Had A 'Speed' Romance]( [By Carly Tennes / November 22nd, 2021]( [Diving Into China's Draconian Video Game Regulations]( [By Stephen Buckley / November 22nd, 2021]( [The Kangaroos Are Out Of The Paddock (AKA Sharknado) Ft. Jenny Arimoto (VIDEO)]( [By Jesse / November 22nd, 2021]( ['The Simpsons' Side Characters Are Having A Moment After Smithers' Episode]( [By Carly Tennes / November 22nd, 2021]( [READ MORE]( [fb]( [tw]( [yt]( [flipboard]( [insta png]( [tiktok png]( [ARTICLES]( | [PICTOFACTS]( | [Videos]( Literally media Ltd. 190 West St, Suite 17B, Brooklyn NY 11222 COPYRIGHT © 2005-2021 Cracked is published by Literally media Ltd. [Unsubscribe](