On Wednesday morning, the “Big Three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) networks eagerly pounced on video of Florida Senator Marco Rubio mistakenly hitting a boy with a football while throwing him a pass, giving the video a combined 2 minutes 43 seconds of coverage from 7-9:00 a.m.
NBC’s Today introduced its broadcast with co-host Matt Lauer declaring “Rubi-ow. A pass from Senator Marco Rubio to a young fan doesn't quite go quite as planned...Why the presidential hopeful says the quarterback always gets the blame.”
After teasing the video at the top of the show, NBC devoted an additional 1 minute 30 seconds to the young boy in Iowa who was unable to catch Rubio’s pass. Co-host Tamron Hall beamed that this video “is why viral moments are made” before she promoted how “a gif was born and the tweets were quick to follow. You see there, boink”:
Well, Huffington Post editor Igor writes “Marco Rubio’s campaign really spiraling out of control.” That's an Al Roker joke. Brett calls it the “Worst Florida sports performance since the Rose Bowl... But here’s the deal guys. The Rule is thread the needle. Boom. He hits the kid in the forehead. Matt, the QB, supposed to land here, right?
For his part, Lauer did not join in to mock Senator Rubio and actually pointed out that “[t]he quarterback should not get the blame in this case...It’s an extremely catchable pass. Co-host Natalie Morales agreed that the kid “needs to turn around. He’s getting hit on the back of the head.”
Tamron Hall continued to scold Rubio for his pass and argued “[t]here’s a height ratio problem. 3 feet versus 6" and Savannah Guthrie warned Lauer that he better “ [e]njoy your hate mail” for defending Rubio’s pass.
On CBS This Morning, the show played a clip of comedian Conan O’Brien mocking Rubio to introduce the show’s coverage of the football video. Co-host Charlie Rose explained “You can see Senator Rubio's toss missed his mark accidentally hitting the little boy in the face. The child is okay today this morning. Rubio wrote on Twitter, the QB always gets the blame.”
After substitute hose Clarissa Ward said the video was “slightly awkward” Gayle King complained “[n]obody went to the child when he got hit. Everybody just sort of stood there watching but he's alright. He's Okay. Not a good look for anybody.”
ABC’s Good Morning America included its coverage of Rubio in a segment on Hillary Clinton’s e-mails and George Stephanopoulos teased “Marco Rubio, the perils of trying to be a regular guy.” Jonathan Karl laughed at the video and noted "[h]e tries to throw a pass to that little kid, hits him right on the head.”
Karl did not that “[i]n fairness to Marco Rubio, George, it was a pretty good pass but Rubio later said the quarterback always gets the blame.” Stephanopoulos agreed that Rubio “took responsibility and he is a pretty good football player.”
See relevant transcripts below.
NBC’s Today
August 19, 2015
MATT LAUER: And Rubi-ow. A pass from Senator Marco Rubio to a young fan doesn't quite go quite as planned.
MARCO RUBIO: Oh, no!
LAUER: Why the presidential hopeful says the quarterback always gets the blame today, Wednesday, August 19, 2015. And good morning. Welcome to Today on a Wednesday morning. The quarterback should not get the blame in this case. Rubio clearly told the kid to do a four-step button hook not the post pattern and the kid gets hit in the head.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let’s do the slow motion replay right there. You know, it’s much safer if politicians just kiss babies. I think we’ve established that. A little bit more on that funny piece of video in a bit.
--
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Alright, we’ve shown you the video. Now let’s get the back story behind the old botched pass and catch on the campaign trail. Tamron?TAMRON HALL: This is why viral moments are made. Okay, so presidential candidate, guys as you mentioned. Good morning. Marco Rubio made a campaign stop in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday. He tossed around a football with some kids in the area. That is so fun. Other than some incomplete passes all was going so beautifully until this unfortunate incident. Don't worry, the cute little boy here he’s okay but a gif was born and the tweets were quick to follow. You see there, boink. Well, Huffington Post editor Igor writes “Marco Rubio’s campaign really spiraling out of control.” That's an Al Roker joke. Brett calls it the “Worst Florida sports performance since the Rose Bowl.”
Al ROKER: Ouch.
HALL: And Benny resurfaced this moment, who could forget, from the Brady Bunch. But actually that’s the Brady Bunch movie not the classic TV show but never mind all that. ESPN had Senator Rubio’s back saying that the pass wasn’t terrible to which he responded “The QB always gets the blame.” But here’s the deal guys. The Rule is thread the needle. Boom. He hits the kid in the forehead. Matt, the QB, supposed to land here, right?
MATT LAUER: It’s an extremely catchable pass.
HALL: What?
LAUER: Extremely catchable.
HALL: There’s a height ratio problem. 3 feet versus 6.
NATALIE MORALES: He needs to turn around. He’s getting hit on the back of the head.
ROKER: Are you trying to have people [sic]
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Enjoy your hate mail.
ABC’s Good Morning America
August 19, 2015
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Also, little vignette from the campaign trail. We saw Marco Rubio, the perils of trying to be a regular guy.JONATHAN KARL: Yeah, so take a look at this. He tries to throw a pass to that little kid, hits him right on the head. In fairness to Marco Rubio, George, it was a pretty good pass but Rubio later said the quarterback always gets the blame.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Always gets the blame. So he took it.
KARL: The kid was fine, by the way. The kid was fine.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Thank goodness. He took responsibility and he is a pretty good football player. Okay Jon, thanks very much.
CBS This MorningAugust 19, 2015
CONAN O’BRIEN: In Iowa yesterday while playing football with a kid, Marco Rubio hit him in the face and knocked him down. As a result today Marco Rubio was signed by the New York jets.CHARLIE ROSE: And here's a look at the video from Iowa. You can see Senator Rubio's toss missed his mark accidentally hitting the little boy in the face. The child is okay today this morning. Rubio wrote on Twitter, the QB always gets the blame.
CLARISSA WARD: Slightly awkward isn’t it?
GAYLE KING: Awkward. I just felt ouch and everybody watching.
ROSE: You wanted the QB to go see how the kid was doing.
KING: I did. Nobody went to the child when he got hit. Everybody just sort of stood there watching but he's alright. He's Okay. Not a good look for anybody.
