UCF Makes A Doozy Of A Mistake With Tweet About National Guard During Game Against Kent State
The University of Central Florida got its 2023 campaign off on the right foot with a 56-6 win over Kent State.
Things didn't go quite as well on social media as they did on the field.
At one point during the game, the Knights social media account shared a photo of quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. With it was the caption, "SOMEONE CALL THE NATIONAL GUARD."
History buffs will know exactly where this one is headed...
UCF's post was meant to reference the time Shannon Sharpe "called the president" asked for the National Guard because he and the Denver Broncos were beating up on the New England Patriots.
Of course, when that is said with Kent State in the equation, minds immediately go elsewhere. People think of the 1970 Kent State Massacre in which the Ohio National Guard opened fire on Vietnam War protestors. Four were killed and nine were injured.
Oops.
Big Oops.
Any sane person knows that wasn't the intent. Still, the post was deleted and the school released a statement.
"An unfortunate post was made with the intention to reference the famous Shannon Sharpe sideline clip of him on the phone from a 1996 game against the New England Patriots," the statement reads, per ClickOrlando.com.
"As soon as our staff was made aware of the unintended reference to the unfortunate event that took place at Kent State in 1970, the post was removed. It was addressed with our staff immediately, and updated protocols have been put in place to avoid a situation like this in the future."
The statement concluded by saying that UCF Atletic Director Terry Mohajir had apologized to his Kent State counterpart, Randale L. Richmond.
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