Fox might be in some hot water after Shannon Sharpe’s live phone call with Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones.
Sharpe sent shockwaves through the NFL when he dialed up Jones live on-air Monday, and the star receiver said he was “out” of Atlanta. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
This is huge: Shannon Sharpe called Julio Jones live on @undisputed: Julio said he’s “out of there” when asked if he wants to stay in Atlanta. He also said he doesn’t want to go to the Cowboys. “I want to win.”
Holy cow. I don’t think he knew he was live. pic.twitter.com/5D8cXjclQt
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) May 24, 2021
Well, California, where the call was placed, is a two-party state when it comes to recording phone calls. That means both parties must consent to it “when there is “an objectively reasonable expectation that no one is listening in or overhearing the conversation.”
That could spell trouble for Fox after the phone call was played live for viewers on FS1, according to ForTheWin.com.
Maybe he knew he was on tv, but it didn’t seem like it.
Which, uh … https://t.co/Wa7L7ZgoZr pic.twitter.com/6xyI5JixBo
— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) May 24, 2021
The maximum penalty if Jones was truly unaware of the call being on-air is a $2,000 fine or a year in jail, according to Sports Illustrated.
While Jones hasn’t confirmed whether or not he knew he was on TV, Chris Simms reported that people close to the situation don’t think the star receiver knew what was going on, according to USA Today.
View this post on Instagram
Furthermore, SI reported that the Falcons might pursue an on-air apology from the network for the stunt from Shannon Sharpe.
All the way around, it’s been an absolute disaster for the company.
Julio Jones when asked if he’s going back to the Falcons on Undisputed: “I’m out of there.”
He also said he doesn’t want to play for the Cowboys.
— Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) May 24, 2021
Having said that, I still enjoyed the hell out of it, and I’d love to see more of it in sports. Just pay the $2,000 fine and keep setting the internet on fire!