The best on-air sporting gaffes from commentators in TV history

POOR old Fox Sports commentator Brendon Julian was left with his foot firmly in his mouth after an unfortunate on air gaffe when presenting the Frank Worrell Trophy to Australia’s cricketers after their series win over the West Indies this week.

The Aussies belted the Windies, 2-0, in the series, named after West Indian great and former captain Sir Frank Worrell and is awarded to the winner of Test series between the two nations.

But Julian, himself a former Australian Test player, renamed it the “Wank Forrell Trophy” in a slip of the tongue that drew plenty of giggles.

His switching of the two first letters of the champions’ name made for an unfortunate and uncomfortable television moment, but the 44 year old, seven Test representative made up for it later when he had to say it again, getting it out without mistake, this time.

Julian once took a bag of five wickets in the West Indies, but his on air gaffe might be a little more memorable.

To his credit, after pausing on “Wank”, he spat out “Forrell” and then seamlessly made his way through the rest of the ceremony without incident, as Aussie Michael Clarke and his team mates celebrated the series victory.

Julian’s unfortunate slip of the tongue brought back memories of other famous – and infamous – on air stuff ups and we’ve decided to take a look at a few.

Andrew Jarman’s disgusting pregnancy comments

This one is a recent one and it’s firmly entrenched in infamy.

Jarman, a former Adelaide Football Club star, got a harsh lesson in the “microphone is always on” when the Triple M Adelaide broadcaster made some horrific remarks about pregnant women that the editors failed to remove before airing.

The station aired his obscene comment to former Port Adelaide captain Dom Cassisi, whose expectant wife was almost due.

“Just f*** the guts out of ‘em with your big c**k”.

It sparked a furore on social media and had many women’s group’s calling for Jarman’s sacking.

The dual Magarey Medallist was suspended indefinitely from the station, but was back on air less than a week later, the station releasing a statement defending its man.

“We are confident Jarman fully understands the inappropriate nature of his comments and remains deeply remorseful for what he said,” the station said in a statement.

“Triple M Adelaide deeply regrets and apologises for the broadcast of inappropriate material.

“The editing of the material prior to broadcast, did not occur due to human error.

“An on-air apology was broadcast during the program.”

Jarman, clearly remorseful for his gaffe, spoke with contrition when he returned to air.

“I’m very grateful to be back on air today with the Triple M family and, as I’ve said Dale, I’m just so deeply remorseful about my comments last week,” he said on The Rush Hour.

He claimed he “nearly fainted and went white” when he heard the comment went to air.

“It was a stupid thing to do, I regret, I’m remorseful,” he said.

“I’m a proud family man, you don’t say those things.

“I let my family down to a degree.”

Gerard Whateley’s “dumpy f***”

Mild mannered Fox Footy presenter Gerard Whateley usually plays the prince to Mark Robinson’s joker on AFL 360, but the shoe was on the other foot when the former let go of an expletive during a live cross to Greater Western Sydney star Jeremy Cameron.

Cameron had taken on Holroyd Parramatta Goannas player Ben Rogers in a goal kicking challenge, and came out on the wrong end of the ledger when his last kick went awry.

Whateley appeared to make the comment “…you were beaten by a short little dumpy f***.”

It led to plenty of action on social media, sparking the Twitterverse.

The inviting Whateley made little effort to deny what he had said, but felt it was “good for my street creed”.

“The quote is rightly attributed to me, it’s just that that’s not quite what was said … there were a few people who clearly heard it that way decided to tweet,” Whateley said on ABC 774.

“But I have decided not to deny it because I think it will be good for my street cred, if people think there is the possibility that I might drop the F-bomb on air I think that has to be good for me.

“I became aware of that a few hours after the show … shall we say we have roles (on AFL 360), do you really think in our roles I am the one who would have dropped the magic?”

Whatever he said, Whateley got away with it without sanction and those in the studio, if they picked it up, brought no attention to it during the broadcast.

Gerard Healey and his AFL team the “Gold c***s”

You had to feel for Gerard Healy on this one.

Talking about the form of the Gold Coast Suns during an on field discussion, his unfortunate splicing of “Coast” and “Suns” ended in one of the most offensive words in the English language.

And it went viral – world wide – with plenty of over seas broadcasts using the pre game cross tongue twister in their news programs.

Healey looked calm and composed after his slip up, but fellow broadcaster Anthony Hudson picked it up straight away, having a nice old giggle in front of the camera.

It was brought up on his Fox Footy show On The Couch a couple of days later and Healy was apologetic.

“The mobile phone has been going into overdrive with so many texts from family and friends from all over the country, Bali, the USA and UK letting me know they’ve seen it and people are laughing at this Aussie commentator who called one of their teams, the Gold C***s,” Healy said.

“How Spud (Danny Frawley) kept a straight face was a miracle.”

Terrible slip of the tongue for cricket champ

Hashim Amla is a Muslim who plays cricket for South Africa.

He has a huge beard, which he says is a tribute not just to Islam, but all faiths derived from the biblical Abraham.

But, during a Test against Sri Lanka in 2006 where Amla nabbed a sharp chance off champ Kumar Sangakkara, commentator Dean Jones, mistakenly thinking the Ten Sport network had gone to a commercial break, remarked: “the terrorist gets another wicket.”

The comments caused a storm of criticism and anger in the Muslim community and Jones was virtually sacked on the spot.

Jones said at the time: “I am truly sorry to have caused offence to anybody and the last thing I intended was to be disrespectful”.

Amla has since spoken about the incident, saying it “hurt”.

“I remember Dean said to me, when he apologised, ‘Sorry, mate, I didn’t mean for it to come out on air’,” Amla said.

“The teaching of Islam is that if anyone tries to apologise, you forgive them.

“We all have some inward prejudices that we need to address, whether it be of colour, race or religion.

“It did hurt.

“When somebody calls you something like that you don’t say ‘Thank you!’

“That’s not the thing to do.

“But when a guy apologises, even if it’s that kind of apology, who is to judge but the Almighty?

“And if it prompts another person to make an effort to find what Islam means, then a lot of prejudices will be blown away.”

Sandy Roberts has the male organ on the mind

Miss Australia Leanne Dick would one day become Leanne Cockerill by marriage.

But that was years after Sandy Roberts’ fatally phallic slip of the tongue at the 1981 Mt Gambier Cup.

Roberts invited the glamorous beauty to the stage to present the Cup, introducing her as “Leanne Cock”.

It’s probably the most iconic slip of the tongue in Aussie sports history.

No one eve forgets it and every time some one makes a gaffe on air, it’s the first thing brought up.

To give you an idea, it tends to make number one on any online listicle and, after reading out a Collingwood team on Seven News that featured Shannon Cox and Brad Dick, he later joked: “It’s amazing how things come back to haunt you.”