Turns out there are definitely Americans out there who care very, very deeply about the World Cup. That much is clear after ABC affiliate WENY interrupted the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina on Sunday to issue a tornado warning and people went straight bonkers.
Viewers in Southern New York and Northern Pennsylvania missed the ending of the World Cup match (spoiler alert: Germany won in double overtime) after WENY in Elmira had to break into the game with six minutes left and issue updates on the severe and potentially life-threating weather situation.
The broadcast lasted for the remainder of the game, and you would think by the response on Twitter that WENY meteorologist Joe Veres had interrupted the series finale of Breaking Bad with pornographic footage followed by a video of him punching a puppy.
That's how brutal the reaction was:
@WENYTV incredibly unprofessional decision to switch off of World Cup coverage. Your entire station should be ashamed. Embarrassment to TV.
? Pete Carges (@Pcarges550) July 13, 2014
@WENYTV SO GLAD I GOT TO SEE GERMANY WIN THE WORLD CUP. ITS COOL, ILL JUST WATCH A REPLAY
? Aeneas (@Armavirumque12) July 13, 2014
@WENYTV eat a bag of dicks
? billsey420 (@billsey420) July 13, 2014
@wenytv im gonna direct this tornado right at this dork meteorologists house
? JD Skidders (@dagonjr) July 13, 2014
@WENYTV How about you get your stupid weather shit off the tv so I can watch the cup
? Cadi (@gbunch123) July 13, 2014
@WENYTV are you Frickin kiddin me!!!!!!!!!!!!! The World Cup championship game is on ?? unbelievable
? Chalmer Moffett (@Chalmer8) July 13, 2014
Please stop ruining my life @WENYTV
? Logan Baker (@L_bakerr) July 13, 2014
@WENYTV absolute disgrace of a station. Switching off of World Cup coverage. I'd rather watch real housewives of Orange County.
? Pete Carges (@Pcarges550) July 13, 2014
@WENYTV HEY PUT THE GAME ON YOU IDIOTS NO ONE CARES ABOUT A TORNADO YOU DWEEBS
? pake (@JakePeacock98) July 13, 2014
So, to sum up, a news station that was reporting news = life-ruiners, dweebs (welcome back, fourth grade insult!) and on par with Satan's demon spawn.
Joe Veres obviously was not blind to the barrage of insults and took to Facebook on Monday morning to thank the people who were not telling him to "eat a bag of d--ks" after broadcasting over the end of the World Cup and also to remind people that providing what could be life-saving news is more important than a sporting event, no matter how big or how rare that sporting event is:
"I want to take a minute and thank you for the support I've received after having to break into programming for our extended tornado coverage during the World Cup Sunday afternoon. It's important for our viewers to know that we at WENY take severe weather seriously and you can bet that when potentially life-threatening severe weather is occurring, in this case it was a tornado warning, we will be on the air warning you of the danger. Thoughts are with the families who suffered damage during these storms. The National Weather Service is in Schuyler County surveying the damage today and we will pass along their report as soon as it is complete."
As for us? Well, we agree with this Twitter user:
Um, instead of being all mad @WENYTV for cutting away from end of #worldcup, how about you be mad at tornado that made them do it?
? Erin Cassidy (@erinccpi) July 13, 2014
Cyclones? More like why don't you go ahead and Die-clones, right?! #TORNADEOSSUCK
We'll leave you with this video of the KSFY's Nancy Naeve absolutely ripping into the viewers who were sending hate emails after an emergency broadcast interrupted the season finale of Once Upon a Time to issue a tornado warning. Because honestly, OUaT hasn't really been the same since season one, right?