The “Fan in the Stand” promotion allows supporters to pay 22 Australian dollars (about $ 15) for full-size cutouts of images they upload placed in places around the stadium during matches. It is designed to help fans stay in touch with their teams as matches continue behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fox Sports called the Hitler sketch “bland and offensive” and said it “is very concerned about an accident involving an inappropriate image shown as part of a segment that discusses NRL crowd cutouts.”
“We sincerely apologize for the crime caused by the image,” added the network in a note.
Johns, a former NRL player and host of the Sunday night show, showed the broadcast, said: “The segment of my Sunday Fox League show in which we showed an image of Hitler in the crowd cutouts was bad taste and completely inappropriate.
“I know Fox Sports apologized, but I have to intensify this personally. I know how raw and devastating those events are for so many people and families. I recognize that it was wrong and I apologize to our viewers and all the members of the community that is rightly worried and offended by the segment.
“This morning I reached and spoke directly to Vic Alhadeff at the Jewish Board of Deputies to apologize to the Jewish community and I will apologize live to all of our viewers during the Thursday night show.”
The NRL says it is “reviewing the verification process” after Shipman and Cummings’ pictures have passed. So far about 4,000 fans have paid to cut out their cardboard cutouts in the stands.
Alex Ryvchin, the co-CEO of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, tweeted: “This kind of stupidity, the randomization of Hitler, the Nazis and, by extension, their crimes, is what leads to rob the swastikas in our city and harassed with jokes about the gas chamber “.
Ryvchin said both Fox and Johns have been in contact and offered apologies.
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