There’s the announcer jinx, where an announcer discusses a streak that gets promptly broken, and the reverse jinx, where a predicted event subsequently occurs. However, ESPN’s coverage of the North Carolina Tar Heels-Florida State Seminoles men’s college basketball game featured a humorous third variant—an announcer’s comment led to a camera shot that contradicted their observation.
During this broadcast, Dave O’Brien and Cory Alexander were on the call, with O’Brien making the noteworthy remark. In the final minute, with North Carolina leading by 10 points and the outcome clear, O’Brien mentioned noticing that Florida State’s head coach, Leonard Hamilton, was smiling more than usual. This could indeed be true; Hamilton, who has coached the Seminoles for 23 seasons, has had his share of peaks and valleys, including reaching the Elite Eight in 1993 and 2018 while facing recent struggles that kept them out of the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons.
His typical demeanor has often been characterized by a serious expression rather than visible joy, so O’Brien’s observation about Hamilton’s increased smiling certainly caught attention. Yet, hilariously, this remark was immediately undercut when the broadcast cut to a shot of Hamilton, who, with his team down 10 in the closing moments, presented a classic deadpan expression rather than a smile. This contrast was captured in a clip shared on Twitter:
— No Context College Basketball (@ContextFreeCBB) February 25, 2025
O’Brien quipped, “One other thought about Leonard Hamilton. He is smiling more than I’ve ever seen him smile. Because in basketball season, it’s all business for Leonard and every other head coach. But he’s smiled a lot.” This moment amusingly illustrated how two seemingly valid observations can misalign when combined in real-time. It makes perfect sense for announcers to share insights on coaches and how their behaviors change, especially in a game’s final minute when the outcome is already decided—particularly from an experienced voice like O’Brien discussing his familiarity with Hamilton. The topic of coaches’ smiles has surfaced before, often with less reasonable contexts than this instance.
Moreover, it’s entirely standard for broadcasts to show a coach when they’re being discussed. At times, this practice can enhance moments—like ESPN’s notable shot of LSU coach Kim Mulkey reacting to a simple basket from Kentucky. However, in this case, the camera angle undercut O’Brien’s point as effectively as a medieval miner, resulting in a comedic moment that delighted viewers.
