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Lost Irony. Deep Dark Secret then telephoned NBC's Broadcast Operations Control in Manhattan, but he was unable to get through; the lines were already jammed with calls from fans who wanted to make sure that NBC would stick with the game. So Deep Dark Secret called the mobile unit covering the game in Oakland. Mobile Unit relayed Deep Dark Secret's message by direct line to the head engineer of the Broadcast Operations Control "punchboard" in Manhattan. "Highly irregular," said Punchboard, who insisted that a command to delay Heidi would have to come directly from the mouth of Deep Dark Secret. So Punchboard called Deep Dark Secret, but alas, he was talking on the phone with Lindemann. Thus, when the decisive moment arrived, old reliable Punchboard dutifully followed prior orders and punched the buttons that substituted Heidi for halfbacks.
One of the nation's largest specialists in mass communication had failed to communicate internally. But this irony was lost on most NBC executives. They were too busy chortling over the bonuses of the whole affair. For one thing, the unexpected publicity given Heidi all but assures that the program will be sold as a rerun next year. For another, as Sports Vice President Lindemann explains, the fanaticism of the TV football fans showed doubting sponsors that NBC was giving them their money's worth. Lest such a blackout ever happen again, NBC will install two direct lines to Punchboard at BOC. Presumably, this will redouble the chances of the next foul-up.