Double Whammy for the Miami Heats

It's as if it wasn't upsetting enough that Miami Heats lost the championship, what with all the star players they have, the Miami Herald has to humiliate and publish a headline with "Congratulations Miami" as the main story.

Here's the local article from manila bulletin.

As if getting upset by the "underdog" Dallas Mavericks in six games of the 2011 NBA Finals was not enough, the star-studded Miami Heat got another slap in the face right in its own backyard.

The Miami Herald newspaper ran in its Monday edition an ad congratulating the Heat for their "win" in the NBA — right on the same page where it ran the story of Dallas' series-clinching Game 6 win.

"Congratulations MIAMI!" read the ad by Macy's. Images of the ad were posted on several sites on the Internet, including some blog sites. Also in the ad were images of Heat championship gear.

Miami actually lost 95-105 to the Mavericks Sunday night (Monday morning in Manila).

The Miami Herald's online edition ran a wire story on the faux pas, saying it "has issued a correction and apologized for any inconvenience." 

But the error did not escape the online community.

"This represents the closest LeBron James and the Heat actually will get to the title this season," said Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

In July last year, Miami was touted as an instant contender after LeBron James and Chris Bosh left the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors respectively to join Dwyane Wade in hunting for a championship ring.

The Heat won its first ever championship in 2006, also against the Dallas Mavericks. — RSJ/KBK, GMA News

Here's an entry of Jeff Schultz:

Miami Herald Macy’s ad declares Heat ‘NBA champions’ (UPDATED)

9:56 am June 13, 2011, by Jeff Schultz

Here's a better photo than earlier version. (Miami New Times.)

(Last update: 4:40 p.m. Added an anecdote Falcons’ fans should remember from the Super Bowl season.)

And now, from the, “Dewey Defeats Truman” file, we give you: “Congratulations Miami!”

In the mother — or maybe that should be “King James” — of all mistakes, the Miami Herald ran a near-full page Macy’s ad in Monday’s newspaper, announcing that Heat “championship” T-shirts and hats were going on sale.

This represents the closest LeBron James and the Heat actually will get to the title this season.

Miami lost Game 6 of the NBA finals and the series to the Dallas Mavericks Sunday night. It’s common for print publications to have two display ads ready to go after championship events. T-shirt manufacturers operate similarly (and then either destroy the shirts for the losing team or send them to charities overseas). What made this mistake unusual was the Heat trailed the series three games to two before

For those who didn't catch the historical reference.

Sunday and weren’t even in a position to clinch. So there was no reason to have the “Heat wins” ad ready.

Falcons fans should be able to relate to this. In January of 1999, the Herald ran a strip headline atop a Super Bowl special section that read: ”Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings, 6:25 P.M. Tonight.” The Falcons had upset Minnesota in the NFC title game two weeks earlier. The newspaper’s graphics department had already started to design the section and forgot to make the change.

In 2009, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a Macy’s ad selling Phillies championship T-shirts. But the World Series was still going on — and of course, the Yankees went on to win the title.

The shirts pictured in the Monday’s ad show the Heat logo with the championship trophy. One says, “Champions,” and another reads, “Raise Another Banner.” The Herald posted a correction online Monday.

It’s not like most folks in South Florida haven’t been presumptuous about titles. When James andChris Bosh signed as free agents and joined Dwyane Wade in Miami, the news was celebrated at a press conference, which was complete with lights, music and pyrotechnics. James, the guy with the, “Chosen 1″ tattoo across his back, himself promised eight championships.

Still waiting for the first.

By Jeff Schultz

and, here is the retraction from Miami Herald of the wrong headline:

Miami Herald ad mistake: Heat win NBA title

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI -- The Mavericks' win over the Heat was a huge upset for fans in Miami, especially after an ad in the local paper mistakenly congratulates the Heat on the win.
A full-page ad that ran in Monday's Miami Herald reads "Congratulations Miami" next to photos of Heat championship T-shirts and hats from Macy's. One T-shirt reads "Heat 2011 NBA Finals Champions" and the ad shows the Heat's logo on the front of a hat with the words "NBA Champions."
The ad ran under a story about the Heat's loss.
The newspaper issued a correction and apologized for any inconvenience. A Macy's spokeswoman called it "an unfortunate error" and apologized to Heat fans.
The Mavericks beat the Heat 105-95 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday in Miami.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/13/2264734/miami-herald-ad-mistake-heat-win.html#storylink=misearch#ixzz1PQgLapjP

Wrong team: Paper runs ad touting Miami Heat win

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MIAMI -- The Dallas Mavericks' win over the Heat is a huge upset for fans in Miami. Making matters worse, an ad in the local paper has mistakenly congratulated the Heat on winning.

A full-page ad that ran in Monday's Miami Herald reads "Congratulations Miami" next to photos of Heat championship T-shirts and hats from Macy's. One T-shirt reads "Heat 2011 NBA Finals Champions" and the ad shows the Heat's logo on a hat with the words "NBA Champions."

The ad ran under a story about the Heat's loss.

The newspaper has issued a correction and apologized for any inconvenience. A Macy's spokeswoman called it an unfortunate error and apologized to Heat fans.

The Mavericks beat the Heat 105-95 in game six of the NBA finals on Sunday in Miami.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/13/2264761/wrong-team-paper-runs-ad-touting.html#storylink=misearch#ixzz1PQgRHHI3

and, that, I must say, is a double whammy! ouch!