Once again, the foolish but habitual excesses of sports television have cost viewers the sight of significant action, this time a game-winning buzzer-beater in double OT.

Yesterday’s Georgetown-Villanova game, an ESPN-Plus telecast seen here on Ch. 9, was down to 2.4 seconds in the second OT when Villanova’s Howard Brown hit a 3-pointer to tie the game.

At that point, instead of staying with a wide shot of the floor, the ESPN director called for a closeup – known in the business as a ”hero shot” – of Brown. As viewers watched Brown, Brown watched as Georgetown’s inbounds pass was intercepted by teammate Jermaine Medley and heaved in at the buzzer from about 25 feet.

This stunning ending was seen for the first time on TV only in post-game replays.