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CBS angers a lot of football fans, Eagles open up to USA Network

It was a bad Sunday for Steelers fans, but it was a terrible day for CBS and the network's CBS All Access streaming service.

Broadcasters Ian Eagle (left) and Dan Fouts called the Jaguars-Steelers AFC Divisional playoff game for CBS, since the A-team of Tony Romo and Jim Nantz called Saturday’s Titans-Patriots match-up.
Broadcasters Ian Eagle (left) and Dan Fouts called the Jaguars-Steelers AFC Divisional playoff game for CBS, since the A-team of Tony Romo and Jim Nantz called Saturday’s Titans-Patriots match-up.Read moreCBS

It was a bad Sunday for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, but it was a terrible day for CBS and the network's CBS All Access streaming service.

On Sunday afternoon, the Jacksonville Jaguars pulled out to an early 21-0 lead over the Steelers before halftime. Unfortunately, CBS All Access customers weren't able to see it, thanks to an error that prevented the game from being streamed.

I was one of the many people who attempted to stream the game on my television through CBS, which is the only major network to charge a fee ($6 per month with commercials) to cable subscribers to stream content on the television.

Subscribers received a message that said: "Unfortunately, an error occurred during playback. Please try again." Making matters worse was the fact that CBS remained silent on social media as fans flooded Twitter and Facebook complaining about their inability to watch the game. Some turned to mobile, where the game was available to stream from both Yahoo! Sports and the NFL Mobile apps. Others signed up for a free trial to CBS All Access through Amazon Prime Video, where the stream apparently worked.

CBS wasn't able to fix the issue until about halftime. A company spokesman placed the blame on "a third party service provider." The network declined to prove more information about the outage.

This is the latest in a series of crashes and glitches that have hampered CBS All Access, which has been in the spotlight since CBS launched the first new Star Trek series in 10 years, Star Trek: Discovery, exclusively on the streaming service. Despite the technological issues, CBS has signed a record number of new subscribers to the service, but it's unclear how may will remain after the first season of Star Trek: Discovery ends.

"I'm paying for your subscription service — at least until this season of Discovery ends — but I'm doing it reluctantly and resentfully, and feeling like a rube every step of the way," wrote the Verge's Laura Hudson.

It was an especially inopportune time for CBS to anger Steelers fans, considering the network is likely hoping many sign up for the All Access service to watch its new mystery/thriller series $1, which is currently filming in Pittsburgh.

CBS will have a chance to redeem itself. On Sunday, the network will air the AFC Championship game between the Jaguars and the New England Patriots at 3:05 p.m., which will be called by Tony Romo and Jim Nantz.

Scottish TV host may become an Eagles fan

Few Americans have probably heard the name Darren McMullen, but abroad the 35-year-old TV host is known for hosting The Voice Australia and Love in the Wild.

But in the newest episode of USA Network's NFL Football Fanatic, McMullen is looking for an American football team to root for, and it could end up being the Eagles.

>> READ MORE: Nick Foles gave Eagles what they needed in playoff win 

In the eight-episode series, McMullen hangs out with a different NFL team each week. In Monday's episode, the sixth in the series, the host spends some time touring the NovaCare Complex, getting a kicking lesson from David Akers and (of course) trying his first cheesesteak (at Pat's) in a sit down with Eagles legend Vince Papale.

What's most surprising about the episode is the amount of access the team gave McMullen and his crew leading up to the Eagles' Monday Night Football game against the Washington Redskins on Oct. 23. He is given time to speak to owner Jeff Lurie and head coach Doug Pederson, and plays basketball in the locker room with running back LeGarrette Blount, who can't stop talking about how much he appreciates Eagles fans.

But the best moment is McMullen's conversation with an Eagles fan and retired police officer who refers to himself as "The Face" and jokes about being pulled over himself after coming home from a game.

Here's a preview. The Eagles episode airs Monday at 11:35 p.m. on USA Network.

Joe Buck gets credit for Vikings call

Sports fans love to hate Joe Buck, especially here in Philadelphia, where the venom he received from Phillies fans while in town calling a 2015 game caused the Fox Sports play-by-play announcer to walk away from Twitter for more than a year.

But following the Vikings' improbable victory over the New Orleans Saints Sunday night, the first "walk-off" win in NFL playoffs history, fans and media pundits alike heaped praise on Buck for his call of Stefon Diggs' last-second touchdown.

"Might be the best call of Joe Buck's career and one of the best ever," Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina wrote on Twitter. SportsRadio 94.1 WIP's Joe Giglio agreed, noting that, "Joe Buck is so good, and I don't care that everyone disagrees with me here."

>> READ MORE: Eagles underdogs again, this time against the Vikings

On Minnesota Vikings' radio, announcer Paul Allen had an equally memorable call of the improbable touchdown catch, dubbing it "the Minneapolis miracle."