“On the evening of 12.8.80, Roone Arledge was presiding over ABC’s Monday Night Football in his capacity as its executive producer. When Arledge received word of John Lennon‘s death, a game between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins was tied with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter and the Patriots were driving toward the potential winning score. As the Patriots tried to put themselves in position for a field goal, Arledge informed Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell of the shooting and said they be the ones to report on the murder.

“Cosell was apprehensive at first, as he felt the game should take precedence and that it was not their place to break such a big story. Gifford convinced Cosell otherwise, saying that he should not ‘hang on to (the news)’ as the significance of the event was much greater than the finish of the game. The following exchange begins with thirty seconds left in the fourth quarter, shortly after Gifford and Cosell were informed.” — from “Murder of John Lennon” Wiki page.