ESPN mocked for airing outdated skyline shot of Philadelphia

Last night, Temple topped East Carolina 37-10 before a crowd of nearly 29,000 at Lincoln Financial Field.

As the Inquirer's Marc Narducci notes, the win earned Temple the East Division championship and a berth in the American Athletic Conference title game at noon Saturday at West Division champion Navy.

ESPN dutifully aired footage of the Philadelphia skyline during halftime, showcasing both One Liberty Place and Two Liberty Place, with the PECO Building seen in the background.

Unfortunately for ESPN, the shot is footage that appears to be at least 8 years old, as Philadelphia Magazine scribe Dan McQuade pointed out on Twitter:

As reported by then-Inquirer reporter Matt Katz, the old lights on top of the PECO Building went dark on January 1, 2008. They were replaced with a color management system made up of LEDs that are 20 percent more energy-efficient.

By comparison, here's what the top of the PECO building looks like now (photo by former Inquirer staff photographer Akira Suwa):

Also not visible in the shot is the Comcast Tower, which began construction in 2005 and opened in June 2008.

ESPN did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The goof is even more funny considering "The Worldwide Leader in Sports" is in town this weekend shooting footage that will air on "Monday Night Football," when the Packers take on the Eagles.

It's far from the first time Philadelphia fans have spotted old footage being used by ESPN. Just last month, one eagle-eyed fan noticed the iconic "PNB" letters atop the old Philadelphia National Bank, which were removed back in 2014.

Predictably, fans who noticed the gaffe quickly mocked ESPN on Twitter:

ESPN isn't the only outlet to ignore the changes being made to the Philadelphia skyline. As readers have pointed out, The Spectrum remains visible as a landmark in the background of "Madden NFL 17," despite the fact it was demolished over six years ago.