HOUSTON, TX - Fox Sports issued a formal apology after a technical error led to the temporary unmuting of play-by-play announcer Joe Buck during Wednesday night's World Series game between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals.

When the broadcast returned from commercial for the start of the ninth inning, viewers were treated to 60 full seconds of the incessant droning of the perennial World Series announcer Buck. To the horror of baseball fans everywhere, fans were subjected to Buck's inane and obvious commentary for an entire minute before the problem was fixed.

"We've earned the trust of our viewers by muting Joe Buck throughout every game," a Fox spokesperson told reporters. "However, millions of fans were understandably upset when we accidentally pressed the 'Unmute Joe Buck' button on our control console."

"We deeply regret the error," he added. "Why do we even have that button?"

According to sources, Fox is experimenting with a broadcast in which fans can choose among several audio feeds during the game, including Buck's commentary, fingernails on a chalkboard, or a pack of wolverines caterwauling loudly.