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LA reporter faces backlash over ‘insensitive’ Bosnia comments during viral World Cup report
NY Post ^ | 06/28/2026 | Nicholas McEntyre

Posted on 06/28/2026 5:38:04 AM PDT by DFG

An award-winning California news reporter faced backlash for her “insensitive” comments towards Bosnia-Herzegovina during her World Cup coverage, forcing her to apologize for taking the joke “too far.”

ABC7 Los Angeles’ Abigail Velez was covering the US national team’s match at a viewing party on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, when she updated viewers on America’s next opponent after the 3-2 loss to Turkey.

“The next round, Team USA will play Bosnia next Wednesday and one thing about Bosnia, I could not point out where it is on a map,” Velez quipped. “I don’t know the first thing about Bosnia and I don’t want to know because Team USA, we’re back, we’re better than ever.”

Velez, who has been with the station since November 2025, doubled down and told the southeastern European nation to get ready for battle against the US.

“That’s next Wednesday. Get prepared, Bosnia, because you don’t want it, you don’t want it like that, but you’re gonna get it. That’s next Wednesday,” she said before tossing the report back to the station.

Bosnian fans were quick to call out Velez for the report.

“My goodness, the stereotypes write themselves……” X account Bosnian Football wrote, alongside a clip of Velez’s report.

“Some competitive talk is always fun, but that’s not the way to do it,” another user wrote.

“The weirdest things about Americans is that they feel it’s like a flex to say “I don’t even know where they are on a map,” a third said.

Velez apologized on Saturday for “poor effort to have a little fun,” explaining the segment was supposed to be a light-hearted report that got out of hand.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: abigailvelez; bosniaherzegovina; soccer; turkey; worldcup
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To: Red Badger

Half of America couldn’t find America on a map.


21 posted on 06/28/2026 8:35:06 AM PDT by chrisinoc
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To: escapefromboston

Yeah, pi$$ off.
This is from losers-to-be that cannot stomach free speech.


22 posted on 06/28/2026 10:28:29 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: DFG

She’s not white so her career will survive.


23 posted on 06/28/2026 11:28:33 AM PDT by Midwesterner53
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To: Red Badger

Bosnia is next to Yugoslavia right? Down near Peru.


24 posted on 06/28/2026 1:28:31 PM PDT by Organic Panic
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To: drwoof

I prefer crow directions - less detours! LOL (as the crow flies)


25 posted on 06/28/2026 1:31:28 PM PDT by MortMan (Better, faster, cheaper. Pick 2.)
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To: libertylover

I had to look this up since I have no clue what “feels like a flex” means. I guess that is offensive since I don’t know what it means.

Copilot says

What “Feels Like a Flex” Means
“Feels like a flex” is a casual way of saying that something — whether it’s a situation, a moment, or a feeling — feels like it’s about showing off or flaunting something, often in a way that’s perceived as boastful or self‑serving.

Origin and Meaning
The slang “flex” started in the gym as a bodybuilder’s term for contracting muscles to show off their size and strength All Things How. Over time, especially in hip‑hop and rap culture, it expanded to mean any act of showing off — whether it’s money, skills, looks, or achievements All Things How. Today, “flex” can be used in many contexts, from social media posts to casual conversations, to describe someone or something that’s “on display” for others to admire.

When you say “feels like a flex”, you’re describing a situation that feels like that — maybe it’s a moment where someone is bragging, or a product/service is being marketed in a way that seems overly self‑promotional.

Examples
Social media: “Posting a new outfit with a big caption — feels like a flex.”

Workplace: “He just got promoted — feels like a flex.”

Gaming: “That new in‑game skin — feels like a flex to the rest of the community.”
Tone
The tone can be neutral, playful, or critical, depending on context:

Playful: “Feels like a flex, but I’m cool with it.”

Critical: “That’s just feels like a flex — I don’t want to be compared.”

In short, “feels like a flex” is about the perception of showing off, not necessarily the actual act itself All Things How. www.feelflux.com

https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=161&q=feels+like+a+flex&cvid=ea96e3abdde64b2985513bd766198960&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOdIBCDYwMDNqMGo3qAIAsAIA&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=W283


26 posted on 06/28/2026 1:33:14 PM PDT by moviefan8
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To: MortMan

Smart— never really can trust those Cardinals... :)


27 posted on 06/28/2026 5:10:55 PM PDT by drwoof
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To: Red Badger
Most Americans know very little history and don't know about the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, which led to the outbreak of World War I (even though nobody liked him).

Bosnia was in the news a lot in the 1990s but for some people that's ancient history.

George Wallace when he wanted to make fun of foreign aid would ridicule giving aid to the Hottentots in Yugoslavia.

28 posted on 06/29/2026 1:52:31 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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