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Just when you thought things couldn't get any more bizarre, as broadcasters try to bend over backward in the name of political correctness, comes this.
ESPN, the largest sports network in the U.S., has removed a play-by-play announcer from the booth, after he was scheduled to call a game in racially trouble-plagued Charlottesville, Virginia. The reason? His name.
Yes, his name.
Officials at the network were worried that Robert Lee, who is actually an Asian-American and has nothing to do with the infamous Confederate general, might upset viewers there. So they reassigned him.
Needless to say, in this era of social media, the story took off and now the network is left with egg on its face.
I'm no fan of Mr. Trump and I'm all for sensitivity, but affecting someone's career out of fear over his name seems to be the latest example of how we're censoring ourselves to death. This comes on the heels of a local story here, where Ryerson University cancelled a discussion on free speech because protesters didn't like the people who were being allowed their free speech. The irony is so thick, you can't see the stage anymore.
How long before an important story doesn't get reported at all over fears someone may get offended? Honestly, sometimes I despair for our industry.
Robert Lee: ESPN under fire for taking announcer off UVA game
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Colbert's take on the recent events involving race:
Last edited by Fitz (August 23, 2017 10:17 am)
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Could Oakley's Bell be the next target of the dreaded Alt-Left?
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ESPN's head honcho isn't happy about the backlash and is trying to retreat in a internal memo.
You can decide if he's mitigated the stupidity.
ESPN President Blames ‘Someone With a Personal Agenda’ for Flap Over Robert Lee Replacement
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ESPN was being too sensitive.
People bitching about ESPN are being too sensitive.
*sigh* Faux outrage all around.
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Anyone who would get these two mixed up needs to visit their optometrist pronto.
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Turns out this isn't the only case of a sports announcer playing the name game. But the play-by-play guy in this story wasn't having any of the abuse and didn't take himself off the air.
Radio broadcaster has advice for ESPN announcer Robert Lee