Just days after criticizing his own network’s “stick-to-sports” policy, ESPN host Dan Le Batard took Monday off from his namesake radio show, according to reports.
I guess ESPN bosses prefer to be on the wrong side of history when the books get written about this era.
I remember the ESPN campus in Bristol, CT, when I used to live nearby.
Never saw the woodshed behind the buildings, but sounds like there is one and he was taken out to that woodshed for re-programming.
There comes a time, when the flames are licking at your ankles, you’re obligated to yell “Fire!” in a theater.
In principle, in a vacuum, I am very much on ESPN’s side here. I have no interest in getting political commentary from sports talking heads, any more so than I have interest in hearing what empty-headed celebrities have to say about actual important topics.
Of course, dotard had to fuck that up too; I don’t see how you can talk about the US women’s soccer team winning the World Cup without discussing the bizarre circumstance of a president shit-talking a team representing his country.
Dan Labatard is a principle man and is right to stand up to racism. Racism is NOT a left/right political issue that ESPN management seems to think.
Based on friends who have worked either directly for or as contractors for ESPN, they don’t call it the Evil Sports Programming Network for nothin’.
A radio personality took the morning off and TPM gives it a headline.
Of course, if sports teams didn’t slap American flag patches on all their uniforms, play the National Anthem before every game, invite the military in to do flyovers and whatnot…
Sports and politics have always been mixed up together.
It’s naive of ESPN to think that they can actually not talk about it and everything will be magically fine.
How would they explain the absence of Colin Kaepernick from the field without bringing up politics…
ESPN wants to hire “edgy” personalities opining grandly and controversially on all matters under the sun -as long as its sports only -because, with the Internet, no one needs sports networks for daily highlights anymore.
Sometimes you live by the edgy personality, and sometimes you die by them. It can be hard to cage them in with restrictive policies. Though I can understand ESPN doesn’t want a big political pie-fight in their studios, Trump has gotten completely out of hand and impossible to ignore, especially when he’s commenting on sports and various athletes himself.
That’s what they do best! Oil tanker hijacked by Iran in the Persian gulf, nada.
Boris Johnson likely to be PM in a few days? Nada.
Guy calls in sick to ESPN, this is probably the first of three articles before the end of the day on it.
Looks like the policy used against Jemele Hill prevails
I have always thought LeBatard was sharp and not just a spitter of hot takes, good to hear he also has a heart.
Easy - they’ll just say “He has a knee problem and can’t play today”…
I’m not even going to try to top that one. Well played.
Ummmmm
Jemele Hill was the canary in the coal mine. Like many other issues Blacks usually are the first to catch the brunt of some Trumpian awful but it eventually migrates to Whites. It’s why it’s important to call this stuff out.
They’ve already mentioned it
Right, which was the point.