This entirely outrageous saga involving ESPN and broadcaster Robert Lee continues to unfold in truly spectacular fashion.
We reported yesterday on "the decision" made by executives at the 4-letter network to pull Lee, an Asian-American sportscaster from the network's broadcast of a football game played between the University of Virginia and William and Mary, presumably for fear of causing some sort of panic or unsavory attention to the broadcaster, or most likely, the network.
The Saturday, Sept. 2 game, which will be played at Charlottesville, Viriginia, will no longer feature Lee as its play-by-play man. He's now been re-assigned to another game.
Earlier this week, ESPN publicity personnel suggested -- via tweet no less -- that it was "a shame" that anyone would make this a "topic of conversation".
Well, not to be outdone by its own suggestion of shame, an anonymous ESPN executive doubled down yesterday with another explanation of how events unfolded in the decision process.
Yesterday, I suggested that the fallout of any supposed distractions of Lee calling this game would have been minimal at best.
The announcer teams at football games are generally not something with which the average football fan is consumed. Networks might show the names of the guys in the booth twice, three times at most during a game. This all could have been very easily resolved in house and in studio without anyone wrecking the integrity of the game, the team, or in any way creating a sticky situation.
ESPN bungled this, and they're going to have to own it.
OK. This is now silly.
I get it. People believe (I'm one of them, by the way) that Colin Kaepernick is getting "blacklisted" by NFL teams for his stance on not standing for the national anthem last year.
Again... Thanks POTUS.
But a protest rally? Really?
Nothing says creating a lot of media attention with little to no effect at all like hundreds of people standing around a crowded sidewalk in New York City, getting in the way of other people trying to get around New York City, shouting things while holding signs for a cause you didn't know was even happening until a cable news or sports network kept shoving it into your face.
Again, while I believe Kaepernick is getting blacklisted, it remains a fact that businesses have a right to choose who they hire or not hire. Your little protest rally and social gathering isn't really going to have much impact in changing how capitalism and the free market system actually works. The only thing likely missing from this event was a drum circle.
Come on people, learn how to protest. Do a better job at showing your discontent.
Otherwise, just go back home and turn on the game. Because the overwhelming evidence shows that is precisely what you'll be doing in a couple of weeks, regardless of whether or not Kaepernick plays a single minute this season.
2 more days.
And then we can recap it and move on.
I'm rarely repulsed by a sporting event.
But I am with this one, and I'll be very happy when it's over.
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This morning, we'll talk about the ESPN kerfuffle with Chuck Hayes and we'll preview next week's U.S. Open with Matt Zemek for FanRagSports.
Later this week, we'll be talking McGregor vs. Mayweather with Larry Pepe of Pro MMA Radio, we'll talk NASCAR with Sam Atwell of Race Report Radio and we'll preview the Travers Stakes with Candice Hare of TVG.