ESPN Has Lost Its Mind

[Tugg Speedman]

No, this is not an onion story. 

ESPN is afraid this man, who is Asian, will be confused with the man that headed the Army against Northern Aggression 150 years ago.



MSESPN Pulls Asian Announcer Named Robert Lee Off UVa Game To Avoid Offending Idiots
https://www.outkickthecoverage.com/msespn-pulls-asian-announcer-named-robert-lee-off-uva-game-avoid-offending-idiots/

“We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding, simply because of the coincidence of his name. In that moment it felt right to all parties. It’s a shame that this is even a topic of conversation and we regret that who calls play by play for a football game has become an issue.”

[Lennys Tap]

What contempt ESPN must have for their own viewers - they're even dumber than they think their customers are, though. Funny in a pathetic sort of way.

[GGGG]

I mean...that's really stupid.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

You know....there are probably some people out there who would believe that it was a joke or someone had hacked the broadcast or something....but this is really dumb. Kind of hilarious but mostly dumb.

[GooooMarquette]

Wow - just wow.

[cheebs09]

I think I read 3 articles and still wasn't sure it was real.

[jsglow]

I actually find this depressing.

[Tugg Speedman]

This is not the first time ESPN has done something really stupid this year.  As long as something sounds like another word, even though it has a completely different meaning, that is good enough for ESPN to act to stamp out racism, and make themselves feel better.

Commentator fired for Venus 'guerilla' remark suing ESPN
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-espn-adler-idUSKBN15U04G

Tennis commentator Doug Adler has sued broadcaster ESPN, weeks after being taken off the air following a remark about Venus Williams at the Australian Open that some interpreted to be racist.

Adler, who has since apologized for how he spoke about Williams, has maintained that he was describing the African-American 13th seed's aggressive style of charging as the "guerilla effect" and not comparing her to a "gorilla."

Adler's lawyer, David Ring, says the comment was a "big nothing" until it hit Twitter.

"And then somehow on Twitter someone said he called Venus a gorilla," Ring told Reuters. "ESPN fires him the next day for something he never even said. Doug Adler lost his career, he lost his reputation.

"By ESPN firing him he was suddenly the guy fired for making a racist remark and it never happened."

Adler, who was a former college tennis player before turning to broadcasting, filed his lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday.

"Adler was wrongly terminated by ESPN after Adler described Venus Williams as using 'guerilla' tactics, a description that is commonly used in tennis to describe a form of aggressive play," the lawsuit states.

"ESPN bowed to pressure from those using social media, including Twitter, who mistakenly believed Adler used the word 'gorilla' to describe Venus Williams. ESPN wrongfully terminated Adler and has since caused other employees to shun Adler, causing Adler serious financial and emotional harm."


----------------

And yes, Guerilla tennis is actually a thing.  It was the centerpiece of Nike's 1995 campaign that ran during the US Open featuring Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. 

ESPN should stop accepting ads from Nike, it's obvious they are as racist.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXo2ZgvCo80
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/zXo2ZgvCo80" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/zXo2ZgvCo80</a>


Post script ... sometimes these things matter to the people that are accused and fired ....

FIRED ESPN TENNIS ANALYST SUFFERS HEART ATTACK Blames Stress from 'Guerilla' Incident
March 1, 2017
http://www.tmz.com/2017/03/01/doug-adler-heart-attack/

The ESPN tennis announcer who was fired after using the word "guerilla" during a Venus Williams match has suffered a heart attack ... and claims it was brought on by the stress surrounding the incident.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

That second one is a little tougher. I could see it being easy for someone to say the one thing and then claim it was the other as a defense. If he actually compared her to a gorilla, you need to fire him in today's media world. On the other hand, if he did really mean guerilla than he just got fired for saying something completely innocent. Only he knew what he meant.

ESPN knew he was going to get let go in the massive journalist purge coming in a few months so they decided better safe than sorry

[Tugg Speedman]

That second one is a little tougher. I could see it being easy for someone to say the one thing and then claim it was the other as a defense. If he actually compared her to a gorilla, you need to fire him in today's media world. On the other hand, if he did really mean guerilla than he just got fired for saying something completely innocent. Only he knew what he meant.

ESPN knew he was going to get let go in the massive journalist purge coming in a few months so they decided better safe than sorry

He said Venus was using "guerilla tactics" in playing tennis.  That is a thing, very aggressive up at the net play.

There is no such thing as "gorilla tactics" in tennis.

[rocket surgeon]

either espn is incredibly stupid or they don't have people with spines...or both.  this is the stuff that fans the flames and furthers the divides.  espn needs to put the big boy pants on one of these days

[StillAWarrior]

He said Venus was using "guerilla tactics" in playing tennis.  That is a thing, very aggressive up at the net play.

There is no such thing as "gorilla tactics" in tennis.

I defended an action by the EEOC against an employer where the primary allegation was that when a salesman made his first sale (after quite a long time on the job), the sales manager congratulated him for finally, "getting the monkey off his back."  Of course the employee and EEOC viewed it as racist.  Of course, they were unpersuaded that the sales manager had a black wife and bi-racial kids.

[GGGG]

either espn is incredibly stupid or they don't have people with spines...or both.  this is the stuff that fans the flames and furthers the divides.  espn needs to put the big boy pants on one of these days

The Robert Lee thing isn't a political thing.  It's a stupidity thing.

[Lennys Tap]

The Robert Lee thing isn't a political thing.  It's a stupidity thing.

It actually a political thing taken to its "stupidest" extreme.

[reinko]

This statement actually makes sense to me.  ESPN is basically taking the heat so the broadcaster wouldn't have to.  He would have been meme'ed to death, ultimate lose/lose situation for ESPN.  The faux outrage by some here is pretty astounding, right up there with the war on Christmas.

[Pakuni]

It actually a political thing taken to its "stupidest" extreme.

How is it political?
It's needless and asinine hypersensitivity, and creates further argument unnecessarily, but I fail to see how this plays into politics.
I suspect the people who see this as political are largely those convinced ESPN is opposed to their personal politics, and therefore view everything it does through a political lens.
But perhaps you could explain the politics at work here. How does this silly move further one political agenda or another?

[StillAWarrior]

This statement actually makes sense to me.  ESPN is basically taking the heat so the broadcaster wouldn't have to.  He would have been meme'ed to death, ultimate lose/lose situation for ESPN.  The faux outrage by some here is pretty astounding, right up there with the war on Christmas.

Agreed.  I'm sure he's been hearing the jokes whole life, and I'm sure it gets really old.  Can't fault him (or ESPN) for not wanting to elevate those jokes (both in number and visibility) to the nth degree.

[tower912]

In trying to keep from making something an issue, they have made it an issue.   

[MerrittsMustache]

This statement actually makes sense to me.  ESPN is basically taking the heat so the broadcaster wouldn't have to.  He would have been meme'ed to death, ultimate lose/lose situation for ESPN.  The faux outrage by some here is pretty astounding, right up there with the war on Christmas.

Referencing a "zoo" while speaking about a minority? That's racist!

In trying to keep from making something an issue, they have made it an issue.   

Exactly. They could have quietly switched him to a different game and no one would have known.

[warriorchick]

I actually have a very good friend whose brother's name is Robert E. Lee, and he goes by Bob.  He is still "Bobby" to anyone who knew him before he had his first real job.

Believe it or not, if you come out of the gate introducing yourself as "Bob Lee", very few people make the connection.

And no, his parents are not fans of the confederacy.  He is a Jr., and his family's last name got changed to "Lee" from their complicated Norwegian one at Ellis Island.

[Tugg Speedman]

[Tugg Speedman]

This statement actually makes sense to me.  ESPN is basically taking the heat so the broadcaster wouldn't have to.  He would have been meme'ed to death, ultimate lose/lose situation for ESPN.  The faux outrage by some here is pretty astounding, right up there with the war on Christmas.

No, this makes no sense.  It is more stupidity from ESPN.  They are really losing it.

How about ESPN's "Outside the Lines" hosted by Bob Ley?  That's Robert Ley.  "Ley" is pronounced the same as "Lee." 

If Guerilla/Gorilla gets one fired from ESPN, what not treat Ley as Lee?

[Tugg Speedman]

And another level of stupidity from the worldwide leader in sports ... just last week.

ESPN apologizes for fantasy football segment compared to slave auction
Tue August 15, 2017
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/15/us/espn-fantasy-football-auction/index.html

ESPN apologized on Tuesday for a fantasy football segment of an auction draft where black players were sold to mostly white male bidders.

"Auction drafts are a common part of fantasy football, and ESPN's segments replicated an auction draft with a diverse slate of top professional football players," the network statement said.

"Without that context, we understand the optics could be portrayed as offensive, and we apologize."

On social media, reaction to the segment that was part of the 28-hour fantasy marathon was mixed, with many comparing the outdoor scene to a modern-day slave auction.

New York journalist Shaun King tweeted video of the auction with the message, "Apologize now for doing a sketch where you auctioned a black man off to the highest bidder."

Watch black players auctioned to rich white guys on ESPN.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4asglSLdWRU
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4asglSLdWRU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/4asglSLdWRU</a>

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Why is it stupid to apologize to offended customers?

[MerrittsMustache]