Fans attacking ESPN for Robert Lee reassignment is silly
ESPN made a small change to a regional streaming broadcast of the Virginia Cavaliers-William and Mary Tribe football game, and fans are completely overreacting.
In case you hadn’t read or heard (maybe you thought the eclipse was Apocalypto and you’ve been in hiding for a few days) there was a small change made to a planned broadcast of a game on ESPN’s streaming service.
The game was the home opening week tilt for the Virginia Cavaliers on September 2.
Up-and-coming announcer Robert Lee was scheduled to call the game, but amid the firestorm going on in UVA’s home town of Charlottesville, the network and Mr. Lee came to the mutual decision to have him call another game.
(For the record, Lee was moved to the Pitt-Youngstown State game, which is likely to be a much more engaging broadcast)
Pretty simple. Happens all the time, at every network, for any number of reasons.
You never hear about it. Ever.
Unless a change is being made to one of the major college football broadcasts featuring high-priced A-list talent, the networks don’t see any big reason in making a public statement about changes made to a broadcast team.
So why is the public in shock and awe over this particular change? Why are the screams of “MSESPN’s liberal agenda” and “Soft PC culture” clogging up talk shows and social media?
Because someone – intentionally or not – leaked the information about this particular change, as stated by an ESPN spokesperson.
https://twitter.com/yashar/status/900219648473522178
So a move that was designed to keep Robert Lee from being any type of distraction, or the subject of any ridicule, meme-ization and GIF creation, has now backfired, and the innocent broadcaster is facing even more scrutinization than he probably would have if he had just called the damn game.
The very people who seem to constantly complain about people overreacting and being hypersensitive are doing just that.
They’re overreacting and being hypersensitive, in the worst possible way.
The facts are this – ESPN did not make a political decision, they made a business and human resources decision. From all accounts given, Robert Lee was involved in the entire decision-making process and felt no pressure.
Lee was not “removed” from his role.
He did not get “fired” from doing the game.
He is not a “victim” of the network’s over-sensitivity.
Lee is a fine young broadcaster who just wants to hone his craft and work his way into the big rotation, and nothing which has happened in these circumstances will impede him from doing so – if everyone will just let it go.
The young broadcaster and his employer had concerns – legitimate concerns – as to the unfortunate coincidence, and they addressed those concerns in a professional and private manner.
Yet here we are. Slings, arrows and hurtful words.
It’s been argued by some that no self-respecting website or reporter would have run a story about someone named Robert Lee calling a game in Charlottesville (had it actually happened), but the explosion of indignation and outrage after the change was made probably proves otherwise.
If you want to argue about dumb things, try finding someone who actually believes Kansas has a shot at the Big 12 title this year, or that Lane Kiffin will actually stay in southern Florida long enough for his kids to unpack the boxes.
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Arguing about how and why an announcer was moved from one obscure game to another? Like arguing with SEC fans about how and why they play the FCS games in November. Just silly, and no given answer is going to satisfy you.