ESPN Pulls Asian Announcer “Robert Lee” From UVA Football Coverage To Avoid Controversy
- Funny
- Offensive
Outkick The Correctness
August 24th, 2017 – It’s all in a name. Even if you’re the farthest possible thing from a deceased Confederate General.
After the violence and controversy surrounding the Charlottesville incident where Neo-Nazi marchers clashed with protesters and led to the death of 1 civilian and 2 officers, ESPN decided on Tuesday that it would pull Asian sports announcer “Robert Lee” from the scheduled UVA Cavaliers game in Charlottesville. The game will take place on September 2nd against William and Mary, but Lee has now been switched to the Youngstown State at Pittsburgh game.
The ESPN statement was posted on Fox Sports college-football blog Outkick the Coverage:
“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.”
Outkick blogger Clay Travis, who broke the story, led the charge in blasting ESPN for the move:
“But, seriously, is there anything more pathetic than ESPN believing people would be offended by an Asian guy named Robert Lee sharing a name with Robert E. Lee and calling a football game? Aside from some hysterical photoshops and Internet memes which would make everyone with a functional brain laugh — Robert E. Lee pulling out all the stops to stay in Charlottesville now! — what was the big fear here? Does ESPN really believe people are this dumb or that having an Asian announcer named Robert Lee is too offensive for the average TV viewer to handle?”
Clay started calling ESPN “MS-ESPN” in ridicule of its political correctness.
And social media was eager to share the jabs at the sports network:
Yo @ESPN, I think viewers will know the difference between Robert E Lee the confederate general and Robert Lee the football announcer. pic.twitter.com/sMO86DMGOl
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) August 23, 2017
2017: ESPN pulls Asian announcer from a game because his name is Robert Lee.
2018: ESPN awards itself Arthur Ashe Courage Award at ESPYS.
— Not Jerry Tipton (@NotJerryTipton) August 23, 2017
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee again joined in on the Twitter jokes:
ESPN turns itself into total joke-deserves to be ridiculed. https://t.co/AO8Z0qdmzK
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) August 23, 2017
ESPN now known as “Embarrassing Society of Politically-Correct Nutjobs.”
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) August 23, 2017
And Counselor to President Trump, KellyAnne Conway, tweeted the story:
Robert Lee: ESPN under fire for taking announcer off UVA game because he shares name with general. https://t.co/FvZzD1vB4l
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) August 23, 2017
Do you think ESPN was correct in removing the other Lee? Let us know…
77 thoughts on “ESPN Pulls Asian Announcer “Robert Lee” From UVA Football Coverage To Avoid Controversy”
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Since when did everyones feeling matter? Damn my generation is so humiliating..
It’s true. Liberal heads would explode just at the sight of that name. They would be crying for safe spaces and begging for free sex changes from the government.
Which one is the civil war general? I can’t tell.
Wonder what they would do if your name is Uncle Sam?? Run away or kill you To avoid paying you
I hear a law suit
You got to be kidding me.. smdh.
Well his nickname on a previous network he was on was the General, and after every thing that went on at UVA it probably was the best idea.
No resemblance
Lol
The truth comes out Robert E Lee was a closet Asian, and the South was really the South Pacific. We have to switch to carrying the Japanese flag at our marches to save the monuments from other AMERICANS!!!
Good job avoiding controversy!
Stupid
Oh ESPN
I’m offended by the idea of someone’s name creating hate and division, these pussies get all riled up by anything, what name is culturally appropriate?
Pulling this announcer…..smh ♀️ ok, this has gone too far.
Boo!
getting time to melt the snow
Couldn’t he just go by “Bob”?
Bob lee was the sports guy
Robert E Lee was the war guy
Now that’s just retarded
Not funny or offensive its fucking RIDICULOUS!
Which side is offended by that mere name, now, enough for anyone, including him, to pull him from the game?
Wetards, get a life or a job…..is this all people have to do, is bitch about things that don’t adversely effect their life or that of other people. Such pansies!
So lame. But try not to confuse suit zombie, corporatist, pie chart, pussified PR strikes with “political correctness”.
What about the anouncer Jerry Sandusky??? He actually had to explain to Ppl he wasn’t the molester from Penn St.
When old white men try to APPEAR to be racially sensitive.
Yep, you are a racist, gotta blame white people for something, WOW, that is incredibly ignorant!!! You’re a real loser
And what makes it worse is you are white, so by your reasoning when you get old you are gonna be racist? I guess you didn’t want to wait to be a bigot!
He’s so retarded, he doesn’t even know he’s white. ???
Sure let’s make this pussy ass nation even more pussified.
The BS is getting thick.
This country has lost their ever loving mind.
Both sides of the political spectrum have went completely insane.
“This country” had nothing to do with this. It’s ESPN (old white men) falling over themselves trying to appear racially sensitive.
No everyone has lost their minds
I hope there’s no statues of Bruce Lee
Now it’s just stupid
Um no. Espn didnt pull him. This was solely HIS choice. Get it right…
Wow I truly hope he is still employed with the company though. If its true of course.
He is. He was moved to a different game is all.
Or maybe next week he will be like ‘welcome guys to another day of good football n I am your announcer Robert Leon’ ???
Now that’s real discrimination firing u for your own name
It’s neither. It’s just Freaking stupid.
This may be the climax of stupidity
Seems like a good reason to boycott ESPN
Y’all chill that’s just Bruce Lee’s brother ..
Absolutely the most stupidest thing I have heard. It’s the mans name!!! The people in this country are just making my head explode with this crap
“The people in this country” had nothing to do with this. It’s ESPN (old white men) falling over themselves trying to appear racially sensitive.
And it’s because of the people in this country that are overly sensitive is why they feel the need to do something like this! I mean if a monument that has stood for years is just now offending people, then what next???
don’t worry these people are just checking their sensitivity cards to see which one to deal tomorrow ?
They did it to avoid him becoming the target of hostility and insults, not because of anyone being offended.
It’s ridiculous! It’s his name for Christ sake! Morons…
Yes, but it’s still an unfortunate coincidence that could lead to unneeded antagonism from others, so they moved him to a different game.
Protecting ignorant racists who right against ignorant racists
THEY didnt do anything! HE backed out.
The reason he would be target of insult and harassment is because the instigators would feel offended thus them thinking its OK to harass an innocent guy.
Which side is offended by the mere name, now, enough for anyone, including him, to pull him from the game?
Honestly who gives a fuck about this person they literally wouldn’t know if he died tomorrow ???
Who the fuk would be hostile towards this man? They probably should ban Chuck E. Cheese in case lactose intolerant people start a riot towards him too right?
Adam Hartle Who would be hostile? Racist idiots, people who like to ridicule others for stupid stuff like names, there’s plenty of folks who do cruel shit for no valid reason.
Yes yes because we should give in to everyone’s delicate sensibilities until the entire nation is afraid to move because someone will get offended.
If anyone gives you a hard time because of your name which has no relations w the other person that they dispised then they need to get their sensitivity levels check n sorry I am not a dr or pharmacist so can’t prescribe those pills for u ??
It’s frickin ridiculous! It’s official, the inmates now run the asylum! Hey Russia, you can now begin taking over, the sheep are in charge here.
Remember that time when pandering to the easily-offended was profitable and helped everyone?
Me neither.
Stadium country music.
Sorry, I don’t get the joke.
Sounds racist
Yeah I don’t get it either Taylor Moore.
The resemblance is uncanny.
In a related story his sister Sara Lee was uninvited from speaking at a Weight Watchers meeting.
Best post!
You win the internet today….
I went from reading the dumbest headline of the year to the best comment od the day
Yes
That was ‘sweet’ n funny ?