ESPN removes Robert Lee from University of Virginia football coverage

But it wasn't his personal choice. His employer asked him if he wanted to switch. How many employees refuse a request from their employer?

ESPN did this to avoid any connection between his name being similar to Robert E. Lee and the Charlottesville white supremacist rally protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. That is a pretty distant connection that a handful of people will make.

Now that this got leaked, it's the Streisand effect.

 

This is Leesanity

 

It should. And it would only be overshadowed by President Trump's 4-year long Onion novel.

 

Seriously. This is a prime example of ESPN taking themselves too seriously like ppl other thean faux-outrage twitter fanatics would catch.

Had ESPN not done this, I'm willing to bet some faux-outage tweets happen like "Is ESPN purposely assigning a Robert Lee to cover the UVA game. This is not funny"

Sigh, can't believe society is becoming scared of twitter outrage enough to implement proactive measures, that just fuels it nore

 

It wouldn't have mattered if this story wasn't leaked. The leak caused all of the memes.

 

Asking is not forcing. And his reply is his personal choice.

It's possible that it was asked in a way with no option but to accept. We simply don't know if that's the case.

p.s. Personally, I have been asked plenty of times if I wanted to pick up or move to a new job function and have stated no.

We really don't know the relationship of employer and employee here. If we put it in the worst light - employer is "forcing", we get one reaction. If we put in the best light - employer is "concern" about employee, we get another reaction. The problem, is, as stated, we simply don't know and we each will choose somewhere within the spectrum of reasons based on each's own bias. It just happen way too often and I don't think it's healthy for anyone. I rather we just don't know and leave it as that. Now, if the employee speak up and complain (yes, I realize that can be tough) that's a completely different matter...

 

What "liberal logic" would that be, pray tell? This particular action by ESPN, not a sports outlet I hold in high regard, is patently idiotic. Stupid. Pandering to god knows who or what. Without a compass at all, much less a moral one. A spinning top of corporate idiocy. They're jacking around with a gentleman's career simply because of his name? I'm a liberal Democrat and assuming it isn't some bizarre joke, this merely provides another layer of truth to the fact that ESPN is a worthless, soulless "source" of sports news, sports coverage. A sports entity that proves the old saying that a broken clock is right once a day. That's how often they get something right, in my humble opinion.

 

You nailed it.

 

just look at NewRoxFan's post.

they had a Mother Jones/HuffPost writer on speed dial as their go to damage control.

 

At worst, ESPN was pre-emptively placating the liberal outrage mob.

at best, ESPN didn't want to end up the butt of joke via twitter hashtag or deadspin post.

I tend to think it was the latter, but this is like throwing chum in the water for the conservative culture warriors.

Sheesh.

 

dahaha, what is this

they were afraid of internet maymays so they did something that makes no logical sense which created more maymays

 

Espn is going to freak when they find out what Bob Lee's full name is

 

Exactly. He had no choice. He's one of the only Asian-American people in the business. ESPN/Disney hold a monopoly over the College Sports broadcast industry. Even if he is "asked" he basically had no choice.

What's he supposed to say to the only employer in this industry: "This is stupid, no" and then he's unemployed forever.

 

Maybe ESPN will show more Texans games. We never show offense to anyone.

 

Somebody is putting stupid juice in the water... things are getting crazy out of hand. Idiocracy is here

I have got to find me some stuff to be offended about... I'll start with muffin tops.

 

They showed our playoff game against the Raiders and lost tons of money. Jokes on them!

 

This makes perfect sense to me.

Story over. Move on.

 

We were all surprised when it turned out Biff not only ran for president, not only won a major party nomination, but also won the national election. It's been a bit surreal ever since then honestly.