ESPN Pulls Announcer Robert Lee From University of Virginia Football Game

Hoping to avoid controversy, ESPN pulled an announcer from an upcoming University of Virginia Cavaliers college football game because his name is Robert Lee, Buzzfeed reported on Tuesday. 

ESPN’s Lee, an Asian-American, was scheduled to announce the Cavalier’s opening home game of the season against William & Mary College at Charlottesville’s Scott Stadium on Sept. 2 but has been moved given the similarity of his name with Confederate general Robert E. Lee, whose statues were the flashpoint of recent violent protests in the city that left one person dead. 

In a statement, ESPN said that they had “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.” 

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“There was never any concern – by anyone, at any level — that Robert Lee’s name would offend anyone watching the Charlottesville game,” ESPN president John Skipper said in an internal memo. “Among our Charlotte production staff there was a question as to whether — in these divisive times — Robert’s assignment might create a distraction, or even worse, expose him to social hectoring and trolling.”

Skipper went on to say Lee “expressed some personal trepidation about the [Charlottesville] assignment and, when offered the chance to do the Youngstown State/Pitt game instead, opted for that game.” 

Instead of the Cavaliers game, Lee has been switched to announce the University of Pittsburgh’s opening game against Youngstown State University. 

The sports network’s hopes of avoiding potential controversy by switching Lee has instead led to widespread derision on social media, from both sides of the political spectrum. 

ESPN pulled Robert Lee, an Asian American announcer, from a UV game in case some people might be offended by his name. GTFO ESPN – SO DUMB pic.twitter.com/j9KWWdSpIU

— Yashar Ali (@yashar) August 23, 2017

I’m sitting here blown away about the ESPN Robert Lee story. You can’t make this shit up. Ron Burgundy is running ESPN.

— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) August 23, 2017

In an era of rampant stupidity, ESPN taking an Asian announcer named Robert Lee off a Virginia football game may be the dumbest idea ever.

— Mike Vaccaro (@MikeVacc) August 23, 2017

From 1862 until his surrender in 1865, ESPN college football announcer Robert Lee commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. pic.twitter.com/eQKXyXRNgl

— NotKennyRogers (@NotKennyRogers) August 23, 2017

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. ESPN is so stupid I almost hope they bankrupt Disney just to show how stupid going PC can be. https://t.co/pGGIlKtMeC

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) August 22, 2017

I doubted the ESPN/Robert Lee story up until the end bc how could they actually be so stupid but moral of the story is everything is stupid.

— Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) August 23, 2017