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IS ESPN REVERTING TO ITS OLD, LEFTIST WAYS?
Powerline ^ | July 20,2019 | PAUL MIRENGOFF

Posted on 07/20/2019 1:26:37 PM PDT by Hojczyk

For years, ESPN indulged in left-wing politics. I wrote about this here and here.

But John Skipper, under whose direction ESPN took this unfortunate turn, is no longer running the network. It turned out that he had an addiction problem. Also, ESPN was hurting financially.

ESPN’s new head, Jimmy Pitaro, issued a directive — stop doing politics. To my knowledge, it has been followed.

Earlier this week, however, an ESPN talk show host named Dan Le Batard violated ESPN policy. He lashed out at Donald Trump over the president’s suggestion that four radical left-wing congresswoman leave the country. He also took a shot at his own network over its no-politics policy:

It is so wrong, what the president of our country is doing, trying to get reelected by dividing the masses, at a time when the old white man, the old rich white man, feels oppressed, being attacked, by minorities. . . .

And we here at ESPN don’t have the stomach for the fight. We don’t talk about what is happening unless there is some sort of weak, cowardly sports angle that we can run it through.

In response, to this rant, which arguably is racist, sexist, and ageist, Pitaro re-circulated his directive. Apparently, he plans to take no disciplinary action against Le Batard, who may never have to pay for dinner again.

Let’s hope Le Batard’s mindless excursion into politics will be a one-off at ESPN. But with the left egging him and others on, I question whether it will be.

However, if ESPN becomes a platform for leftists like Le Batard, the sounds you’ll hear will be of people switching channels and cutting the cord.

(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bloggers; espn; media; msm; sports
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1 posted on 07/20/2019 1:26:37 PM PDT by Hojczyk
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To: Hojczyk

One guy talked crap. One guy.


2 posted on 07/20/2019 1:29:46 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (If we get Medicare for all, will we have to show IDs for service?)
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To: Vermont Lt

ESPN is headed for the trash heap...Fox Sports is on the rise


3 posted on 07/20/2019 1:32:39 PM PDT by Hojczyk
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To: Hojczyk

It never left its old leftist ways.


4 posted on 07/20/2019 1:33:34 PM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with islamic terrorists - they want to die for allah and we want to kill them.)
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To: Hojczyk

ESPN’s new head, Jimmy Pitaro, issued a directive — stop doing politics. To my knowledge, it has been followed.

Earlier this week, however, an ESPN talk show host named Dan Le Batard violated ESPN policy. He lashed out at Donald Trump over the president’s suggestion that four radical left-wing congresswoman leave the country. He also took a shot at his own network over its no-politics policy:
*****************************************
Pitaro needs to follow “Broken Windows management” techniques here. When disorder/disobedience by the Agendanista, leftist ESPN staffers FIRST arises, he needs to come down hard on the offenders such as Le Batard. If he doesn’t, ESPN will quickly slip back into its old habits.


5 posted on 07/20/2019 1:34:19 PM PDT by House Atreides (Boycott the NFL 100% — PERMANENTLY)
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To: Hojczyk

He speaks Spanish. His parents were Cuban exiles. As was one of Bezos’

You would think that anyone who really knew about the viciousness of Communism would detest, not embrace it. What a putz.


6 posted on 07/20/2019 1:40:25 PM PDT by Veto! (Veto! (Political Correctness Offends Me))
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To: Hojczyk

Pitaro is right to issue the directive again not only for business sense but for practical reasons. If it’s free-for-all for ESPN to criticize the President for this none sports related issue then is anything off bounds? Abortion, immigration, trade war....etc. it would be a mess and even if it’s just on race issues in today’s social justice warriors thinking, everything is social justice so nothing is out of bounds


7 posted on 07/20/2019 1:42:25 PM PDT by Bigtigermike
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To: Hojczyk

Returning? They haven’t stopped. I won’t watch them.


8 posted on 07/20/2019 1:43:22 PM PDT by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: Hojczyk

They’ve never deviated from their leftist ways.


9 posted on 07/20/2019 2:07:52 PM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: Hojczyk

Reverting?!?!


10 posted on 07/20/2019 2:26:38 PM PDT by EEGator
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To: Hojczyk

I’ll say left. I’ve LEFT watching them!


11 posted on 07/20/2019 2:41:22 PM PDT by llevrok (Vote, while it is still legal!)
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To: Hojczyk

When it first started it was supposed to non-politicial. It was supposed to be a network for Hartford Whalers and UConn Huskies. Until ABC bought it, it was a good network, now it is BS...


12 posted on 07/20/2019 3:01:01 PM PDT by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is, too. :-))
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To: Hojczyk

It’s not bad enough the espn single handedly destroyed college football, and turned it into its greasy, money spewing whore. they did it while being a bunch of leftist a$$ hats.


13 posted on 07/20/2019 3:21:46 PM PDT by JohnBrowdie
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To: JohnBrowdie
It’s not bad enough the espn single handedly destroyed college football,

Agree with you there, there is very little difference now between college football and the NFL. All the traditions are being sucked dry. I mean, how does Jalen Hurts go from Alabama to Oklahoma? Basically Free Agency is coming to college football.

14 posted on 07/20/2019 3:24:36 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Vermont Lt

ESPN forgot the “E” in ESPN. It is no longer entertaining.

Used to see all sorts of odd sports on there late at night.

Not anymore.

If they replace the “P” from programming to Politics....they are lost.


15 posted on 07/20/2019 3:50:14 PM PDT by Ouderkirk (Life is about ass, you're either covering, hauling, laughing, kicking, kissing, or behaving like one)
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To: House Atreides

agree-I and other wrote wrote to ESPM several times before they announced their no politics “rule” that I tuned into it for sports not some left wing politics

i suggest others do too


16 posted on 07/20/2019 4:00:40 PM PDT by TECTopcat (TopCat)
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To: Vermont Lt

One guy talked crap. One guy.


They never stopped. Max Kellerman and Steven A. Smith are quick to make everything racial.


17 posted on 07/20/2019 4:04:25 PM PDT by lodi90
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To: Hojczyk

Isn’t it time to fire all of the leftist dirtballs?


18 posted on 07/20/2019 4:33:29 PM PDT by Libloather (END CLIMATE CHANGE!)
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To: Hojczyk

The Big Ten Network took the B1G away from ESPN and their nastiness was noticeable to those of us in B1G Country. Today, the B1G Network is paying out more to conference teams as a single source than most Div 1 athletic departments draw in total.

The Big Ten Conference has established a new benchmark in the how-high-is-up world of college sports finance: It recorded nearly $759 million in revenue during its 2018 fiscal year. The 2017-18 school year and resulted in payments of roughly $54 million to each of the 14-team conference’s 12 longest-standing members. Maryland and Rutgers received smaller revenue-share amounts, but both schools also received loans from the conference against future revenue shares.

In February, the Southeastern Conference reported just under $660 million in revenue for fiscal 2018, resulting in an average of $43.7 million being distributed to the 13 member schools that received full shares. Mississippi did not get a full share because its football team was banned from postseason play.

ESPN is going to eventually have the SEC Conf split off from them and then look for them to die. They inject their politics and bias far too much and stir up too much trouble.

I don’t have cable TV because of ESPN. I now use ExciteTV and it rocks.


19 posted on 07/20/2019 4:50:39 PM PDT by Jumper
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To: Hojczyk

They lose their audience.

They hafta notice. I rarely listen.


20 posted on 07/20/2019 5:17:07 PM PDT by campaignPete R-CT (Committee to Re-Elect the President ( CREEP ))
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