Posted on 08/17/2018 3:27:31 PM PDT by Hojczyk
BRISTOL, CONN. – ESPN will not show the national anthem during "Monday Night Football" broadcasts this year, the company's president said on Friday
Pitaro was asked by a reporter if he spoke to the NFL about the rule changes and the national anthem and if he would consider “turning the cameras on an athlete that’s kneeling for the anthem.”
"We generally have not broadcasted the anthem and I don't think there’s going to be any change this year. Our plan going into this year is to not broadcast the anthem,” Pitaro said.
“Again, there could be changes. It’s somewhat unpredictable what’s going to happen in the world but as of now our plan now is to not broadcast the anthem. We have communicated that back to the NFL. They have not asked but we proactively just as a courtesy and as good partners let them know what our plans are,” he continued.
The network also did not air the national anthem during last season’s "Monday Night Football" broadcasts.
Stephanie Druley, ESPN’s senior vice president of event and studio production, said the network showed the national anthem three times last year: following Hurricane Harvey’s devastation, the Las Vegas massacre and President Trump’s comments on the national anthem protests.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
But they’ll still highlight the players who kneel
When asked what the most inaccurate perception of ESPN is, Pitaro said it was branding the network a “political organization.”
“That we’re a political organization because we are not. We are a sports media company. We are always going to cover the intersection between sports and politics,” he said.
He continued to explain that the network covered things that were “newsworthy.”
“We are the place of record for sports when something happens, when the Eagles are disinvited to the White House, we are going to cover that. When someone takes a knee and we think it’s newsworthy we’re going to cover it. But we have to be the place of record,” he explained.
ESPN’s president said he was not worried about losing a contract with the NFL, saying the media outlet and the league have a “strong relationship.”
“We want to be in business with the NFL and I believe they want to be in business with us. We’re optimistic about not just about the next four years but for the long-term partnership.”
What, did Andrew Cuomo just become ESPN president?
No biggie. With all those new “male” cheerleaders, I imagine there will be plenty of opportunities to see the players on their knees during the games anyway for those who are into that.
I wouldn’t see it anyway.
So what? I won’t be watching anyway.
ESPN has never been great
I will not be watching ESPN not airing the national anthem on Monday Night Football...
It will continue to happen. ESPN and the other networks, who paid big money for broadcast rights figure if they don’t show it or talk about it, they will alienate fewer viewers. The boycotts have hurt the NFL and the networks badly. They don’t want more fights with their customers.
Yeah, I’m thinking “Gilligan’s Island” rerun marathons.
Or perhaps I’ll just watch reruns of “Dogfights”.
Is Josef Stalin now In charge of ESPN?
FU ESPM. You will never again get a cent from me
NCAA college ball starts next Saturday.
So glad I stopped watching blowhard ESPN years ago. It hasn’t been the “network of record” for millions more people since about 2015 when they forced Ditka out. Cord cutters are just accelerating its waning influence. This will only cause it to accelerate even more.
In the next year, there will be TWO competitors emerging for them.
The competitors, are going to immediately grab the patriotic fans, and the established games, are going to be shocked.
Simply shocked.
That people rejected them.
They are going to do themselves in. In the next year.
Just you watch.
I don’t think they showed the national anthem on TV back in the day when Cosell was calling the games. And that was ok.
But the difference now is that this national anthem kneeling situation needs to get resolved. And until it does, I think they have to continue to show it.
At some future point in time, if people quit the protesting, then I can see not showing it.
Right now, its just a big part of the game
Oh, yes. This will solve their problem won’t it?
ESPN is marketing the NFL to the homosexual community. Their slogan is "Tight ends on their knees!"
I think the NFL is dying a painful death. Good riddance.
And the idiots made it even worse with the SJW’s and Roger Goodell.
I expect amusement parks will eventually have on their billboards:
“Puppet Show and NFL Game”.
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