What’s In A Name?

Scott Harling
Aug 23, 2017 · 2 min read

Evidently, a whole lot of shame and offence. Just ask ESPN.

Robert Lee, ESPN play by play announcer.

A young play by play announcer is now in the headlines because ESPN has decided that his name fits too closely with the confederate general.

Robert Lee, an asian man, who has an asian name, looks nothing like Robert E. Lee, had to be removed from his job because ESPN didn’t want him to become a meme.

He was due to call the opening game at the University of West Virginia’s home opener on ESPN, now he will call a game in a few weeks on some deep hidden side channel.

Maybe I am naive, but I think that if no one had said a word about his name, and just let him do his job, it wouldn’t have been an issue. Now, they have done what they say they didn’t want to happen, they have turned him into a meme and shone the spotlight on him.

A statement from ESPN..

The phrase that sticks out to me ‘Eventually we mutually agreed to switch’, this ,to me, seems that Lee was ready to do his job and didn’t want to give up a game that he prepared for.

Speculation, but that’s just my feeling.

Why can’t we just let people do their jobs, be who they are, and not worry about some stupid fools on the internet.

I have never heard Robert Lee call a game, I don’t follow college football that much, but just because he happens to have a name similar to someone who lived 200 years ago, shouldn’t have an impact on his career.

Switching from calling a game on the mighty ESPN to now calling a game on the ACC network really shrinks your exposure.

Robert Lee should have been treated better than this.

We are now punishing an asian man in order to avoid the suspicion of having a person with a possible racist name.

If that isn’t irony, I don’t know what is.

Hopes & Dreams

Dream and Exceed!

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