You Don’t Have To ‘Stick To Sports’ At ESPN If You Favor The Right

The relationship between sports and politics has always existed. However, the decision of the “worldwide leader in sports” to highlight that intersection on their platform is often decided by what you look like, who you might have voted for, and if the decision-makers at the company are fans of the political party in power.

Let’s not pretend that there hasn’t been a shift.

“And on this Veteran’s Day, it is our honor, live from Parris Island, to say, ladies and gentlemen, joining us now for the first time ever, the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump,” Pat McAfee announced as he introduced the occupant of the Oval Office on his show that airs on ESPN.

McAfee went on to address the backlash he was receiving in real time, acknowledging that his guest selection was controversial. “For the immediate people that are going to be mad about that happening, it’s the president of the United States. It’s Veterans Day. He’s the commander in chief. Obviously, if we have the opportunity to talk to him, we’re going to. And he is hilarious,” McAfee claimed.

One of ESPN’s highest-paid talents finds humor in the actions of a president who wants to starve millions of Americans during the holiday season due to how he’s handled the drama around SNAP benefits. Moreover, Trump was welcomed on ESPN’s airwaves on Veterans Day as if it were some kind of honor to have a man who hired a Defense Secretary who has “fired or sidelined at least two dozen generals and admirals,” during his tenure, according to the New York Times, as a guest.

A day after Trump’s appearance, Democrats in Congress obtained a message and released emails in which Jeffrey Epstein alleged that Trump knew of his conduct and had “spent hours at my house” with a victim. By Wednesday, McAfee was back on air, stating that those who criticized Trump’s appearance on his show “hate the troops.”

“I’ve got a lot of people saying mean stuff to me,” he said. “Got a lot of people that don’t know what a football looks like telling me they’re never watching my show again. And I would like to let you know: good! F*ck you. Let’s move on.”

This is who ESPN has chosen to represent its network.

However, McAfee isn’t the only one allowed to push boundaries due to his assumed allegiances.

“Is that gonna help your district in Texas? Aren’t you there to find a way to get stuff done, as opposed to just being an impediment to what…Trump wants? How much work goes into that? I’m just going to go off about Trump, cuss him out every chance I get, say the most derogatory, incendiary things imaginable, and that’s my day’s work,” Stephen A. Smith recently said about Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett on his podcast.

“That ain’t work. Work is saying that’s the man in power,” he continued. “I know what his agenda is. I’m not exactly in a position to stop him, since the Republicans have the Senate and the House, but maybe if I’m willing to work with this man, I might get something out of it for my constituency.” Smith later apologized to Crockett for his comments, but the damage was already done for someone who loves cozying up to the likes of Sean Hannity and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

This week, Smith returned to his podcast to respond to some of the criticism he’s been receiving from the Black community, attempting to downplay it with curiosity serving as his excuse. “I’m not going to let y’all get away with that. With this stuff about Black men and Black women, he declared. “First of all, to the brothas out there. Can we ask a question? Can we disagree with a sista from time to time?”

This is why Michelle Obama said, “If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it’s like watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta,” as she mentioned Smith by name.

ESPN will likely defend McAfee by claiming that the network doesn’t have creative control of his show, which is just a way for the network to skirt responsibility. In Smith’s case, the argument will be a similar one since he tends to use his SiriusXM show to address politics.

However, the general public doesn’t understand or care about contract details or the specific platforms where these discussions occur. What they see is that the two biggest names at ESPN are engaging in political commentary, and the network appears indifferent — a departure from how things used to operate in Bristol, Conn.

With that said, I reached out to some former high-profile Black ESPN employees to ask their thoughts on the current environment at the company and whether they would have enjoyed similar freedoms during their time there.

“When you were at ESPN, what would have happened if you pitched the idea of having a Black president on the air who had been impeached twice, was a convicted felon, was the catalyst for January 6, has denied presidential election results, who also wants millions of Americans to starve during the holidays and has a history of disrespecting the men and women who serve in our military, like Pat McAfee did?”

The answer wouldn’t just be a no. But, a “hell no.” — Jemele Hill.

“I can’t speak on the hypotheticals because I didn’t do my job based on hypotheticals. For the 18 years I was there, I applied the journalistic rules that allowed me to write about the subjects and concepts I thought were important and germane to the moment, how today’s world is affecting the industry of sports. Today’s on-air ESPN is basically unrecognizable journalistically. The two main voices are platformed as personalities, saying whatever they want, whether it has any relationship to sports or not.” — Howard Bryant.

I also asked a former employee of the NFL Network — who previously worked at ESPN — the same question, given that Trump was featured on last Sunday’s live broadcast of the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders for almost 10 minutes.

“My guess is that I would have been told to stick to sports, or some variation of that — after I returned from suspension,” said longtime NFL reporter Jim Trotter with a laugh, as he admitted that he doesn’t watch McAfee or Smith’s shows, yet wanted to give an honest answer to the hypothetical question given his decades of experiences in the industry.

Before things went completely off the rails in this country, and at ESPN, former President Barack Obama participated in a Town Hall with former network host Stan Verrett for The Undefeated in 2016 at North Carolina A&T University.

The discussion focused on race and sports and followed years in which Obama frequently appeared on the network to share his NCAA Tournament brackets. Fans and the network alike were amazed to see a president who was genuinely knowledgeable about sports, rather than thinking about the political implications.

In just three days, Donald Trump was featured on both an NFL broadcast and ESPN, despite his Party’s assertion that sports and politics should remain separate.

It’s unlikely that we will see any pushback from ESPN or changes in how Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith are allowed to operate in the future. The network has the right to determine how it conducts its business and manages its airwaves.

However, what can’t be ignored is that when all the Black people worked there, they were never allowed to do things like this or amplify the voice of a convicted felon on television.

Carron J. Phillips is an award-winning journalist who writes on race, culture, social issues, politics, and sports. He hails from Saginaw, Michigan, and is a graduate of Morehouse College and Syracuse University. Follow his Substack to keep up with more of his work.

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Pat McAfee And Stephen A. Smith Prove That You Don’t Have To ‘Stick To Sports’ At ESPN If You Favor ‘The Right’ was originally published on newsone.com