Just days after criticizing his own network’s “stick-to-sports” policy, ESPN host Dan Le Batard took Monday off from his namesake radio show, according to reports.
Sports Business Journal, which first broke the news, and CNN reported that Le Batard decided to not appear on his radio show after spending the weekend trying to convince ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro to loosen up on the network’s policy of banning political commentary. After Pitaro told Le Batard that he wouldn’t budge on the policy, the ESPN host told Pitaro that he was not in the right frame of mind to do his radio show, and the network accepted his absence.
Although Le Batard took the day off from his radio show, he is still expected to tape his daily TV show “Highly Questionable” later in the day. The Sports Business Journal reported that Le Batard is scheduled to be back on his radio show Tuesday.
Le Batard drew attention Thursday for ripping into his own network for not taking a stand on the “send her back” Trump rally chants that he found to be “abhorrent, obviously racist, dangerous rhetoric.”
The ESPN host then doubled down on his criticism by calling out the network’s “stick-to-sports” policy, which he called “un-American” and a “weak-ass shield.”
I guess ESPN bosses prefer to be on the wrong side of history when the books get written about this era.
I remember the ESPN campus in Bristol, CT, when I used to live nearby.
Never saw the woodshed behind the buildings, but sounds like there is one and he was taken out to that woodshed for re-programming.
There comes a time, when the flames are licking at your ankles, you’re obligated to yell “Fire!” in a theater.
In principle, in a vacuum, I am very much on ESPN’s side here. I have no interest in getting political commentary from sports talking heads, any more so than I have interest in hearing what empty-headed celebrities have to say about actual important topics.
Of course, dotard had to fuck that up too; I don’t see how you can talk about the US women’s soccer team winning the World Cup without discussing the bizarre circumstance of a president shit-talking a team representing his country.
Dan Labatard is a principle man and is right to stand up to racism. Racism is NOT a left/right political issue that ESPN management seems to think.