In December 1980 NBC Sports tried a unique experiment with its NFL broadcasts, as the perpetually hapless New York Jets squared off against the Miami Dolphins in a meaningless late-season contest.
NBC benched the announcers.
Don Ohlmeyer, the network’s executive producer over sports, said he “always felt that announcers talked too much.” Thus, he said, he tried once, as a way to stoke fan interest in a “dog of a game,” to broadcast it using just pictures and graphics, and the stadium’s PA announcer offering background summations.
Many felt it didn’t work. But given the rampant wokeness in sports broadcasting today, many current fans, especially conservatives, may likely hope that someone will resurrect Ohlmeyer’s idea.
More evidence of said wokeness was on display on Friday, as announcers for ESPN, the kings of leftism in sports, offered a moment of silence to protest Florida’s proposed Parental Rights in Education bill.
The bill, passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature and expected to be signed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, would prohibit school districts from creating or implementing classroom lessons discussing sexual orientation and gender identity.
As ESPN prepared to show the second half of top-ranked South Carolina’s battle against Howard, announcers Carolyn Peck and Courtney Lyle remained silent.
For two minutes.
As Yahoo Sports recounted the moment, Lyle opened the second-half telecast by noting, “Normally at this time we would take a look back at the first half. But there are things bigger than basketball that need to be addressed at this time. Our friends, our family, our co-workers – the players and coaches in our community are hurting right now.”
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“At 3 [p.m.], about eight minutes ago, our LGBTQIA+ teammates at Disney asked for our solidarity and support including our company’s support in opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Bill in the state of Florida and similar legislation across the United States,” she continued.
Disney workers staged a walkout to protest the measure, which critics, including those in the White House, call an attempt to “bully” children, especially those who may be gay or trans. Disney owns ESPN.
What the bill in question actually does is block school districts, and hence teachers, from introducing controversial and sophisticated topics about sex to kids from kindergarten to grade three. School districts have an option to teach such subjects in higher grades so long as they are done at an age-appropriate level and within state standards.
The other thing the Parental Rights in Education bill does is prevent educators from hiding such things about students from parents.
What the bill does not do is outlaw the use of the word “gay” in Florida’s schools.
Nor does the measure prevent children of any age who struggle with these issues to approach a teacher about them and seek counseling.
When Lyle concluded, Peck then introduced the two minutes of silence.
“A threat to any human rights is a threat to all human rights,” said Peck as an introduction. “At this time, Courtney and I, we’re going to take a pause from our broadcast to show our love and support for our friends, our family and our colleagues.”
When their moment was over Lyle offered, “We love our teammates. We support our teammates. We are one.” “Absolutely,” Peck added.
Led by their LGBT co-workers, many Disney employees were upset that the company and CEO Bob Chapek did not do more to publicly oppose the bill.
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After it passed, Chapek announced he had been working to defeat the bill behind the scenes, noted that he had talked to DeSantis about stopping it, and expressed his own solidarity with the company’s LGBT staff.
Yet, at least according to Yahoo, neither Lyle nor Peck explained why it is appropriate for teachers to talk about topics such as transgenderism or homosexuality with kindergartners.
Nor did the broadcasters happen to mention how Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd’s deputies arrested four members of their “family” in a recent human-trafficking sting, including one who sent naked pictures of himself to a detective he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
Don Ohlmeyer passed away in September 2017. Let’s hope some network exec somewhere shows the same guts he did and try a whole network without announcers.
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Thank Ewe CLINT$, for STFU !
These ESPN announcers are there to call a game, not bring their political views.
They should be fired. If it had been announcers supporting Trump, and did the same thing? they would have been fired. (cancelled) Why the double standard?
disgusting. I’m Done with ESPN.
Because Florida man wants no one to acknowledge that there are young children who suffer. Crawl back into your caves. Great move by the announcers.