ESPN will not broadcast national anthem before 'Monday Night Football' games this season

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill



BY MORGAN GSTALTER - 08/17/18 03:20 PM EDT

ESPN will not broadcast the national anthem before Monday night NFL games this season, network President Jimmy Pitaro announced Friday.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

The Los Angeles Times noted Friday that the “Monday Night Football” production team decided last year that it would no longer broadcast the anthem, with officials saying it would allow for more discussion time.

ESPN, however, did make exceptions during last season.

The network showed the anthem on the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the day after the deadly shootings in Las Vegas and the first Monday after President Trump began attacking players who protested during the song, The Times noted.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/media/402381-espn-will-not-broadcast-national-anthem-before-monday-night-football-games

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. Good!!

[RealNewzFakePrez]

2. GOOD! Agree.

[DinahMoeHum]

3. Well, it's a start.

n/t

[whopis01]

38. Well they started it years ago I guess.

ESPN never showed the anthem in past years. So they are just doing exactly what they have always done.

[NCjack]

4. Excellent. Also, please no more war machine demonstrations. Let USA promote peace. nt

[Bengus81]

7. Sorry but the NFL makes millions off those "shows" That all started in 2009.

[Bengus81]

5. Watched Chiefs games for decades,NEVER seen the NA played on TV.....

Their usually running commercials--guess that kind of patriotism would be just fine with SHITLER.

[whopis01]

39. Yeah - it is funny watching people get all excited over this announcement.

They never aired it in the past. They are continuing to not air it. Nothing has changed.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

6. Fox just put reporters on alert

Will have them everywhere.

You rarely see the anthem anyway mostly high profile games.

[yallerdawg]

8. They should cut away to the Dotard lip-synching the song incoherently...

rocking and twisting back and forth like the coked-up addle-brained mental-midget* he surely is.

* No offense intended for coke users, mentally impaired, and 'little people' everywhere.

[MyOwnPeace]

16. Now THAT

would be an appropriate coverage of what a fraudulent claim IQ45 has made - and supported by the other chicken-shit Pugs that gain from his own lies.

[Fritz Walter]

37. Or to one of my all-time favorite YouTube clips

BLR

[marble falls]

9. Chicken shit cowards.

[pangaia]

10. Hey, why not play the Russian National Anthem? It's miles better music anyway...

[FiveGoodMen]

12. ...and more appropriate these days

[Thunderbeast]

11. Why not play Aretha Franklin for a year instead?

[Crowman2009]

24. Oh! You mean this?

[Mr.Bill]

13. I, for one, am tired of being

expected to spend 20-30 minutes worshipping the police and military before sporting events. I stopped going to sporting events a few years ago for this reason. I watch on TV, recording the game and then fast forwarding through the commercials, a passive and simple way to avoid the sponsors.

[MyOwnPeace]

18. Mr.Bill....................

I SO appreciate your position - the "worship" of the police and military.

Really?

With all that we can read these days - a "mandatory" salute to them?

We need a populace to wake up and "smell the roses."

[Mr.Bill]

20. Before I retired, when someone asked me if I "support the troops",

I used to say "Yes, I can show you right on my pay stub."

[MyOwnPeace]

22. Had to..............

just eat at your gut when they smiled at you and they knew that you were "one of them."

Love your support - keep it up!

[PJMcK]

14. I know James Pitaro

He's married to the actress Jean Louisa Kelly ("Hello, Dear" and "Mr. Holland's Opus&quot . I've worked with her on several projects and got to know Jimmy a bit.

He has a sign outside his office that says, "Be nice. Work hard." He's a very good man and he's making a profound decision here.

[zentrum]

15. At first this seemed good.....

Last edited Sat Aug 18, 2018, 09:56 AM - Edit history (1)

....but on second thought it usurps a way for players to express a visible political and moral point.

I wonder how they feel about it.

[FakeNoose]

17. All networks should do this

Good leadership, ESPN!

[BlueJac]

19. Takes the issue off the air...

good for ESPN, fuck trump

[Snellius]

21. Who ever decreed the National Anthem was a patriot duty before football anyway?

Never understood why it is patriotic to commercialize or politicize American symbols. The American flag is a flag. Not for tie clasps and lapel pins. Seems rather a mockery to exploit it for anything else.

[Crowman2009]

25. Actually this goes all the way back to 1918 with baseball.

It was just a small marching band and a simple flag. But now it's just gotten way out of hand.

[Snellius]

36. Makes more sense. Baseball itself is an American symbol and patriotic duty. Go Red Sox?

[Chrysanthemum]

43. WWII

For football it goes back to WWII. Don't know why it was kept in afterwards.

[BumRushDaShow]

23. The analysts usually talk through much of the game anyway

and you miss plays and whatnot because they want people to know how much they think they know about what is happening.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

26. Thats great news, but, what if the players still kneel even though it isn't braodcasted?

You know? In the stadium? Obviously the fans would see them, and set them up for attacks by don ivan. I wish theyd just quit playing the dang thing. Play ball.

[LeftInTX]

32. It's not as visible

Sure people with phones can broadcast on twitter, but it isn't the same as network stuff.

It will grab less attention.

Don Twilter always gravitates to the center of attention.

[OriginalGeek]

27. but if they do that,

how will all the super patriots at home know when to stand and put their hands on their hearts?

[blueseas]

28. good

[tiredtoo]

29. Good

Should stop broadcasting the anthem at all games.

[Angry Dragon]

30. How come it is not played at the WH and all Federal Depts??

[LeftInTX]

34. They should make Orange Julius listen and stand to it 24/7

[Angry Dragon]

35. okay...........thanks

[jalan48]

31. Great. Enough with the celebrating of brain injuries.

[spin]

33. I enjoy watching football as an escape from the news and politics. ...

The National Anthem has become a political football in our nation today.

It will not bother me in the least if it is not broadcast before the game.

[relayerbob]

40. Cowards

They should be pointing out the reasons for the protests and encouraging the other players to join in. But that might affect ratings.

[underpants]

41. I was going to comment that I don't remember seeing the anthem. A blonde with a skirt

just covering the hooha sure (not that I mind) sure but not the anthem.

[JohnnyRingo]

42. Solves that "problem"

To hear most on the right, it seems that's all they ever tuned in for. Seeing players protest just ruined their life.

Players need another way to get their message out now.

[MichMan]

44. Why doesn't the player's union buy the halftime commercials ?

The player's union should take a % of each player's salary to buy commercial time during halftime to broadcast the player's political views to provide them a forum. That would be much more effective than the anthem