ESPN President Defends Pulling Robert Lee Off Game In Charlottesville

ESPN is being heavily criticized for its decision to pull announcer Robert Lee from Saturday’s Virginia-William & Mary football game in Charlottesville, Va., and The Mothership’s president wants to set the record straight.

Amid concerns that Lee’s name would be negatively associated with Robert E. Lee, whose statue was at the center of this month’s “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, ESPN reassigned the announcer to Saturday’s Pittsburgh-Youngstown State game.

Seemingly surprised by the amount of media attention the decision generated, ESPN president John Skipper issued the following internal memo:

Skipper’s reference to someone with “a personal agenda” likely refers to Outkick The Coverage reporter Clay Travis, who broke the story Tuesday.

The decision to remove Lee — who, as an Asian-American, likely wouldn’t be confused with a Confederate war general who died in 1870 — certainly is bizarre. But as Skipper mentioned, it’s important to remember this ultimately was Lee’s decision.

Still, it’s yet another bad look for a company that has a growing list of public-relations nightmares.

Thumbnail photo via Andy Marlin/USA TODAY Sports Images