ESPN stirs controversy by reassigning announcer named Robert Lee

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-24 11:33:16|Editor: Mengjie
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Sports television network ESPN has stirred controversies by deciding to pull one of its announcers from calling a college football game in Charlottesville, Virginia, because his name is Robert Lee.

Lee, an Asian-American sportscaster, was reassigned to a different game "simply because of the coincidence of his name," ESPN said in a statement on Tuesday night.

The broadcaster has the same name as Confederate General Robert E. Lee, whose statue was at the center of violent clashes in Charlottesville earlier this month.

He was supposed to cover the University of Virginia's season opener in the city on Sept. 2. ESPN said it moved Lee to Youngstown State game at Pittsburgh on the same day.

"We collectively made the decision with Rober to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding," ESPN explained. "In that moment it felt right to all parties."

"It's a shame that this is even a topic of conversation and we regret that who calls play-by-play for a football game has become an issue," it added.

Robert E. Lee was the commander of forces of the slave-holding South in the American Civil War from 1862 until his surrender in 1865.

The decision by the Charlottesville city council to remove Lee's statue from a public park sparked a white supremacist rally on Aug. 12 that later turned into violent clashes between rival protesters.

A 32-year-old woman was killed and 19 others were injured when a sports car driven by a suspected Nazi supporter plowed into a crowd protesting white supremacism.

Two state troopers also died on that day in a helicopter crash after helping monitor the rally, demonstrations, and clashes.

The deadly incident prompted southern U.S. states and cities to work out plans to deal with their own Confederate monuments, many citing safety concerns.

A sportscaster for 20 years, Lee began his career calling games at Syracuse University, his alma mater. He speaks both English and Mandarin Chinese.

But the decision to reassigned him has met backlash from social media, despite a ESPN claim that assignments are switched all the time.

"ESPN did this out of fear of the yowling mob. And is part of it now," columnist John Podhoretz posted in a tweet.

The move was also mocked by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckbee, with a series of tweets.

One of them wrote "ESPN will no longer air football games on TV as referees are dressed in black and white and that could be viewed as binary racism."

"If this society can't tell the difference from 'Robert E Lee' from 150+ years ago to an Asian sportscaster 'Robert Lee' we are in trouble," another Twitter user said.

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