ESPN President John Skipper is defending the decision to remove Asian-American announcer Robert Lee from working the upcoming University of Virginia football game in the wake of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville held over plans to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
The decision made over the name similarity was widely mocked as political correctness run amok after it was reported in the media a day earlier, but Skipper wrote in an internal memo that it wasn't done over worries about offending anyone.
Instead, he wrote there were concerns that it might create a distraction, or that Lee could be targeted by, quote, "social hectoring and trolling."
He said that after speaking with Lee, the announcer also expressed some "trepidation," and chose to do another game instead when offered the chance to switch. Skipper charged that the story had been, quote, "intentionally hijacked by someone with a personal agenda."
Lee being switched from the game was initially reported by a site that frequently criticizes ESPN for becoming, in his view, liberal and politically correct.
ESPN released the following statement from Skipper:
"ESPN has been actively engaged throughout its history in navigating changes in technology and fan behavior in order to continue to deliver quality, breakthrough content. Today, we are again focused on a strategic vision that will propel our vast array of networks and services forward.
A necessary component of managing change involves constantly evaluating how we best utilize all of our resources, and that sometimes involves difficult decisions. Our content strategy – primarily illustrated in recent months by melding distinct, personality-driven SportsCenter TV editions and digital-only efforts with our biggest sub-brand – still needs to go further, faster…and as always, must be efficient and nimble. Dynamic change demands an increased focus on versatility and value, and as a result, we have been engaged in the challenging process of determining the talent—anchors, analysts, reporters, writers and those who handle play-by-play—necessary to meet those demands. We will implement changes in our talent lineup this week. A limited number of other positions will also be affected and a handful of new jobs will be posted to fill various needs.
These decisions impact talented people who have done great work for our company. I would like to thank all of them for their efforts and their many contributions to ESPN.
Our objective in all we do is to best serve fans and their changing consumption habits while still maintaining an unparalleled and diverse talent roster that resonates with fans across all our platforms. We will continue to foster creativity and investment in the products and resources necessary to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.
Thank you as always for your continuing dedication to our work."
Meanwhile, here's what Robert Lee told Albany NY TV station WRGB in 2016 about the origin of his name: "My mom actually had no idea who Robert E. Lee was when she immigrated to the United States, I'm actually named after Robert Redford."
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