ESPN removes Robert Lee from Virginia/William & Mary broadcast
ESPN removes Robert Lee from Virginia/William & Mary broadcast
Coincidence given as reason for pulling Lee from the game
by Eric Hobeck and Caroline Darney Aug 22, 2017, 10:38pm EDT
ESPN has removed play-by-play commentator Robert Lee from its scheduled ESPN3 broadcast of the UVa football game against William & Mary next Saturday, the network told Streaking the Lawn tonight in a statement.
We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding, simply because of the coincidence of his name. In that moment it felt right to all parties. Its 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, an ESPN spokesman said in the statement.
Lee, who is Asian-American, is calling the Youngstown State-Pittsburgh game on ESPN3 that day instead. According to Clay Travis from
Outkick The Coverage, who was first with the story, Dave Weekley is set to broadcast UVa-W&M.