Hank and ESPN

So ESPN has decided to part ways with Hank Jr.

Okay fine. Williams said it:

In the Monday morning interview, Williams said of Obama’s recent golf outing with House Speaker John Boehner: “It’d be like Hitler playing golf with (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu.”

Asked to clarify, Williams said: “They’re the enemy,” adding that by “they” he meant Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Anchor Gretchen Carlson later said to him, “You used the name of one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe, I think, the president.”

Williams replied, “Well, that is true. But I’m telling you like it is.”

Nasty? Yes. Over statement? Yes. Hank’s right? Yes.

“After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.” -- Hank Williams Jr.

But there is a second part. The Constitution protects us against the government restricting our speech. Not an employer saying what an employee can say. So unless Hank had a contract allowing him to say what he wants ESPN was within their rights.

The statement from ESPN this morning read: ""We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams, Jr. We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue."‬‬

Link

But ESPN is as wrong as Hank. At one time the show was about the game. That started to end with the forcing out of Howard Cosell and was brought to the terminal stage by the firing of Limbaugh and the subsequent prevention of Limbaugh buying part of a pro football team.

ESPN has made the game political. That is their right. Especially since they are a cable network and not reaching viewers over commonly owned frequencies as the over the air networks are. But once you make politics part of it, don’t be surprised if it spreads.

Just think of all those college athletes playing in a farm system for a billion dollar industry without a contract that protects them and being paid with a measly scholarship while the schools, the coaches and the NFL gets rich.

Time to unionize? You betchya!

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper

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