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CatsUpNorth
Joined: 18 Oct 2015 Posts: 1402
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 10:43 am Post subject: |
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Yikes... I am no defender of ESPN, but they asked the employee if he wanted to switch games, and he agreed. Almost definitely unnecessary, but also not a big deal. The announcer apparently wanted to avoid screenshots and being made into a joke online, and based on how much attention this has already received, it's hard to blame him.
Assigning political leanings to ESPN is also a fruitless exercise, since people from both sides will insist that ESPN is representative of the other. |
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MLC67
Joined: 14 Sep 2016 Posts: 1183 Location: Camelot
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 10:50 am Post subject: |
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Yikes is right - the ESPN Top Executives call Bob Lee into their Board of Directors conference room and say to him: "Well, Robert, you have a great name there, it would be a shame should something very bad happen to it."
Sure, Robert then quickly "volunteered" to change the game he would be allowed to broadcast. No implicit coercion there.
As to ESPN's political leanings, I await citation to one published report that declares this broadcaster to be "conservative", or "right wing". Should one be provided, Steve Lee (related to Bob?) will send that resourceful person a case of Johnnie Walker. _________________ All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for men of good will to do nothing. Eddie Burke
Esse Quam Videri |
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wildforthecats
Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 18388 Location: Matthews NC
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citycat
Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 8708 Location: charlotte, nc
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:25 am Post subject: |
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There was a reporter for Fox Business named Jenna Lee whose father was Robert Lee, a NFL QB. He played for the Falcons in '73-'74 and had some success. He was called General Bob or Robert Lee.
There is a descendent of "the Robert E. Lee" who is an athletic director at Potomac High School outside Washington DC. |
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wildforthecats
Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 18388 Location: Matthews NC
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:46 am Post subject: |
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QB Bob Lee had a decent career with the Vikings and Falcons mainly. |
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stevelee

Joined: 04 Mar 2010 Posts: 10005 Location: Davidson
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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I am probably about as kin to this Robert as I am to the general. I think there were two or three unrelated Lee families in Virginia from colonial times. Y-chromosome tests show that we are of the same species, and that's about it. I might be related to the general on the Carter side if at all. We likely had numerous common ancestors within the last 100,000 years.
I had a seminary classmate named Kun Ho Lee, who I called Cousin Kun Ho. He studied Hebrew seriously in hopes of doing the first complete Old Testament translation directly into Korean. He had two cute little kids. I was proud to claim kin with them all. _________________ Μεγάλη ἡμÎÏα εἶναι ΛÏγξ |
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ChantillyCat

Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 3969 Location: Chantilly, VA
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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citycat wrote: | There is a descendent of "the Robert E. Lee" who is an athletic director at Potomac High School outside Washington DC. |
There are two Potomac High Schools outside DC, one on each side of the river. And there's The Potomac School, which is in McLean, VA, and The McLean School, which is in Potomac, MD. Finally, we have two Freedom High Schools, built in 2004 and 2005, both in Virginia and less than 25 miles from each other.
We're really not very good with names up here. _________________ ...coming out of the murky, dreary jungle of untutored mediocrity. |
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slowcat95
Joined: 12 Sep 2016 Posts: 809
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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Davidson currently employs a Robert Lee. He is my friend. Two decades ago, Davidson enrolled a Robbie E. Lee. She is also my friend. I doubt either would like to be associated with the general right now, and would be happy to not be the butt of jokes about their names (although knowing them both, they could take it).
FWIW, my disordered mind and I think it was appropriate for ESPN to offer the commentator the opportunity to switch broadcasts if he wanted to. Wanting to avoid controversy has nothing to do with political leanings. _________________ The basic entrance fee to being a good person is to listen to and believe people who lack a privilege you have. |
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Dr. Bliss
Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 5039 Location: NC Mountains
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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It's difficult to see how the corporate types at ESPN couldn't envision the ridicule this would subject them to. Gang aft agley. _________________ "There ain't no sanity clause!" Chico Marx |
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MakeIt-TakeIt Cat
Joined: 08 Mar 2012 Posts: 2562
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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In reference to the ESPN executives:
Quote: | There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says “Morning, boys. How’s the water?†And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes “What the hell is water?†|
David Foster Wallace, 2005 _________________ "In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." Galileo
Last edited by MakeIt-TakeIt Cat on Wed Aug 23, 2017 2:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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MLC67
Joined: 14 Sep 2016 Posts: 1183 Location: Camelot
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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While I fully comprehend your honesty and sincerity (on reflection, totally redundant) SC, I am mystified how you can really believe that Mr. Lee asked to be moved to avoid controversy - when doing so [absolutely predictably] has been the sole and exclusive cause of worldwide ridicule and that totally avoidable controversy had ESPN not gone all stupid with no limit.
Do you truly believe that American football fans would care at all that an Asian-American doing TV game commentary had a name similar to this dead general?
And finally, do you truly believe that Mr. Lee is such a snowflake that he asked to be removed from the UVa, game so his feelings would not be hurt by similar name jokes? Please! _________________ All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for men of good will to do nothing. Eddie Burke
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slowcat95
Joined: 12 Sep 2016 Posts: 809
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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I don't pretend to know anything about Mr. Lee, but based on what little I've read, I hear he was given the choice. I judge neither him nor ESPN on the move. We all have our own reasons for doing what we do. I try not to judge...though I rarely succeed. _________________ The basic entrance fee to being a good person is to listen to and believe people who lack a privilege you have. |
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ChantillyCat

Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 3969 Location: Chantilly, VA
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MLC67
Joined: 14 Sep 2016 Posts: 1183 Location: Camelot
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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ESPN statement "proving" Bob just wanted to avoid becoming infamous - "We raised with him the notion of him switching games. EVENTUALLY, we mutually agreed to switch." [Emphasis added].
Fortunately, soon thereafter, Bob was reunited with his wife, children and his career prospects. _________________ All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for men of good will to do nothing. Eddie Burke
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bobmckellar

Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 3578 Location: Savannah GA
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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WWII Admiral Willis Lee used his Naval Academy nickname as an "in the clear" code to issue commands during confusing actions.
His nickname became a sort of code signal at one point during the Guadalcanal campaign, establishing Lee's bona fides when it became necessary to send clear voice transmissions:
This is Ching Chong China Lee. Refer your big boss about Ching Lee. Call off your boys!
A nice historical patriotic nickname like that should work fine even for ESPN. _________________ The best thing Davidson ever did was to admit women to classy up the place. |
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