ESPN denies silencing New Orleans's jeers for ex-president Bush

[brettdale]

ESPN denies silencing New Orleans's jeers for ex-president Bush

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/ESPN_silences_Monday_Night_Football_boos_0927.html

The television sports network ESPN has been accused of covering up jeers directed at former President George H.W. Bush by football fans in New Orleans during a September 25th Monday Night Football broadcast. ESPN denied the allegation when contacted by RAW STORY.

This week, ESPN broadcasted its Monday Night Football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons from the New Orleans Superdome. The game was the first played in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region a year ago. Television broadcasts from the Superdome, one of New Orleans's major evacuation sites, first brought the enormity of the crisis to the public

[marmar]

1. ESPN is part of the Disney/ABC family....

so this isn't too hard to believe.

[LisaM]

2. It was such a slap in the face to choose him to toss the coin anyway

Why on earth didn't they get some non-polarizing figure like Harry Connick, Aaron Neville, or Shaquille O'Neill, all of whom have ties to the New Orleans area and have done lots to help out in this crisis. I don't know who chose "41", but it was boneheaded. Why not just trot out Brownie? Everyone knows what Barbara Bush said about the people moved from the Super Dome to Houston. Choosing "41" to toss the coin, whosever choice it was, was a complete and total joke.

[jackstraw45]

4. Considering Barbara Bush's grotesque comments at the Superdome...

He deserved EVERY boo he got.

What an IDIOTIC and SHAMEFUL move by the NFL.

But at least the Saints are getting revenue again from the Superdome...as the 9th ward sits in ruins....

[Imagevision]

11. I'll bet this was ole man Bush's idea...

[chat_noir]

3. Daily Kos - lots of discussion

As a person who dabbled with sportscasting in college, I operated under the impression that my job was sports not politics. Sports were sports and you leave your politics off the air It's a very simple standard. If I want to watch football for three hours, give me football. Unfortunately, ESPN has continuously violated this concept. If ESPN is going to play phony tapes for politicians, then they need to be pressured off the air.

For several years, ESPN has been manufacturing fake cheers and fake boos for politicians. It's a very simple rule. If you are a Democrat not named Joe Lieberman, ESPN will play a tape of boos previously recorded and insert them into the audio after the Democrat is announced. If you are a Republican and ESPN is expecting boos, ESPN will play a pre-recorded tape of cheers unrelated to the Republican.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/26/8550/57285

[rudy23]

9. I wish I didn't have to wait 24 hours to post after creating my Kos acct.

The things people are saying on there! Outrageous.

If there was sound added, it was added in the Dome, and they must have put holograms over all the people I saw clapping.

The stadium was most certainly not 90% white, or well to do. I don't know why some people I hear from on these boards think football is for the rich. Maybe the luxury suites are, but I think I hugged someone from each continent at the Dome on Monday night.

Sports are not a Republican pasttime. Keith Olbermann got his start on ESPN doing Sportscenter (brilliantly).

Again, the spirit of the night would've made booing absurd. Way, way, way too much positivity in the crowd. The posts that were critical of people not booing, just showed more condescencion towards the South, if not for which, we would rule the planet. Most people don't know the ins and outs of the BFEE, and most aren't even familiar with Barbara Bush's comments after Katrina. I think some on political message boards gives the general public way too much credit. Unless it was *, they weren't going to boo anyone that night. They associate poppy with the charity work he's done with Clinton, more so than his son.

[NOLADEM]

5. I was at the game

No boo's. The crowd was in too good a mood to boo anyone, and remember, GHWBush and Clinton are doing a lot of fundraising for New Orleans recovery, and he is appreciated for that. His son is toxic here though. He is hated for obvious reasons.


Bush Senior walked out to midfield in a group of suits. He was announced as the coin flipper over the speaker system only after he had actually tossed the coin. They were rushing through pre-game stuff because it seemed like they were a little behind. Other features were also cut a few seconds short (video montage, etc)


Sprinkled boos, but it was too positive an atmosphere to do any booing.

The crowd definitely didn't cheer very loudly.

The game was AWESOME though. Two blocked kicks, complete defensive dominance, trick plays, Brees looked good. It was great. The crowd was as loud as it has ever been (still a little deaf in my right ear), and the place looked great. Great photo exhibit about Katrina in the concourses.

Please come visit New Orleans. We are open, and would love to see you all.

[cynatnite]

7. Now if junior had tossed the coin... n/t

[hogwyld]

8. Already have our plans

to come for Turkey week. Hope to see y'all!

[likesmountains 52]

12. MY son watched at Cooter Browns...said that place was all Boos..

not too surprising..he felt that the crowd in the Superdome was (as you stated) so happy to be there that they were not in a booing mood..

[rudy23]

13. Bingo (nt)

[rudy23]

6. I was at the game. I didn't hear many jeers. I'm a proud tinfoiler, too

If there were any jeers in the dome, I didn't hear them. I posted somewhere else about this. It's possible that they played an applause "track", but not likely.

Bush Sr. was active in Katrina relief. Most people who aren't serious bloggers buy into poppy's swell old guy image. That dome crowd would have acted much differently if it was dimson, believe me.

I thought about jeering, but the atmosphere was so positive, it just wouldn't have made any sense. This was a game where people were cheering the pregame warmups. Not your typical football stadium pregame environment.

It upset me when I read about this, because it detracts from the hundred and one legitimate, meaningful conspiracies out there. If I hadn't been there, I might be inclined to believe it myself.

[Imagevision]

10. Sr. Bush tosses coin, dispicable, utterly disgusting crime family

Chimp responsible for unnecessary deaths and rubs our faces by saying, look at daddy!~