The Daily Mail chronicled the overwhelmingly negative response to ESPN’s decision ahead of the Sugar Bowl. Here are some of the more notable reactions:
OutKick asked ESPN about the decision not to carry the anthem ahead of the Sugar Bowl, to which we have not heard back. We will update this story if the network responds.
Too bad the players didn’t kneel during the anthem in the name of “Black Lives Matter.” ESPN would surely have shown that, as it did during the NBA playoffs in 2020.
The 2025 Sugar Bowl was delayed until Thursday as the host city of New Orleans was hit by a deadly terror attack on New Year’s Day. During the pre-game ceremony, the stadium held a moment of silence for the victims, after which Georgia and Notre Dame fans came together in a powerful stream of loud “U-S-A” chants.
The scene highlighted the power and unification of American sports. Yet viewers of ESPN, which exclusively carried the broadcast, were unable to see the moment of silence, the chants of “U-S-A,” or even the national anthem.
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Anyway, don’t expect ESPN to show any highlights of the “U-S-A” chants either. Instead, expect the network to return to its regularly scheduled programming of using race to pressure NFL voters to give Lamar Jackson the MVP over Josh Allen.
ESPN neglected to show any of the three across the air.