ESPN Cuts Away when Coach Thanks the Lord

October 3rd, 2015: a post-game interview is cut short when Clemson Tigers’ coach Dabo Swinney gives thanks to the Lord.  

The 12th-ranked Clemson Tigers managed to defeat the 5th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday with a score of 24-22. Tigers’ Head Coach Dabo Swinney thanked “the good Lord” and his deceased father during an inspiring post game interview in which he also praised his team’s guts, heart, and abilites. 

But nobody knows what he said next, because a split-second after Swinney thanked “the good Lord,” ESPN cut to the studio where two oblivious anchors sat checking their tablets for an awkward 15 seconds before the station cut back to the interview. 

Keri Potts, ESPN’s Senior Director of Public Relations, issued the following apology on Twitter: “As a result of an error in TV transmission, we inadvertently missed 12 seconds of Dabo Swinney’s postgame interview. We apologize.” 

I for one am embarassed that in an effort not to offend anyone, agencies like ESPN feel they must censor even the slightest religious remark. As can be expected, the Twitter post was met with criticism from anyone who could see through this paper-thin apology. Harsh comments included the call to boycott ESPN and all affiliated companies.