ESPN is already unpopular with conservatives and is now facing the possibility of a boycott from furious liberals over the sports network’s suspension of host Jemele Hill.
ESPN suspended Hill for calling for a boycott of the Dallas Cowboys’ advertisers after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones threatened to bench any player who kneeled during the anthem. Hill’s boycott was her second violation of ESPN’s social media policies. She previously stirred controversy by calling President Trump a “white supremacist” on Twitter.
The backlash against ESPN for Hill’s suspension began almost immediately among left-wing activists and celebrities, many of whom used the hashtag “#BoycottESPN” on social media.
“Dear [ESPN] suspending [Jemele Hill] doesn’t make you seem biased, bigoted or racist all,” actor Greg Proops wrote. “Boo. Not watching till she’s back.”….Reverend Al Sharpton also hinted at a boycott of ESPN…..ESPN has struggled to maintain its ratings amidst a growing backlash to the sports network’s increasingly political slant. The network already had a reputation for its liberal bias, even before Hill called President Trump a “white supremacist” on Twitter.