Jackie Robinson: ESPN colleagues appear to differ on politics in sports shows

After the Department of Defense had briefly taken down, then re-posted, an online feature about Jackie Robinson’s military service, ESPN’s Mina Kimes expressed her strong feelings on the matter. Kimes appeared on ESPN’s “Around the Horn” to emphasize the importance of recognizing Robinson’s history, stating that his courage in the face of racial discrimination was a crucial part of his legacy. She highlighted Robinson’s service in a segregated unit in the Army and his refusal to move to the back of the bus, which resulted in his arrest and subsequent acquittal.

Kimes’s sentiments were echoed by her ESPN colleague, Robert Griffin III, who emphasized the need for sports shows to focus on sports rather than politics. Griffin emphasized that while the accomplishments of athletes like Jackie Robinson should never be erased, they should not be used as a platform to push political agendas on sports programs.

The online feature, titled “Sports Heroes Who Served: Baseball Great Jackie Robinson Was WWII Soldier,” was originally launched on Feb. 9, 2021, and included Robinson’s military service alongside other sports figures. The Pentagon declined to comment on whether the removal of the story and the inclusion of “DEI” in the URL were intentional, but emphasized their respect for Robinson and other military heroes.

In response to the incident, the Pentagon released a statement denouncing Discriminatory Equity Ideology (DEI) as a divisive force that undermines unit cohesion and interferes with the military’s core mission. The Pentagon’s directive to remove DEI content from all platforms was swiftly implemented, with a focus on recognizing military heroes for their service rather than focusing on their race or ethnicity.

Jackie Robinson’s legacy as a trailblazer in baseball and a dedicated military officer remains an important part of American history. His courage in the face of discrimination and his contributions to both sports and the military should be remembered and celebrated without being overshadowed by political agendas.