Clay: ESPN’s MNF Promo Another Example Of Why Brand Is Tanking

ESPN teased the first Monday Night Football game of the season in a fairly peculiar way, given everything football-related going into the game.

It’s the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders, but you’d barely know it, as OutKick founder Clay Travis pointed out. Rather than discussing coaches, quarterbacks or storylines, the network promoted something that, frankly, seemed forced.

This is @ESPN’s tease for Monday Night Football tonight. Nothing on Lamar Jackson or Derek Carr. But there might be a gay football player most of you have never heard of playing. This is 100% real. pic.twitter.com/59kMS6GTku

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 14, 2021

As Clay alludes, this is nothing against Carl Nassib or the fact he’s openly gay. Rather, it’s about ESPN continuing to make things a story to fit a political or social justice narrative, where there need not be one.

“Traditionally in sports the best players get the most attention. That’s as it should be, sports reward competitive success,” Clay tweeted. “Over the past five or six years ESPN has decided to change that to giving the most attention to players for their identities or political causes.

“That’s fine, but it has nothing to do with the sports themselves. And it has tanked ESPN’s brand in the process. Rarely is it made more direct, however, than in a tease like this which has nothing to do with the game itself or the best players. It’s just identity politics. MSESPN.”

That’s fine, but it has nothing to do with the sports themselves. And it has tanked ESPN’s brand in the process. Rarely is it made more direct, however, than in a tease like this which has nothing to do with the game itself or the best players. It’s just identity politics. MSESPN

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 14, 2021