ESPN finds itself facing criticism after failing to air the national anthem or the moment of silence that preceded the Sugar Bowl following the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans earlier this week.
Both moments occurred during the leadup to the game, which had been delayed by a day as a result of the attack on Bourbon Street that killed 14 people and left several others injured. With the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia rescheduled to a 4 p.m. ET kickoff on Thursday, ESPN utilized its afternoon SportsCenter as a de facto Sugar Bowl pregame show.
Those adjustments appear to have played a role in why the Worldwide Leader ultimately opted not to air either the moment of silence or the national anthem, which elicited “U.S.A.” chants across the Caesars Superdome. Citing a source with knowledge of the situation, the New York Post reported that multiple factors went into ESPN’s decision, the most prominent being that SportsCenter had gone to commercial prior to the moment of silence and returned in the middle of the national anthem, which would have made for an awkward transition as the show returned to air.
Nevertheless, many were quick to criticize ESPN for the decision not to air the pregame festivities.
Really, ESPN? You won’t show the National Anthem and moment of silence for the victims of the New Orleans jihadist terror attack??! There’s no excuse for that.
Disney’s CEO needs to step up to the plate and demand a complete reorg of the entire network — or just SELL it… NOW.
— Trish Regan (@trish_regan) January 2, 2025
ESPN.. You should have showed the National Anthem and moment of silence during the Sugar Bowl.
— World Exposure Report Women’s Basketball (@WorldExposureWB) January 3, 2025
ESPN not showing the national anthem before the Sugar Bowl is a bit surprising.
— PDM (@PD_Magee) January 2, 2025
Did #ESPN really cut away from the National Anthem in New Orleans? #SugarBowl #NewOrleans
— Chris Reed (@ImChrisReed) January 3, 2025
While some of the criticism of ESPN attempted to attach an ulterior “anti-American” motive to the decision, it’s worth noting that the SportsCenter that followed the Gator Bowl on Thursday night did highlight the moment of silence, national anthem, and U.S.A. chants that followed. The broadcast of the game also opened with an address from President Joe Biden regarding the attack.
Thursday night’s episode of SportsCenter highlighted the moment of silence and national anthem at the Sugar Bowl after ESPN faced backlash for not airing either in real time ahead of the game. pic.twitter.com/AUK29Dp187
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 3, 2025
Hindsight is 20/20 and in retrospect, ESPN likely would have been better off awkwardly returning to the national anthem rather than skipping it altogether. Ideally, the network should have coordinated its commercial breaks better to ensure it would have been able to properly air the pregame ceremonies in their entirety, although not doing so could certainly be chalked up to the chaotic nature of the week.
Ultimately, ESPN not only broadcast one of the biggest college football games of the season, which had been rescheduled on short notice but also covered a national tragedy/major news story within a two-day window. Considering the trying circumstances, the network largely did a commendable job striking the right balance, even if its decision to forego airing the moment of silence and national anthem in real time could certainly be second-guessed.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.