If you thought the hysteria over Confederate statues couldn't get any sillier or more bizarre, ESPN went ahead and proved just how wrong you are.

On September 2, ESPN will broadcast a college football game between the University of Virginia and William and Mary.  They originally scheduled announcer Robert Lee to do the play-by-play for the network.

Lee is a veteran broadcaster and no doubt would have done a fine job.  But that didn't matter to ESPN.  Lee, who is an Asian-American, was unceremoniously pulled from the broadcast because...well, his name.

The Asian-American is (need it even be mentioned?) no relation to the Confederate general Robert E. Lee.  He isn't even the same race.  But the hysteria ginned up over the statue issue is so out of control that ESPN felt Lee might be in danger from idiot children who are looking for any excuse to signal how virtuous they are in opposing white supremacy.

ESPN's statement on the matter is beyond belief:

We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding, simply because of the coincidence of his name. In that moment it felt right to all parties. It's a shame that this is even a topic of conversation and we regret that who calls play by play for a football game has become an issue.

Clay Travis somehow finds the words to comment:

Is this even real life anymore? This might even be worse than MSESPN apologizing for the fantasy football slave draft a couple of weeks ago.

To avoid offending left wing idiots Robert Lee, the Asian college football announcer, not the Confederate General who died in 1870 and shares a name with him, was switched to the Youngstown State at Pittsburgh game and Dave Weekley will now call the William and Mary at University of Virginia game.

Unless someone tries to take down Dave Weekley statues between now and kickoff.

In which case ESPN will be royally [f-----].

But, seriously, is there anything more pathetic than ESPN believing people would be offended by an Asian guy named Robert Lee sharing a name with Robert E. Lee and calling a football game? Aside from some hysterical photoshops and Internet memes which would make everyone with a functional brain laugh – Robert E. Lee pulling out all the stops to stay in Charlottesville now! – what was the big fear here? Does ESPN really believe people are this dumb or that having an Asian announcer named Robert Lee is too offensive for the average TV viewer to handle?

Yes, yes they do.

I'm sorry you work for such an idiotic company, Robert Lee.

But no more idiotic than former Washington mayor Anthony Williams, who fired an aide after he used the word "niggardly" in a conversation with two other aides.  Williams sheepishly rehired the aide, but the point had been made: racialists will use any excuse, no matter how stupid, no matter how ignorant – no matter how wrong – to use race as a political club.

If we're going to start banning people because of their names, what about those named Washington or Jefferson or Davis?  What about forcing UVA linebacker C.J. Stalker off the team?  Any women watching the game will be triggered.  And it goes without saying that wide receiver Cole Blackman has got to go.

Once you start down this path of idiocy, there is no end to it.  Instead of pointing out the foolishness of this, ESPN pandered to the history-erasers and racial bullies who will continue to stretch the bounds of reason, logic, and human decency until someone starts pushing back.