(CBS/AP)
BRISTOL, Conn. – Are you ready for some football? Hank Williams Jr. isn’t anymore.
The country singer and ESPN each took credit for the decision Thursday morning to ax his classic intro to “Monday Night Football.”
The network had pulled the song from the game earlier this week after Williams made an analogy to Adolf Hitler while discussing President Barack Obama on Fox News on Monday morning.
“After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision,” Williams said in a statement to The Associated Press. “By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.”
But ESPN’s statement said: “We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams Jr. We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue.”
Williams’ statement on “Fox & Friends” comparing a golf game between Obama and Republican Rep. John Boehner to an outing featuring Hitler and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went viral after ESPN announced it would pull the intro late that afternoon.
“It’d be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu,” Williams said during the satellite interview.
Asked to clarify, Williams said, “They’re the enemy,” adding that by “they” he meant Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Anchor Gretchen Carlson later said to him, “You used the name of one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe, I think, the president.” Williams replied, “Well, that is true. But I’m telling you like it is.”
Well… I, for one, am glad he’s gone. I like football, and enjoy watching it. But I never could relate to Hank and his rowdy friends. In fact, he is offensive to me. His recent comments were probably justified in his bourbon-addled mind, and it made perfect sense to him.
Watching the interview shows what a redneck blowhard he is. He is so full of himself and more famous in his own mind than he really is. I have a suspicion that ESPN is breathing a sigh of relief that they finally got an excuse to part ways with him.
Just saying…
Tags: people