ESPN show national anthem and moment of silence for Jimmy Carter and New Orleans after Sugar Bowl scandal

ESPN included the national anthem and moment of silence for Jimmy Carter and the victims of the New Orleans terror attacks, two days after igniting scandal over its Sugar Bowl coverage.

The broadcaster left fans furious on Jan. 2 when they left the tributes to New Orleans out of its coverage live from the city where the Sugar Bowl had been delayed by a day due to the New Year attack.

But on Saturday, it made no such mistake for its coverage of Cleveland Browns against Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.

The tribute at M&T Bank Stadium in Maryland was not only for the 14 people killed in New Orleans but also for former President Jimmy Carter, whose funeral was held in Atlanta on Saturday. 

ESPN has been subjected to an angry backlash in the days that followed their coverage of Notre Dame’s win over Georgia in New Orleans, where the main channel missed the stirring tributes before kickoff with the city in mourning. 

But fans watching on from home for Saturday’s Ravens game all had a similar response as the tributes were broadcast around the United States.

‘Wow! ESPN actually played The National Anthem over the air? Shocking,’ one viewer wrote on X.

Another said: ‘ABC/ ESPN are honoring President Carter and the tragedy in Now Orleans prior to the Ravens Browns game plus showing the singing of the national anthem. The deserved criticism had some impact.’

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