ESPN Exec Burke Magnus Calls Not Showing National Anthem In New Orleans A 'Horrible Error'

ESPN drew widespread criticism earlier this month for not carrying the national anthem ahead of the Sugar Bowl, which was postponed a day following a deadly terrorist attack on the game's host city of New Orleans. 

The network also ignored the pre-game moment of silence for the terror victims and the subsequent chants of "U-S-A."

ESPN publicly acknowledged the incident for the first time on Wednesday, when vice president Burke Magnus was asked about the decision on Sports Business Journal's "Sports Media Podcast."

Magnus called not showing the anthem a "horrible error" and a "terrible mistake." He said the decision falls on the "people back in Bristol," and ESPN should be "held accountable for" that.

You can hear Magnus discuss the error below:

Previously, ESPN blamed the decision on a "timing issue."

Magnus says ESPN showed the national anthem in its entirety ahead of the college football semi-finals last week and will do so again during the National Championship Game on Monday.

"We are not avoiding the anthem," he said. "Quite the opposite."

His comments confirm what sources inside ESPN told OutKick last week. The fact that "the people back at Bristol" believed that skipping the national anthem after a terror attack was even an option underscores the culture that ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has established.

Highlighting patriotism and unity is not a priority under Pitaro. Hence, producers didn't feel the need to check with Magnus, the company's second-in-charge, if going to a commercial break during the moment of silence was appropriate.

The control room didn't think twice.

Of course, they would have most certainly worked in the pre-game demonstrations had they expected the players to kneel. In 2020, ESPN found the time