ESPN Slammed After Skipping Moment of Silence for Terror Attack Victims During Sugar Bowl

ESPN has been taking heat on social media for skipping a moment of silence during the Sugar Bowl broadcast, which was held in honor of the victims of the terror attack in New Orleans this week.

The attack occurred on New Year’s Day when 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck through a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people while injuring another 35 more. As a result, organizers decided to postpone the beloved Allstate Sugar Bowl held in New Orleans until Thursday to show respect and ensure proper security. According to the Daily Mail, the decision was made “by the bowl’s committee in consultation with ESPN, the Southeastern Conference (which has a relationship with the game), and the two schools involved – the University of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia.”

The game went forward as scheduled on Thursday after law enforcement thoroughly swept the area for security checks. Beforeo kick off, a moment of silence was held for the victims shortly after the National Anthem, which ESPN inexplicably skipped over.

“But neither of these moments – the anthem or the silence – were shown on ESPN as the network instead had a studio show breaking down the game,” noted the Mail.

People on social media immediately voiced their displeasure, with some even blaming Disney, ESPN’s parent company, for the decision.

“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,” said one user. 

“Classic ESPN not showing the National Anthem or moment of silence before the Sugar Bowl,” said another. 

“I guess ESPN is too good (or WOKE) to show The Star Bangled Banner being sung or the moment of silence for the New Orleans NYE victims,” said another.

While ESPN did not show the moment of silence live, it did show images of fans bowing their heads with an American flag unfurled midfield. It also shared a statement from President Joe Biden addressing the terror attack while expressing gratitude that the Sugar Bowl could continue.

“Today, all of America stands with the people of New Orleans. We pray for those killed and injured in yesterday’s attack, and we’re grateful to the brave first responders who raced to save lives,” the president said.

“I’m glad the game is back on for today, but I’m not surprised because the spirit of New Orleans can never be kept down. That’s also true for the spirit of America,” he added. “We just have to remember who we are: we’re the United States of America, there’s nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. God bless New Orleans, and God protect our troops.”

Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube, Tubi, or Fawesome TV. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.