The sports network has reportedly prohibited the use of the phrase "White Lives Matter" as a team name, while permitting the use of "Hamas Lives Matter." This revelation was brought to light by OutKick, following concerns raised by football enthusiasts.
According to The Post Millennial, ESPN has a list of forbidden words and phrases that cannot be used when naming fantasy football teams. If a user attempts to use any of these banned words, the network rejects the name, displaying a message that reads, "Team name/abbreviation contains a banned word." The list of prohibited terms includes racial slurs and phrases like "White Lives Matter." Interestingly, "Black Lives Matter" is accepted as a team name, and even more surprisingly, "Hamas Lives Matter" is also permitted.
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The disparity in the treatment of "Black Lives Matter" and "White Lives Matter" was highlighted by Libs of TikTok, leading to a backlash against the network and prompting further investigation into the words allowed for fantasy teams. ESPN's list of banned words also includes offensive terms like "Nazi" and other profanities. OutKick reached out to ESPN for the full list of banned words but did not receive an immediate response. The network has yet to publicly address the issue, which some users have described as a "slippery slope" in relation to free speech.
In contrast, Yahoo Fantasy Football, the second-largest fantasy football league as reported by OutKick, does not have any banned words. Players are free to name their teams as they wish, regardless of potential offensiveness. This raises questions about the balance between freedom of speech and the need to maintain a respectful environment in the realm of fantasy sports.
