Bomani Jones bashes ESPN over Ted Cruz ‘College GameDay’ interview: ‘There are serious consequences’

ESPN's decision to air an interview with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on College GameDay this week was bound to get attention.

That's why they did it.

The backlash the network is facing has a lot more to do with its refusal to balance Cruz's perspective with anyone on the GameDay panel or from another guest — and what Bomani Jones, in an episode of his podcast The Right Time on Sunday, called "pretty dire consequences" that could come from "shilling" for the Senate's Protect College Sports Act.

Jones called out ESPN for not bringing on an opponent of the PCSA on the show, and for compounding its partnership with the powers that be with another unusual decision during its broadcast from the University of Texas on Saturday.

"There are serious consequences to what ESPN chose to do," he said. "What they did was flatly wrong, and it is possible that it will contribute to limiting the ability of players to cash in, their chance to cash in in this life. I think those are pretty dire consequences, and I think that there should be a pretty loud uproar about that."

Like others, Jones noted a recent report from Open Secrets showing that ESPN parent Disney is part of a group lobbying the U.S. government to pass the PCSA. And he argued that made it all the more "wrong" not to interview someone who opposes the bill — not least of all an actual college football player.

"The players have so little leverage and ability to speak for themselves in this case. As is always the case when it comes to these matters, there is no place where the players get to sit down and be taken seriously when it's time to talk about this," he said. "It just doesn't happen.

"But for the network not to present this as, there are arguments on both sides, right? Because I don't think the average fan understands what this is. I'm not sure the average fan cares. I do think the average fan cares about the future of the game or the future of college sports. So when you have somebody saying, 'We're here to save the day,' people are like, 'Hell yeah, save the day. We need that!' Without giving much consideration to how they also might be ruining the day at the same time. You can't let somebody just get up and shill for this, without giving something on the other side. It's completely wrong."

Later, Jones likened the Cruz interview to another situation in which ESPN deferred to its partners' whims. During the broadcast of Ohio State at Texas on ABC, the network aired the school's alma mater, "The Eyes of Texas." In 2020, players and band members tried to shut down the tradition but were rebuffed by the university president. The song has roots in Confederate culture.

To put the song on-air — not to mention having it sung by Pat McAfee to open the show — was notable, Jones said.

"You don't have to put that on television. My guess? Texas wants it on television," he said. "They want that as part of the experience. You still don't have to do it. I guess that's not a political issue; that song, maybe that's somewhat separate. But for those of us who lived through the 'stick to sports' era, Ted Cruz on your show is not sticking to sports, even if Ted Cruz is talking about sports."

As one of the main targets of the "stick to sports" era at ESPN, Jones would know how the lines are drawn. The Worldwide Leader is clearly shifting its rules once again to allow for political maneuvering, seemingly at the behest of its powerful partners. The result is momentum for a bill that would restrict players' freedoms, a closer relationship with institutional leaders in places like Austin, Texas, and perhaps the degradation of GameDay as a show made for the fans.

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