ESPN recorded the national anthem and a moment of silence for Jimmy Carter and the victims of the New Orleans terrorist attacks two days after the scandal emerged over Sugar Bowl coverage.
The broadcaster left fans fuming on Jan. 2 when they left the New Orleans tribute live from coverage from the city where the Sugar Bowl was postponed a day because of the New Year’s Eve attack.
But it made no such mistake on Saturday with its coverage of the Cleveland Browns vs. 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 Saturday in Atlanta.
ESPN has faced angry backlash in the days following its coverage of Notre Dame’s victory over Georgia in New Orleans, with the main broadcaster missing the stirring tribute before the city went into mourning.
But fans watching Saturday’s Ravens game from home all reacted the same way when the tribute aired in the United States.
The M&T Bank Stadium tributes for New Orleans and Jimmy Carter were shown on ESPN
President Carter’s funeral took place on Saturday and fourteen people were killed in the terrorist attack in New Orleans
‘Wow! ESPN actually played the national anthem over the air? Shocking,” one viewer wrote on X.
Another said, “ABC/ESPN honors President Carter and the Now Orleans tragedy prior to the Ravens Browns game, plus the singing of the national anthem. The justified criticism did have an impact.’
Another viewer posted: “Funny how abc/espn had time to play the national anthem for this game, but completely ignored it for the Sugar Bowl after a terrorist attack.”
14 people were killed and another 35 were injured on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter during New Year’s celebrations when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran who was radicalized by ISIS, carried out a terrorist attack.
The Notre Dame vs Georgia Sugar Bowl was scheduled for New Year’s Day, but the attack moved it to the following afternoon.
Clash sets of teams, coaches, staff and fans – plus emotional New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell – stopped for a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner and a moment of silence.
At the end of the anthem, passionate “USA” chants echoed around Caesars Superdome from the fans in attendance.
Funny how abc/espn had time to play the national anthem for this game, but completely ignored it for the Sugar Bowl after a terrorist attack. #CLEvsBAL @espn
— Gary Stevens (@garystevensonII) January 4, 2025
A SWAT team, as well as bomb-sniffing dogs and their handlers, were out and about on Thursday around the Superdome in New Orleans for the game, where hundreds more police officers lined the surrounding streets for college football’s blockbuster event.
Police dogs were seen sniffing vehicles entering the stadium’s garage, in addition to the personal belongings of anyone entering the stadium through the strict security checkpoints.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick told NBC that the city had as many officers on staff for the postponed Sugar Bowl as planned for the Super Bowl, which the city will host on February 9.
“We have a workforce at the same level, if not more, than what we were preparing,” she said before the game.