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ESPN just admitted what everyone already knew. Doris Burke was never qualified to call the NBA Finals. The network promoted her in 2023 just to make history by putting the first woman in the broadcast booth for the championship series.
Now Burke is getting demoted after two terrible seasons. She struggled to keep up with the fast pace of NBA action. Her analysis was slow and often missed the mark while plays were still happening.
ESPN chose identity politics over talent. They wanted the good press more than good broadcasting. Burke was a fine sideline reporter but never had the skills to be a color analyst for the biggest games in basketball.
The 2025 NBA Finals broadcast was a complete mess. Burke and Richard Jefferson could not figure out their roles. Viewers complained loudly about the poor quality. Even ESPN could not ignore the criticism anymore.
Tim Legler is replacing Burke and he actually deserves the job. He has been waiting for years while less qualified people got promoted ahead of him. Legler knows the game inside and out and can break down plays quickly.
This is what happens when networks pick announcers based on gender instead of ability. Burke got set up to fail by ESPN executives who cared more about making headlines than serving viewers. She became a victim of their woke agenda.
Merit should always come first in hiring decisions. Sports fans want the best announcers calling their favorite games. They do not care about checking diversity boxes or breaking barriers.
ESPN learned a hard lesson here but probably will not change. They will keep pushing identity politics instead of finding the most talented people. American sports fans deserve better than this failed experiment.
