Image by Getty Images

Be careful with those Hitler analogies, America.

Hank Williams, Jr., the guy who performs the “Monday Night Football” theme song, saw the anthem dropped by ESPN last night after he compared President Obama to the Nazi dictator on Fox News.

In an interview on “Fox and Friends,” Williams remarked that the recent “golf summit” between Obama and House Speaker John Boehner was “like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

His hosts quickly distanced themselves from the comparison, with Gretchen Carlson telling viewers, “I just want to say we disavow any of those analogies he made.”

ESPN distanced itself further — at least temporarily — in a press release noting that Williams “is not an ESPN employee.” Recognizing that “he is closely linked to our company” because of the football song, the sports broadcaster said it was “extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight’s telecast.”

Williams himself later backpedaled — sort of — writing on his website that he had been “misunderstood.” “My analogy was extreme — but it was to make a point. I was simply trying to explain how stupid it seemed to me — how ludicrous that pairing [of Obama and Boehner] was … They don’t see eye-to-eye and never will. I have always respected the office of the President.”

ESPN hasn’t commented one way or another, but the Shmooze imagines Williams’ rendition of “Monday Night Football” will return to the air next week.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount