The Atlantic

There Are 11,518 Robert Lees in America

What it’s like to share a name with an infamous historical figure
Source: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

On Tuesday, one Robert Lee was punished for the actions of another. When ESPN decided to remove the sports broadcaster Robert Lee from covering the first University of Virginia football game of the season, it was, per the network’s own statement “simply because of the coincidence of his name.” UVA, and its home of Charlottesville, have been embroiled in turmoil over the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, and the network thought it best to not evoke the obvious comparisons.

According to from an ESPN executive shared by the journalist Yashar Ali, the

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