ESPN Analyst Destroys Robert Griffin III For Jackie Robinson Comment

"They all had political ramifications. They all challenged the status quo of racial barriers to fair play, race relations and civil rights," Griffin said after mentioning other trailblazing athletes like Jack Johnson and Jesse Owens.

"That should always be acknowledged and never forgotten. They shouldn’t be used as an excuse to push political agendas on sports shows on national television to an audience there to consume sports content."

David Dennis Jr., an author and writer for ESPN's Andscape, replied to Griffin. Dennis asked the former quarterback why the color barrier existed in the first place, making Robinson's defiance of it inherently political.

"Jackie Robinson was not signed to break the color barrier David. Jackie Robinson was signed because he was a phenomenal baseball player. THAT’S NOT POLITICAL. That’s a fact," Griffin said.

"This tweet alone should compel congress to save the department of education tbh," Dennis said, as he couldn't believe that Griffin would make that assertion about Robinson's career.

It's well documented that then-Dodgers executive Branch Rickey specifically signed Robinson to break the color barrier for reasons other than his aptitude as a baseball player. Robinson had the temperament and the ability to withstand the abuse that would inevitably be thrown his way. 

Not only did he withstand that treatment, he thrived despite it to become one of the most influential and important American cultural figures of all time.

As the baseball world reacts to the actions of the DoD regarding Robinson, it's clear that Dennis and others on social media were ready to correct Griffin after his less-than-informed take.