The US TV sports channel ESPN has stopped using a song by Hank Williams Jr. for it's 'Monday Night Football' program after the singer compared President Obama to Hitler.
ESPN said in a statement that it would remove the song for one game and decide what to do in the future based on an apology from Williams.
During an appearance Monday on "Fox and Friends," Williams said that Obama's golf outing with Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner was like "Hitler playing golf with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu."
The singer's hit "All my Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Monday Night" has been the "Monday Night Football" introduction for the past 23 seasons.
"While Hank Williams Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to 'Monday Night Football,' " the network said in its statement. "We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast."
Williams released a statement late Monday explaining that he was "misunderstood."
"Some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood," the statement said in part. 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 was. They're polar opposites and it made no sense. They don't see eye to eye and never will. I have always respected the office of the President."
