Benjamin Watson was a tight end for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. In 2014, he wrote a popular Facebook post about the Ferguson events, where a police officer shot a young man named Michael Brown. The officer was not charged, and this caused big protests.
Watson’s post said he felt sad, angry, and hopeful. He wrote that the real problem was “sin,” not just skin color. He believed Jesus Christ could help fix things. The post got over 750,000 likes and many shares. It made Watson famous for sharing his Christian views as an NFL player.
Oct 21, 2018; Baltimore, MD, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson (82) reacts after catching Saints quarterback Drew Brees (not pictured) 500th career touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 21, 2018; Baltimore, MD, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson (82) reacts after catching Saints quarterback Drew Brees (not pictured) 500th career touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
On November 28, 2014, Watson appeared on CNN to discuss his post. The host was Brooke Baldwin. They spoke for about 10 minutes. Baldwin asked Watson how people can change inside. Watsonstarted to say, “The only way to really cure what’s on the inside is understanding that Jesus Christ died for our sins.”
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Suddenly, the video feed stopped. The screen showed color bars. Baldwin said, “Oh, and just like that we lost him.” Many people thought CNN cut him off on purpose because he mentioned Jesus. They said it showed bias against Christian ideas.
Watson is a strong Christian. He later wrote a book called “Under Our Skin” about race and faith. In interviews, he often says, “The gospel is the answer to our deepest problems.” The cutoff clip went viral online. It got millions of views. Some news stories called it proof of media censorship.
But in 2021, Watson and Baldwin talked again on a video call. Baldwin explained it was a technical problem. The satellite time ran out. She said, “It was not on purpose.” Watson agreed. He said they spoke right after the interview, and it was just bad timing.
This event shows how NFL players like Watson use their fame to talk about big issues. Watson played in the NFL for 15 years and won a Super Bowl. Now retired, he still shares his faith.
Fans criticize CNN for silencing Benjamin Watson mid-air
Many people onlineshared strong views about the cutoff. Even though the video was old, it appeared again on social media, giving fans something to criticize.
One fansaid, “Satanic News does not allow the word Jesus Christ!”
A second fanadded, “That is absolute bullshit!! We don’t hate CNN and legacy Media enough!”
A third fancommented, “cnn You are broken.. Jesus is for everybody. Make the right decision, “while you can”.”
A fourth fannoted, “Legacy media loves ‘diversity’ until it’s diversity of thought. Mention Christ and the feed mysteriously dies. Not subtle. And they wonder why trust is in the basement.”
A fifth fanremarked, “another example of antiChristian behavior by CNN.”
The story reminds us how media and faith mix in sports talks.