Hasta Luego, Mike and Mike. See you in late November.

Yesterday, I quit my favorite morning television sports talk-show.

I did so after they featured a comedian who repeatedly included Donald Trump impersonations in the show, while claiming “it’s not political”. This happened twice in about a week, as this comedian, Frank Caliendo, is a favorite of the Cleveland Cavaliers, apparently.

I love ESPN2’s Mike and Mike in the Morning and have been watching religiously for a decade or so after I gave up on morning news in sheer disgust at the level of political discourse that prevailed in the country. This represented my escape into sports, and a purposeful decision to consume news more carefully by reading newspapers online and visiting reputable news outlets, either online or on TV. But I have very much become an “on-demand” consumer of non-sports news, as I was tired of being disgusted and upset every time I turned on the television.

So it was with great sadness and disappointment that I “unfollowed” @MikeandMike and informed them that I was leaving. “Big” Mike Golic probably thinks I am crazy and totally overreacting. For all I know, Mike Golic, Mike Greenberg and Frank Caliendo are all personally liberal democrats supporting Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton.

I am sure that Mr. Caliendo is simply doing what any performer who is trying to make a living would do, he is taking advantage of his talent and using the parts of his act that are especially current and topical.  Mike and Mike stay away from politics, and they are just trying to present a funny talk show. And the Trump impression, without further context, is funny.

But, alas, therein lies the problem: Without context. Donald Trump is not the famous billionaire buffoon who has been connected to sports in many ways, currently most commonly to golf as a course owner; rather, Trump is now the presumptive candidate for President of the United State of the Republican Party. He has run what can mildly be described as a controversial campaign. I personally view it as a xenophobic, racist, sexist and ultimately dangerous campaign that quite purposely appeals to the “poorly educated” as the candidate himself has said. (Josh Hafner, “Donald Trump loves the 'poorly educated' — and they love him,” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/02/24/donald-trump-nevada-poorly-educated/80860078/ (last visited June 22, 2016)). The Republican speaker of the House of Representatives labeled his attack on a U.S. District Court judge “the textbook definition of a racist comment.” (Mike DeBonis, “Ryan says Trump’s attacks on judge fit ‘the textbook definition of a racist comment’,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/06/07/ryan-says-trumps-attacks-on-judge-fit-the-textbook-definition-of-a-racist-comment/ (last visited June 22, 2016)).

So, in the context of that campaign, an uncritical popular-culture reference to him is, in effect, and however unintended that effect might be, a political act that only contributes to help his campaign.

It is ironic that this most recent incident happened yesterday, Tuesday, June 21, 2016, the same date when news reports indicated that Mr. Trump had very low cash reserves relative to this stage in a major campaign, and relative to his likely opponent, Hillary Clinton. The reports also showed that the primary beneficiaries of the money that he has spent during the campaign appear to be companies within his personal business empire. (Confessore and Shorey, “Donald Trump Starts Summer Push With Crippling Money Deficit,” https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/21/us/politics/donald-trump-money-campaign.html?_r=0 (last visited June 22, 2016); see also Bykowicz and Day, “Trump’s campaign spends $6 million with Trump companies,” Associated Press, https://bigstory.ap.org/article/9f7412236962464f9f2c0a8d2696ba25/trumps-campaign-cycles-6-million-trump-companies (last visited June 22, 2016)). But Mr. Trump has shown that he can benefit from free airtime.

Les Moonves famously said of Mr. Trump’s campaign: “It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS[’s profits]” so CBS was delighted to give him free air time in order to make commercial money. (Tom Huddleston, Jr., “CBS Chief: Trump’s Success Is ‘Damn Good’ For the Network,” https://fortune.com/2016/03/01/les-moonves-cbs-trump/ (last visited June 22, 2016). Thanks Fourth Estate.

Which brings me back to Mike and Mike. Trump gets free media exposure that benefits his campaign in rather unconventional ways. Just one example that I noticed early in his campaign is that he would advertise “Trump” resorts on ESPN (at some point those stopped running). Now he gets multiple references through Mr. Caliendo’s act on television, especially on ESPN. Given Mr. Trump’s appeal to the uneducated and poorly informed, i.e., those not likely to read newspapers or watch news when they disagree with their assumptions about the outlet’s editorial line, these references can only be labeled political in their effect. Free, positive advertising for Mr. Trump’s hateful campaign, which has managed to expressly target and offend so very many different groups, and we Latinas/os have been particularly singled-out for his viciousness.

I cannot take it any more. So, boys, I love you, but I am out until after the election.