Apparently ESPN Wasn’t Fond Of Cammy’s Street Fighter V Thong For EVO 2017

The EVO 2017 finals were really something this past weekend, especially the Street Fighter V finals, in which we saw Tokido hold his own against Punk in a match for the ages. But some folks may have wondered why Cammy was wearing a different outfit instead of her traditional thong that she’s had since Super Street Fighter II. Well, it turns out there was a pretty weird reason behind that…

According to Geek.com, ESPN, the sports channel that was broadcasting the finals Sunday night, wasn’t too fond of the idea of Cammy showing off her butt cheeks. Reports indicate that an EVO staffer actually stopped Kazunoko’s match following the first round, forcing him and his opponent, Nuckledu, to return to the character selection screen. He actually made him switch out Cammy’s outfit to a free-flowing dress instead of her traditional thong, because the sports channel believed that the “request was made per broadcast standards.”

This isn’t the first time, either. Last year, another incident took place at EVO, where Keita “Fuudo” Al was asked to change the costume of R. Mika when it turns out she was wearing a revealing thong as well. In fact, it seems that ESPN made the request that Mika not be a selectable character in the finals this year, upsetting a few pros in the process.

So, let’s talk about these “broadcast standards” for a minute. We’re talking about a network that airs a variety of Sports Illustrated swimsuit specials without breaking a sweat, not to mention a number of beach volleyball tournaments where female competitors were known to wear…somewhat revealing goods. But now, they come into play with a character that isn’t even real?

Alas, it’s easy to see why EVO staffers relented, because they enjoyed the exposure (sorry, maybe a bad choice of words) that ESPN was giving to its finals on broadcast television, alongside its Twitch broadcasting. It got quite an audience during its airing Sunday night, and it’s more than likely the two will continue the partnership for years to come.

Still, ESPN may want to lighten up a little. There are worse things to see than butt cheeks…like, for instance, the O.J. Simpson parole hearing it’ll be airing tomorrow. Really?