Opinion

Unforced fumble

Hank Williams Jr. is the vastly less-talented progeny of one of country music’s seminal figures — and he’s been doing the introductory theme (“Are you ready for some football?”) for Monday Night Football for two decades.

Not this week.

ESPN suspended Williams after the singer likened last summer’s golf outing by President Obama and Speaker John Boehner to “Hitler playing golf with Benjamin Netanyahu” — and referred to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as “the enemy.”

He apologized, of course — don’t they all — but who’s to doubt that he really meant it. And the broadcasting company did no violence to the First Amendment by suspending him.

Just as all those radio stations that quit playing the Dixie Chicks after the group began bad-mouthing President Bush during the Iraq war were well within their rights.

Williams is talking about running for the Senate from Tennessee — a state that, we suspect, is a lot less tolerant of odious Hitler analogies than the singer and his rowdy friends are counting on.

Time will tell.

Meanwhile, Monday Night Football’s flag on Hank Williams Jr. was timely and proper.