ANNOUNCER'S ON-AIR GAY SLUR
REDS QUICKLY SUSPEND BHENNAMAN
Thom Brennaman, the longtime play-by-play man for the Cincinnati Reds, was suspended indefinitely Wednesday and acknowledged his career might be over after video showed him using a homophobic slur on a hot mic earlier in the day.
The 56-year-old Brennaman was pulled from the broadcast booth by the Reds after he said, “One of the f-g capitals of the world,” on the Fox Sports Ohio TV broadcast of the first game of a scheduled doubleheader in Kansas City.
It was unclear what Brennaman was referring to. A few seconds passed before Brennaman, seemingly unaware his comment made the airwaves, recited a promo for the network’s pregame show.
Brennaman was removed from the second game after videos of the incident made the rounds on social media, and issued an apology while looking directly into the camera for parts of it.
“I made a comment earlier tonight that, I guess, went out over the air, that I am deeply ashamed of,” Brennaman said during the fifth inning. “If I have hurt anyone out there, I can’t tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart, I am so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith.
“I don’t know if I’ll be putting on this headset again. I don’t know if it’ll be for the Reds, I don’t know if it’s going to be for my bosses at Fox. I want to apologize to the people that sign my paycheck — for the Reds, for Fox Sports Ohio, for the people I work with, for anybody I’ve offended tonight. I can’t begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am. That is not who I am, it never has been. I’d like to think that I have some people that could back that up. I am very, very sorry, and I beg for your forgiveness.
The Reds in a statement announced the suspension and said they were “devastated by the horrific, homophobic remark.”
The team said it would address the broadcast booth in the coming days.
Brennaman’s broadcast partner, Chris Welsh, told him on the air, “You’re a good man, partner. Hang in there.”
Fox Sports broadcaster Jim Day took over the play-by-play duties for the rest of the game. MLB announcers this season are broadcasting road games remotely, usually from their home ballpark, due to coronavirus protocols. Brennaman and his team were working from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
Reds pitcher Amir Garrett posted his support of LBGTQ community on Twitter: “To the LGBTQ community just know I am with you, and whoever is against you, is against me. I’m sorry for what was said today.”
Brennaman is the son of Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman and has been calling Reds game since 2006. Brennaman has also called NFL games for Fox.
The doubleheader marked Cincinnati’s first game since an unidentified player tested positive for the coronavirus last week, which caused three postponements.
The Royals won the first game, 4-0, and the Reds won the nightcap, 5-0.