‘Denver Post’ sportswriter fired after ‘disrespectful’ tweet

Denver Post publisher Mac Tully and editor Lee Ann Colacioppo issued a statement on Monday that sportswriter Terry Frei is no longer an employee of the newspaper one day after he tweeted that he was “very uncomfortable” with Japanese driver Takuma Sato winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend.

“We apologize for the disrespectful and unacceptable tweet that was sent by one of our reporters,” the statement reads. “Terry Frei is no longer an employee of The Denver Post. It’s our policy not to comment further on personnel issues. The tweet doesn’t represent what we believe nor what we stand for. We hope you will accept our profound apologies.”

Frei issued an apology Sunday after facing backlash for his tweet that he later deleted about Sato’s historic win.

“Nothing specifically personal, but I am very uncomfortable with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend,” Frei tweeted after Sato became the first Japanese driver to win the prestigious race.

“I apologize,” Frei tweeted hours later. The Denver Post tweeted its own apology on Sunday night and indicated that Frei’s tweet “does not reflect the standards and value of our organization.”

Frei later tweeted a lengthier apology, which he deleted and replaced with a slightly revised version to remove the title of one of his books. “I made a stupid reference, during an emotional weekend,” wrote Frei, whose father was a World War II veteran. Frei was named Colorado sportswriter of the year four times.