By Larry Johnson
Thom Brennaman says he’s sorry.
Whether that means he’s SORRY sorry, or just sorry he got caught making a homophobic slur on a hot mike, I don’t know.
But that’s what happened to Brennaman last night. The Cincinnati Reds have suspended the broadcaster after he uttered a gay slur heard by viewers during a telecast of the Reds-Kansas City Royals game Wednesday.
Brennaman, referencing an unknown city, called it one of the “f#g capitalsl” of the world. I don’t know what city he was talking about — probably neither Cincinnati or Kansas City, and likely not St. Louis, the next town the Reds visit. Who knows?
Reaction was swift. He works for the Reds, who immediately suspended him and profusely apologized. Brennaman himself apologized, and acknowledged that he might be finished as a Reds broadcaster.
“I would like to sincerely apologize for the inappropriate comments I made during last night’s telecast. I made a terrible mistake. To the LGBTQ community, and all people I have hurt or offended, from the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry. I respectfully ask for your grace and forgiveness,” Brennaman said in a statement.
A couple of things here. First, why can’t people just stop with this garbage? There’s really no excuse for it. It’s neither clever nor funny, and, to me, it’s the mark of an uncultured lout. I grew up in a small city in Iowa, where we were actually TAUGHT that gay men were pedophiles. Took me a bit to realize that wasn’t true at all.
Second, even if you’re homophobic or whatever, how dumb do you have to be to say stuff like this anywhere near a microphone, which may or may not be recording even your stupidest words for posterity. As in assuming that all guns are loaded, we should assume that all mikes are on. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.
