Thom Brenneman, the longtime broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team, was suspended in the middle of the Reds game against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday night after he was caught on a hot mic using an anti-gay slur, apparently to describe Kansas City, Missouri.
Brenneman, who works for Fox Sports Ohio, was caught on a hot mic uttering, “one of the f*g capitals of the world,” as the first game of the Reds’ double-header returned from a commercial break, according to CNN. The mic did not capture the context of Brenneman’s remark.
Video of Brennaman’s use of the slur quickly went viral and he was suspended before the start of the second game, something Brennaman says he anticipated.
Brennaman apologized before he went off the air.
“I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of,” he said during a call at the top of the fifth inning, in between noting a home run. “If I have hurt anyone out there, I can’t tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart I’m so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith.”
I don’t know if I’m going to be putting on this headset again,” Brennaman added. “I don’t know if it’s going to be for the Reds. I don’t know if it’s going to be for my bosses at Fox.”
“I want to apologize for the people who sign my paycheck, for the Reds, for Fox Sports Ohio, for the people I work with. For anybody that I’ve offended here tonight, I can’t begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am,” he continued. “That is not who I am and never has been, and I’d like to think maybe I could have some people that can back that up. I am very, very sorry and I beg for your forgiveness.”
Brennaman then disappeared during the break between the first and second games. The Reds issued a statement saying they’d pulled him off the air and that he had been suspended. Fox Sports Ohio later tweeted that they supported the Reds decision and will be following their lead on the issue: “The language that Thom Brennaman used this evening is hateful, offensive, and in no way reflects the values of FOX Sports Ohio. We agree with the @Reds decision to suspend him until further notice.”
In a statement released after the second game, Brennaman again asked for forgiveness.
“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.”
For now, Brennaman’s suspension is open-ended.