Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Thom Brenneman has been suspended and was pulled off the air after using an anti-gay slur during Game 1 of the Royals-Reds game which aired on Fox Sports Ohio Wednesday night.
The comment was made before the start of the seventh inning of the first game as the network was returning from a commercial break. Brenneman did not realize they were back on the air and/or that his microphone was “hot.”
WARNING: Offensive content within this tweet.
Thom Brennamann likely ends his Reds career tonight LIVE on the air pic.twitter.com/EDzSICgVmx
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) August 19, 2020
The 54-year old was pulled from the broadcast of the second game and oddly during his apology stopped to announce a Reds home run.
Thom Brennaman apologizes, leaves @reds broadcast after open-mic disaster tonight. pic.twitter.com/ZAFYKtJRRo
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) August 20, 2020
The Reds released a statement:
”The Cincinnati Reds organization is devastated by the horrific, homophobic remark made this evening by broadcaster Thom Brennaman. He was pulled off the air, and effective immediately was suspended from doing Reds broadcasts. We will be addressing our broadcasting team in the coming days.”