I’m not going to deep-dive on Marge Schott, Pete Rose’s gambling, or the fact that the team has not been in an actual playoff series since 2012 (Their appearance in 2013 was the one-game Wild Card in the second year after MLB expanded the postseason to 10 teams).
Coming out of a commercial break, Brennaman could be heard uttering on a hot microphone a homophobic slur before resuming coverage of the Reds’ first game of a doubleheader against Kansas City on Wednesday. The fact that he had a producer in his ear timing him into coverage and still decided to make a comment not knowing the mic was on yet is ridiculous.
Brennaman has been featured in multiple video games, besides being one of the more prominent broadcasters for Fox Sports in both the college and professional landscape. After making an on-air apology before the end of the first game of a doubleheader, Brennaman was taken off air and immediately suspended by the Reds from calling future games.
The Reds did the proper thing in immediately pulling the plug on Brennaman after the apology. In actuality, it was the only recourse they had. Both Cincinnati and Kansas City were under .500 going into the game, so the viewership was likely lower than it could have been should the slur have appeared in the nightcap of the doubleheader. The Cleveland Indians had players threaten not to dress if two members of their pitching staff be allowed to return after going out after hours amidst the pandemic. What do you think the Reds’ players will think having one of the more trusted and respectable members of their organization commit this egregious error?
Brennaman surely should not be heard on any airwave the rest of this baseball or upcoming football season, if Fox Sports uses the proper judgment. It is unknown exactly what city Brennaman was making the slur about, but that likely will come out in the coming days. For a franchise that has Trevor Bauer as the ace of their pitching staff, you would hope the guy who gets paid to talk would have a little more decorum about knowing when to keep quiet.
Last year, Cleveland's ESPN Radio affiliate suspended Cleveland Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi “indefinitely” after uttering a derogatory slur directed at starting quarterback Baker Mayfield’s height. Grossi thought the broadcast had cut to commercial. The suspension turned out to be just two weeks. I don't see Brennaman getting off so easily.
Considering Brennaman’s Hall of Fame broadcasting father Marty is being inducted into the Reds’ Hall of Fame next season, this makes the incident all the more disappointing. You might think a member of the media would know about current events, regardless of their current field of expertise.
-JC24