A’s voice Kuiper fired after using racial slur on air

OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland Athletics broadcaster Glen Kuiper was fired by NBC Sports California after using a racial slur during a telecast while describing a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Kuiper was suspended by the network earlier this month after his slur that aired during a pregame segment of an A’s game against the Kansas City Royals on May 5. Kuiper talked about a trip to the museum with colleague Dallas Braden but seemingly mispronounced the word “Negro,” making it sound instead like a slur.

“Following an internal review, the decision has been made for NBC Sports California to end its relationship with Glen Kuiper, effective immediately,” the network said in a statement on Monday. “We thank Glen for his dedication to Bay Area baseball over the years.”

A person familiar with the investigation told the Associated Press that “the decision was based on a variety of factors, including information uncovered in the internal review.” The person spoke on condition of anonymity and didn’t divulge specific details because the network had not publicly disclosed the results of the investigation.

Kuiper apologized on the air later in that game without getting into specifics, saying he said something that “didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to.” He later issued a statement through the network when he was suspended, saying: “I could not be more sorry and horrified by what I said. I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies.”

He reiterated that apology as part of another statement released Monday night, taking full responsibility for what he called “a terrible but honest mispronunciation” during his excitement to talk about his trip to the museum earlier that day.

“Please know racism is in no way a part of me; it never has been and it never will be,” he said. “I appreciate the Negro League Museum president Bob Kendrick and Oakland A’s great Dave Stewart’s public support of me in light of this. I am an honest, caring, kind, honorable, respectful husband and father who would never utter a disparaging word about anybody. Those who know me best know this about me.

“I wish the Oakland A’s and NBC Sports would have taken into consideration my 20-year career, my solid reputation, integrity and character, but in this current environment traits like integrity and character are no longer considered. I will always have a hard time understanding how one mistake in a 20-year broadcasting career is cause for termination, but I know something better is in my future.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay said the decision wasn’t made by the team and that he sympathizes with Kuiper.

“I can’t imagine being in his shoes right now,” Kotsay said. “I think, personally, we missed an opportunity here maybe to use this as an educational platform. But as you said, I don’t make decisions, and this isn’t a decision I was involved in and nor was the organization, really. This was a decision made by NBC.”

Kuiper had been calling A’s games in the Bay Area for the past 20 years. He is the younger brother of former major leaguer and Giants announcer Duane Kuiper.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Source

About The Author