Brennaman pulled from NFL coverage, plans to take diversity training

Fox Sports announcer Thom Brennaman has written an apology, published on Cincinnati.com, after using an anti-gay slur during Wednesday's live broadcast of the Cincinnati Reds game against the Kansas City Royals.

"I used a word that is both offensive and insulting," Brennaman wrote. "In the past 24 hours, I have read about its history; I had no idea it was so rooted in hate and violence and am particularly ashamed that I, someone who makes his living by the use of words, could be so careless and insensitive. It's a word that should have no place in my vocabulary and I will certainly never utter it again."

During the fifth inning of the Reds-Royals doubleheader, Brennaman apologized while on-air and vacated his seat in the broadcast booth. After the game, the Reds issued a statement claiming they suspended Brennaman.

On Thursday, Fox Sports announced Brennaman would not be part of the network's NFL coverage this season in a statement obtained by Chris Bumbaca of USA Today:

"Fox Sports is extremely disappointed with Thom Brennaman's remarks during Wednesday's Cincinnati Reds telecast. The language used was abhorrent, unacceptable, and not representative of the values of Fox Sports. As it relates to Brennaman's Fox NFL role, we are moving forward with our NFL schedule which will not include him."

The 56-year-old continued his apology, pledging to make changes:

"I have spoken at length with Billy Bean, vice president and special assistant to the commissioner of baseball and an openly gay man, and Evan Millward, WCPO-TV anchorman, who have been generous with their time and patience to help me understand the impact of my actions and provided me with resources to educate myself and work to become a more informed person.

"With their help, I am going to start improving my understanding of LGBTQ+ issues and not in a way to simply check a box to keep my job, but to sincerely have an impact and change. I immediately plan to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training and have reached out to PFLAG for resources and guidance."

Bean issued his own statement, obtained by C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic:

"The unfortunate event that occurred last night in Cincinnati was disheartening. The Reds' immediate response and statement are a powerful example of MLB's zero-tolerance policy for harassment, discrimination, or bias toward the LGBTQ+ community or any person at any time. There is no doubt where MLB stands in regard to respect and acceptance for our players, coaches, employees, fans, and our television viewers. Our unified belief in education and workplace protection has helped change the landscape for all of professional sports. Last night is a difficult reminder that there is still much work to do. We will pause for a moment, and utilize this incident as a learning opportunity for every one of our stakeholders."

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