About four years ago, broadcaster Thom Brennaman did something disgraceful. Thinking he was off the air, he uttered a gay slur during a live broadcast of the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals game. He referred to Kansas City as ‘one of the (gay slur) capitals of the world.’
Because the Internet moves at warp speed, the clip didn’t just go viral, it went so viral, so fast, that not long after he said that, Brennaman was fired from all of his various baseball duties. It didn’t help that as he was apologizing, he suddenly stopped, and described a Nick Castellanos homer. That meme is still in heavy circulation on social media today.
That moment went like this: ‘I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of. If I have hurt anyone out there, I can’t tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart that I am so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, that will be a home run, and so that will make it a 4-0 ballgame.’
Why is all of this important now? Brennaman was just hired by the CW as the network’s lead voice for nationally televised college football games. So, remarkably, he’s back.
That fact is in itself fascinating. People deserve second chances but it doesn’t really seem like Brennaman has done much to earn one. But there’s a bigger issue and it has to do with first chances.
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The CW had an opportunity to hire a fresh face. Maybe a woman. Maybe a person of color. Someone looking for a break or even a veteran looking to expand their opportunities.
Again, second chances are a good thing. I’ve gotten them. You have, Many have. Did it have to be this one for Brennaman? When there are so many talented people out there? In many ways, this is a real DEI hire, at least in the way right wingers talk about DEI. DEI has been a huge talking point on the right (and an ugly one). There are exceptions, of course, but it would be rare for a woman or person of color to have such a public, disgraceful, and meme’d flameout and get a job of this magnitude afterward. This is true Didn’t Earn It.
Brennaman has his supporters. ‘Neither Thom nor anyone else denies that he had a serious misstep,’ legendary broadcaster Bob Costas told The Athletic. ‘A misstep for which some consequence would have been appropriate. But the price he has paid is beyond disproportionate. Especially when you consider that he had a fine reputation prior to the incident, and took every proper step to make amends subsequent to it. His return to the booth is overdue and I am sure the audience will be happy to hear his voice again.’
The Brennaman story, as the Defector notes, feels more like a processed and packaged rollout thin on the actual merit of him deserving this job and big on he just deserves it because … because … because he just does.
‘If the sports media world wants to welcome Brennaman back into the fold and give him another job, the least it can do is be clear-eyed about what has actually happened over the last four years,’ wrote Tom Ley. ‘Despite themselves, every story published about Brennaman has made it abundantly clear that he’s been engaged in a sustained public and private campaign to get his job back, and that he sees himself mostly as a victim. Returning to the booth wasn’t enough of a victory on its own, either. He needed one more chance to let us all know how hard the last four years have been for him, what a good man he is, and how much he deserves this opportunity. We all appreciate the update.’
Bingo.
Brennaman gets his second chance and he’s happy to receive it. But does he actually deserve it?