Oakland A's fire broadcaster for mispronouncing 'negro' after inspirational visit Negro League Museum

The Oakland A's longtime sports announcer Glen Kuiper was fired by NBC sports on Monday after uttering a racial slur during a live broadcast in which he says was an accidental fluke.

Kuiper, a 20-year play-by-play sports broadcaster for the Oakland A's, had recalled a recent visit he took to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum during a pregame segment on May 5 and said the "N-word" on live television as he was taking a trip down memory lane, according to the Associated Press.



"Following an internal review, the decision has been made for NBC Sports California to end its relationship with Glen Kuiper, effective immediately," NBC Sports California told the Associated Press in a statement. "We thank Glen for his dedication to Bay Area baseball over the years."

During the live pregame show, while speaking to broadcast partner Dallas Braden, Kuiper started to describe his trip to the famed sports museum and seemingly mispronounced the word "Negro" and uttered the racial slur instead, the outlet reports.

Kuiper said in a statement he was notified by NBC Sports California on Monday morning that his contract was terminated effective immediately "due to the unintentional use of an offensive word on the air."

“When the subject of the museum visit came up in the pregame show, I was excited and eager to share what I had done and seen that day," he explained. "In my excitement, I rushed through the word 'negro' resulting in my very unfortunate mispronunciation."
 

"I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt by this. It was a terrible but honest mispronunciation, and I take full responsibility," Kuiper added.

"Racism is in no way a part of me" Kuiper continued, stating that he prides himself to be an "honest, caring, kind, honorable, respectful husband and father" that would "never utter a disparaging word about anybody."

Kuiper expressed that he believes he was given a wrongful termination and wished that 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," he added. "I love the game of baseball and I love being a broadcaster, and I love the Bay Area community. I hope I will be remembered for that."

At the start of the game on May 5, Kuiper apologized on-air saying that something he had said "didn't come out quite the way I wanted it to", but didn't give specifics. NBC suspended him after the game against the Royals and the Oakland A's released a statement condemning Kuiper's language as "unacceptable."

"The language used by Glen Kuiper during today’s pregame broadcast is unacceptable," the A’s said. "The Oakland Athletics do not condone such language. We are working to address the situation."

 

Bob Kendrick, the president of the museum who had taken Kuiper and Braden on the tour, released a statement encouraging others to forgive Kuiper for the obvious "mistake" in the use of language.

"I'm aware of the unfortunate slur made by Glen Kuiper," Kendrick said in a statement at the time. "I welcomed Glen to the NLBM yesterday and know he was genuinely excited to be here. The word is painful and has no place in our society. And while I don’t pretend to know Glen’s heart I do know that my heart is one of forgiveness. I hope all of you will find it in yourselves to do the same!"

According to the Associated Press, NBC's decision to fire Kuiper allegedly followed information that was uncovered during an internal review of the 60-year-old famous broadcast veteran, in addition to the incident on May 5.