Cincinnati Reds Broadcaster Thom Brennaman Uses Homophobic Slur On-Air, Leaves Broadcast Mid-Game

The broadcast career of Reds television voice Thom Brennaman took an ugly turn on Wednesday night when he used an anti-LGBTQ slur during the Reds first game against the Kansas City Royals in a doubleheader. Brennaman assumed the broadcast was in a commercial break when he uttered the phrase, and in the second game of the doubleheader apologized and gave the call of the game over to Jim Day. He stated in the apology he did not know if he will call another game for the Reds or Fox for what he said.

For Reds play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman, his career behind a microphone for the team and for Fox may be over.

The 56-year-old longtime voice of the Reds was caught on a hot mic using an anti-LGBTQ slur during Wednesday's Reds doubleheader vs. the Royals.

The tweet using the slur speaks for itself for Brennaman, who also calls games on Sunday's in the fall for the NFL on Fox.

Here's a better video with the full bit of the perceived tHom homophobic comment at around the 2:06 mark of the game. pic.twitter.com/g1yBHg8zA0

— Church of Sell the Team, Bobo ⚾ (@churchofbasebal) August 19, 2020

The slur as you can hear was used prior to a promo for the Reds pregame show as the broadcast returned from a commercial break in the 7th inning of game one of the doubleheader.

Brennaman gave the broadcast over to Jim Day after he gave an on-air apology in which he stated he realized he may have called his last Reds game as well as his last game for Fox NFL due to the incident.

“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, I am so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith,” he said before stopping to make a home run call for the Reds’ Nick Castellanos. 

“I don’t know if I’ll be putting on this headset again. I don’t know if it’s going to be for the Reds. I don’t know if it’s going to be for my bosses at Fox. I want to apologize for the people that sign my paycheck — for the Reds, for FOX Sports Ohio, for the people I work with, for anybody I’ve offended tonight. 

"I can’t begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am. That is not who I am, it never has been. I’d like to think that I have some people that could back that up. I am very, very sorry and I beg for your forgiveness.”

Thom Brennaman apologized on-air and handed the broadcast off pic.twitter.com/fMXMmQz7Kd

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) August 20, 2020

Following the two games, Reds pitcher Amir Garrett took to twitter to apologize to the LGBTQ community for the words that Brennaman spoke earlier in the night.

To the LGBTQ community just know I am with you, and whoever is against you, is against me. I’m sorry for what was said today.

— CountOnAG (@Amir_Garrett) August 20, 2020