In the end, Thom Brennaman did not get fired for his use of a homophobic slur on air. The outcome is still the expected one though. The Cincinnati Reds will be searching for a new play-by-play man for the 2021 season.
The broadcaster officially resigned his role with the Reds on Friday according to Evan Milward of Cincinnati’s ABC affiliate, WPCO-TV. He had been suspended from the broadcast team since August.
“My family and I have decided that I am going to step away from my role as the television voice of the Cincinnati Reds,” Brennaman’s statement to Milward reads. “I would like to thank the Reds, Reds fans and the LGBTQ Community for the incredible support and grace they have shown my family and me.”
How much the LGBTQ community in Cincinnati embraces Brennaman’s efforts to reconcile remains to be seen. Last month, Brennaman reached out to Milward, who is openly gay, to help him better understand the hurt using the slur caused.
Milward and Ryan Messer, one of the co-founders of Cincinnati’s Human Relations Commission have been meeting with Brennaman, and while both say he seems sincere in his desire to understand and make amends with the LGBTQ community, Messer has been clear that he doesn’t believe Brennaman’s claim that a television microphone just happened to catch him using the homophobic slur for the first time.
Since being suspended by the Reds and their television partner Fox Sports Ohio, Brennaman has also lost his role calling NFL games for FOX. He says that he hopes this is not the end of his broadcasting career.
“I have been in this profession that I love for 33 years. It is my hope and intention to return. And if I’m given that opportunity, I will be a better broadcaster and a much better person.”
The Reds issued a statement of their own. The team says Brennaman has its support and applauds his efforts to make amends with Cincinnati’s LGBTQ fans.
