Glen Kuiper fired by NBC after racial slur on air

The Oakland Athletics fired broadcaster, Glen Kuiper, Monday following the use of a racial slur on the pregame show, May 5.

The A’s denounced the slur as “unacceptable” on the day of the incident. Kuiper was suspended by NBC Sports California indefinitely a day later.

On Monday, the network released a statement announcing that he has been fired:

“Following an internal review, the decision has been made for NBC Sports California to end its relationship with Glen Kuiper, effective immediately. We thank Glen for his dedication to Bay Area baseball over the years.”

The incident occurred during a pregame show for the A’s game against the Kansas City Royals.Kuiper and fellow broadcaster and former A’s pitcher Dallas Braden were discussing a visit to the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City. Kuiper referenced their trip to the museum but uttered a racial slur in place of the museum’s name.

Kuiper then issued an apology during the sixth inning of the A’s-Royals game.

“A little bit earlier in the show, I said something, didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to,” Kuiper said. “I just wanted to apologize if it sounded different than I meant it to be said. As I said, I just wanted to apologize for that.”

He followed with an additional apology the next day, after he was suspended.

“I could not be more sorry and horrified by what I said,” Kuiper said via a statement released by NBCSC. “I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies.”

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick addressed the incident in a tweet following Kuper’s suspension.

“I welcomed Glen to the NLBM yesterday and know he was genuinely excited to be here,” Kendrick wrote. “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!”

Glen Kuiper, 60, has worked on A’s broadcasts since 2004, when he started as an on-field correspondent. He took over as the primary TV play-by-play announcer in 2006 and maintained that position until his suspension and subsequent dismissal. He played two seasons of minor-league baseball as an infielder in 1985 and ’86.

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A’s manager Mark Kotsay said the decision wasn’t made by the team and that he sympathizes with Kuiper.

“I can’t imagine being in his shoes right now,” Kotsay said. “I think personally, we missed an opportunity here maybe to use this as an educational platform. But as you said, I don’t make decisions and this isn’t a decision I was involved in and nor was the organization really. This was a decision made by NBC.”

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