Weeks after being caught on a hot mic saying a homophobic slur, Thom Brennaman has resigned.
Back in August, shortly after he was caught on a hot mic using a homophobic slur, Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman ended his apology by wondering if he’d ever put on his headset again.
Turns out, he was right. At least when it comes to the Reds.
In a statement given to Evan Millward of WCPO in Cincinnati on Friday, Brennaman announced his decision to “step away from my role as the television voice of the Cincinnati Reds.”
“To this great city, my hometown, a sincere thank you. I truly regret what I said and I’m so very sorry,” Brennaman said.
He also stated his intention to return to broadcasting as “a much better person” in the future while seeking guidance from those in the LGBTQ community.
The Reds supported his decision in a statement they posted to Twitter.
Thom Brennaman was suspended in August over his use of a homophobic slur.
On Aug. 19, Brennaman was calling a game for the Reds against the Kansas City Royals. As the broadcast returned from a commercial break at the top of the seventh inning, the broadcaster used the homophobic slur, apparently unaware that he was back on the air.
Whether it came on or off-air, Brennaman’s vocabulary was offensive and deserving of punishment.
Brennaman was removed from the broadcast during the second game of the doubleheader and suspended indefinitely.
His longtime connection to the Reds is now over. He had been on the broadcast team for Cincinnati since 2007. His father, Marty, was a broadcaster for the team for 46 years before retiring following the 2019 season.
That means, for the first time since 1974 a Brennaman will not be involved in Reds broadcasts going forward.