If you’re a sports fan, you’ve seen similar stories before: an announcer says something dumb or offensive (sometimes on a mic they didn’t know was hot), and the network quickly caves and fires the offender and issues a groveling apology. In one instance, former MLB baseball announcer and current college football announcer Thom Brennaman was axed from his Cincinnati Reds gig for using a homophobic slur.
In May 2023, meanwhile, a longtime Oakland A’s broadcaster was sent packing after he mispronounced “Negro League.” Was it unfortunate? Absolutely. But was it purposeful? You be the judge, but to me it seemed entirely accidental.
It doesn't matter if it was an accident, you must pay:
There have been other instances, and in some cases, termination probably was the appropriate action, in others, not so much.
Which brings us to the latest episode: Eurosports commentator Bob Ballard was fired after what seemingly every corporate media headline referred to as “sexist” remarks made Saturday during a Paris Olympics swim meet. As the crowd waited for the Australian women's team to ascend the podium and accept their gold medal, Ballard tried to fill the airtime.
Now, reader, I want to warn you: his comments are truly vile and incendiary, and you may need a tissue. Please remain seated should you choose to continue reading.
Ballard uttered the controversial comment during the women’s 4x100-meter freestyle relay on Saturday, July 27, according to BBC. After the race concluded and Australia secured the gold medal victory, the team exited the pool deck. As they were walking, Ballard said the Olympians were “just finishing off” before continuing, “you know what women are like... hanging around, you know, doing their makeup.”
Oh my God, I almost fainted. The horror.
As some reports noted, co-commentator and former Olympic swimmer Lizzie Simmonds immediately retorted, “Outrageous, Bob,” making it sound like she was super triggered. If you listen to the audio, however, both are laughing as she says that, and she adds with a chuckle, "Some of the men are doing that [putting on makeup] as well.”
She has not been fired as far as I am aware.
Commentator Bob Ballard was fired after he made a joke on air. The hypocrisy is stunning. Flaunt public nudity and mock Christianity on national television during prime time, but a joke will get you fired.
— SULLY (@SULLY10X) July 29, 2024
This is ridiculous! pic.twitter.com/Y7bGZLbd8b
Is this really where we’ve come to in this world? You can have a depraved opening ceremony with bearded men in dresses dancing alongside children, you can mock one of the world’s major religions, and no one is fired, yet a sportscaster who's been doing this since the 1980s offhandedly makes a joke about females putting on makeup and his career is over? This is Wokeworld, and normal folks aren’t welcome here.
The 2024 Paris Olympics has gone full Woke dystopian.
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) July 26, 2024
The opening ceremony was filled with transgend*r mockery of the Last Supper, the Golden Calf idol, and even the Pale Horse from the Book of Revelation.
The Olympics has made it clear that Christian viewers aren't welcome. pic.twitter.com/LgawyE6YRX
Related: Paris Olympics Organizers Apologize for Opening Ceremony Fiasco, and It's As Lame As You'd Expect
The Olympics Opening Ceremony: Deliberately Hurtful and Hateful
Eurosport came out with the type of soulless, gutless statement that we’ve become used to seeing from so many corporations:
“During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment,” Eurosport said in a statement, per The Independent. “To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”
Don’t you get the feeling that there are many out there who would love to see Ballard replicate Cersei Lannister’s walk of shame? (Safe for work version:)
But what of the comment—was it actually that offensive? I asked my wife, who scoffed. Many of the female athletes do freshen up before accepting their medals, she pointed out; these women know they’re on camera, and they want to look their best. (And yes, the men presumably make an effort to look good too.) I have three daughters; sometimes I rib them about taking too long to get ready. Do they get their feelings hurt? Not in the slightest. They know they take more time and aren’t embarrassed or ashamed about it whatsoever. You know why? Because males and females are different—but pointing out that fact might cost you your job these days.
Even if it was mildly offensive to some, how hurtful could it possibly be? He didn’t throw slurs at the swimmers, he wasn’t sexually suggestive, he wasn't insulting. Just because some Karens considered it slightly off-the-mark, that's enough to essentially ruin a man? Madness.
If the faceless execs at Eurosports thought it was problematic, how about a phone call, an email, a memo? "Hey Bob, let's lay off that kind of joke in the future." But instead they just fire him? This is everything that's wrong with progressive ideology, wrapped up in one moment in time.
I asked some of my female colleagues what they thought. Said one: “I could not care less. I like dry wit, he wasn't being ugly or vulgar about it. I don't think he should have lost his job over it, but this is the culture we live in. Any girl who’s offended over the comment just likes finding something to be offended about.”
Said another: “I probably wouldn't have even thought twice about it.”
This is the Upside Down world they’re trying to foist upon us: it’s OK to have lascivious semi-pornographic shows to open a sporting event, but if you say one line that doesn’t fit the woke viewpoint, start filing for unemployment. Sportscasters have plenty of time to fill and do so with banter, but in today’s environment, they have to be terrified that a single inadvertent line may get them tossed off the air.
I’m going to keep fighting against it, and I hope more and more people will help to expose this nonsense.
What's setting women's sports back is men competing in women's sports. Not some silly comment.
— 🇺🇲 B-Dawg 🏖️ (@blainnc) July 29, 2024
Editor's note: This article has been updated to note that Thom Brennaman was fired when he was working as the announcer for the Cincinnati Reds.
