Tag: Thom Brennaman

The nonsense Nick Castellanos’ eerily-timed home runs meme is unfunny and lost the plot

The Nick Castellanos meme doesn’t make any sense!

Fans know that Philadelphia Phillies’ Nick Castellanos seems to hit a home run whenever a major news story breaks.

But this meme could use a break.

Remember: Castellanos originally caught attention for hitting a home run during an apology from former Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman in 2020. As memes tend to do, though, this trend has evolved over the years as Castellanos has only continued to hit it out of the park during serious moments.

This meme had yet another absurd moment in the sun this weekend.

Not long after President Joe Biden announced he would withdraw from the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Sunday afternoon, Castellanos managed to predictably hit a home run. It was silly and a lot of bettors made some money on the coincidental dinger:

Fans love this absurdity but there is one major problem that they seem to forget.

This meme started because Castellanos interrupted a serious moment on TV after Brennaman apologized for making offensive and homophobic remarks. That isn’t historic. It’s just a very hateful use of an awful slur and the reason that the announcer was out of a job for several years.

Now, this meme has become something completely different and, consequently, far less funny. In Castellanos’ own words, as he told Pitcher List: “It’s like, terrible moments.”

It is hardly connected to the original incident of when Castellanos hit a home run while something significant happened during the broadcast.

To his credit: Castellanos has also hit home runs during an homage to fallen veterans and while the broadcasting booth mentioned that former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel suffered a stroke. Those were wild and extremely unlikely examples of the meme coming to life.

A home run on the same day that Biden announced that he won’t seek re-election, however, is hardly the same thing.

Sure, it is eerie how often Castellanos seems to go yard on the same day as a historic event. But if you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it endlessly: We live in strange and uncertain times. As his wife tweeted in 2021:

“PSA to all Nick Castellanos joke tweets: something [expletive] happens everyday in the world find a new joke”

Major news is literally happening around us all the time. Perhaps it isn’t the hardest challenge to find a pro athlete able to accomplish something on their field of play on the same day that something else significant happens. We are trying to fit a round peg into a round hole and then act surprised when it fits.

If the broadcasters on the call were talking about Biden’s decision exactly before Castellanos hit a home run, then we would have a more interesting story.

Otherwise, this is just confirmation bias of something that has just become a bit of gibberish copypasta.

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Fox Sports pulls Thom Brennaman from NFL broadcasts after homophobic slur

“We are moving forward with our NFL schedule which will not include him.”

Thom Brennaman was removed from the Reds broadcast during Wednesday night’s game against the Royals shortly after saying homophobic slur that was picked up on the broadcast and went viral.

On Thursday, he was removed from his other job as FOX Sports announced that Brennaman will not be calling NFL game for them this year, a job he has held for years with the company.

FOX Sports said in a statement:

“FOX Sports is extremely disappointed with Thom Brennaman’s remarks during Wednesday’s Cincinnati Reds telecast. The language used was abhorrent, unacceptable, and not representative of the values of FOX Sports. As it relates to Brennaman’s FOX NFL role, we are moving forward with our NFL schedule which will not include him.”

Brennaman became a full-time member of the FOX’s NFL team in 2009 and has called MLB games and college football games for the network, too.

Here was his brutal apology before leaving the Reds game:

Keyshawn Johnson on Thom Brennaman’s homophobic slur: ‘You’re ashamed you got caught’

The ESPN Radio host weighed in.

The reaction to Cincinnati Reds play-by-play broadcaster Thom Brennaman and the homophobic slur caught on mics includes those calling for him never to call a game ever again to Reds players supporting the LGBTQ+ community on Twitter.

For Keyshawn Johnson, part of ESPN Radio’s new morning show with Jay Williams and Zubin Mehenti, as he said, the slur “hits close to home” for a few reasons including that his daughter is part of the LGBTQ+ community.

“I understand certain people have certain values and views about what it is,” he said on Thursday morning. “If you have those values and views, then keep them to your damn self. That’s how you feel, that’s how you feel. You know what you’re ashamed of? You’re ashamed you got caught, that’s what you’re ashamed of.”

“It’s the same conversation you have when people run out there and they use the N-word and then hide behind it, they say they really didn’t mean to,” he added. “And so, I’m tired, like seriously I’m so tired of just what we continuously have to deal with every single day.”

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Thom Brennaman should never call a game again after using homophobic slur

So long, Thom Brennaman.

Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman should never call a game again after the shocking and disgusting thing he did Wednesday’s game against the Royals.

In case you missed it, Brennaman, who also calls NFL and MLB games for Fox Sports, was heard using a homophobic slur during the first game of a doubleheader. He stunningly stayed on the broadcast in the second game until he gave an on-air apology and left the booth, likely for good.

Brennaman apparently didn’t think he was on-air when he used the slur but the clip was picked up and quickly went viral on Twitter with people rightly calling for his job.

His apology was absolutely empty and horrible and it included him calling a home run in the middle of it. It was surreal television and should be the last time we see him working any type of game.

Brennaman gave the usual lines of an meaningless apology, saying:

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

Um, if you said what you said when you didn’t think anyone was hearing you then that is exactly who you are, Mr. Brennaman. How he would even think of saying such a thing with even just the production crew hearing it is beyond me. It was disgusting and offensive and should lead to the end of his career.

He also added:

“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’m so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith.

“I don’t know if I’m going to 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 will apologize to the people who sign my paycheck, for the Reds, for Fox Sports Ohio, for the people I work with, for anybody that I’ve offended here tonight.”

That apology was garbage. Oh, you’re a man of faith!? Get out of here with that.

Late Wednesday night the Reds announced that Brennaman has been suspended:

“The Cincinnati Reds organization is devastated by the horrific, homophobic remark made this evening by broadcaster Thom Brennaman. He was pulled off the air, and effective immediately was suspended from doing Reds broadcasts. We will be addressing our broadcasting team in the coming days.”

“In no way does this incident represent our players, coaches, organization, or our fans. We share our sincerest apologies to the LGBTQ+ community in Cincinnati, Kansas City, all across this country, and beyond. The Reds embrace a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination of any kind, and we are truly sorry to anyone who has been offended.”

Yeah, goodbye for good, Thom Brennaman.

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Reds announcer Thom Brennaman leaves game after using homophobic slur

Good riddance, Thom Brennaman.

Thom Brennaman, the longtime Cincinnati Reds announcer who also calls NFL and MLB games for Fox Sports, likely saw his career get blown up on Wednesday night and he has nobody to blame but himself.

Brennaman was heard using a homophobic slur when he didn’t think he was on the air. But the moment was picked up on MLBTV and it quickly went viral on Twitter with everyone rightly demanding that the Reds pull him from the booth and fire him.

What’s amazing is that this horrific moment happened during the first game of a doubleheader and he was still on the broadcast in the second game until he finally had to do an on-air apology and leave.

Here is the awful moment in which he used the slur:

And here is his horrible on-air apology, in which he called a home run in the middle of it. I mean, this is just surreal:

Yes, that will be the last time you’re in that booth, Thom.

Good riddance.