Hot Mic...Career Destroyed

It's probably rule number one of broadcasting (although someone who knows far more than I do will likely tell me I'm wrong. You know, I'm not all that smart after almost 30 years in broadcasting and all).

**ASSUME ALL MICROPHONES ARE LIVE**

Many have screwed that one up.

(Hi, my name is Rob, and I've been burned by a hot mic a few times. Some of what was said came from me and some came from others around me. Either way, there's no excuse and it will always bother me, to the point that I'm always looking at ways to safeguard my booth.)

Anyway, tonight, Thom Brennaman, a veteran of well over 25 years between the Cincinnati Reds and FOX Sports, had an open mic that burned him about as bad as one can get burned...

(Oh, wait, sorry. Got distracted while this "old man" shows that he still has a few hops left in him. It took a little while for the corner man to throw the towel)

OK, I'm back.

Anyway, Thom is in some deep trouble tonight. The facts are all over Twitter and will be a story on the news tomorrow.

I honestly don't want to type the words, so I'll give you a tweet from Jeff Passan that contains the audio (and, sadly, the words).

Longtime Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman was caught on a hot mic saying “one of the fag capitals of the world.” He is currently announcing the second game of the Reds’ doubleheader against Kansas City. pic.twitter.com/Uwz07eRIKv

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 20, 2020

I actually yelled when I heard it.

Twitter, needless to say, has been on fire ever since, with #FireThom trending.

I will offer no excuse. I'm curious about context, but I will literally offer no defense whatsoever.

Somehow, Thom was allowed to stay on the air before he was finally removed, but not before the most awkward thing I've seen in some time -- a home run call during an apology:

Thom Brennaman casually called a HR during his on-air apology for using a homophobic slur during the Reds vs Royals game.pic.twitter.com/83ef3ucaNI

— SI MLB (@si_mlb) August 20, 2020

I mean. Just wow.

He's right. His career -- like it or not -- might be seriously derailed, if not over. He's called high profile football and baseball games for FOX. He's the lead on Reds broadcasts, where his father once ruled.

Curt Schilling has crawled out of his bunker to defend Thom but most are furious.

I'm almost at a loss to figure any of this out. Like, who says this to begin with? Next, who talks like that at work?!

A man of faith? Spare me.

I don't even have a final line to this, so this is it.