• Loading stock data...
Friday, October 17, 2025

Boston Radio Producer Suspended for Comment About Mina Kimes

  • ESPN personality responds by changing her Twitter profile picture.
  • ESPN slams “extremely offensive” comments.
Mina Kimes of ESPN
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE: Embattled Boston sports radio producer Chris Curtis apologized to Mina Kimes of ESPN on Thursday morning for his “sophomoric and sexist” comments and announced he would be suspended by WEEI for a week.

“I want to apologize to Mina Kimes. I want to apologize for the stupid, lame attempt at a joke…There’s really no other way to put it. It was dumb and it was silly,” he said.

PREVIOUS: One month after a Boston sports radio personality was suspended for “insensitive” comments, another finds himself in hot water.

Longtime WEEI producer Chris Curtis is on the hot seat for his racist/sexist comment about ESPN’s NFL analyst Mina Kimes.

During a bit on the radio station’s “Greg Hill Show,” the discussion turned to favorite “nips,” or mini-whiskeys, like Skrewball, Dr. McGillicuddy’s, and Fireball. 

But “nip” is also a slur for people of Japanese descent that was common during World War II. Curtis couldn’t help himself on the air.

“Oh, I’d probably go, Mina Kimes,” he quipped before giving another colleague a little smirk.

Oops. The comment was caught on video. It quickly spread online Wednesday via Dave Cullinane, who produces Kirk Minihane’s Barstool Sports podcast

Curtis got his ethnicities wrong, too: the American-born Kimes is of Korean – not Japanese – descent on her mother’s side. 

Either way, Kimes’s ESPN colleague Sarah Spain wasn’t having it.

“FYI – Nip is an ethnic slur against people of Japanese descent. What are we doing here, WEEI?” she tweeted. “PS, Mina isn’t even Japanese, you jackass.”

Meanwhile, Boston Globe sports media columnist Chad Finn wrote the company’s lame defense was that Curtis was referring to Hollywood star Mila Kunis, not Mina Kimes.

Spain wasn’t buying that one either, tweeting: “When you have to play the ‘I’m sexist’ card to get out of your ‘I’m racist’ issue, you’re really in the shit.”

Kimes herself had the best comeback, mockingly changing her Twitter avatar to that of Kunis – who is not of Japanese descent either. She then followed up with another response.

ESPN stated: “There’s no place for these type of hateful comments, which were uncalled for and extremely offensive.”

A spokesperson for Audacy, WEEI’s parent company, could not be reached for comment.

The controversy comes only a month after Beasley Media Group suspended Boston sports radio personality Tony Massarotti for making a racist joke about Black Americans.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Apr 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of an NBA basketball and backyard and NBA logo before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Center.

NBA Tries to Solve Fragmentation Issue It Helped Create

A new “Tap to Watch” feature will direct fans to live games.
Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Second place Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) sprays champagne on winner Mercedes driver George Russell (63) at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

Apple Officially Taking F1 Rights From ESPN in $700M Deal

ESPN has broadcast F1 in the U.S. since 2018.
Mar 12, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view of ESPN broadcast camera during a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.

ESPN’s New NBA Segment Resists Hot Takes

LeBron James tweeted in favor of the new segment.
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) attempts to make a catch over Texas Longhorns defensive back Graceson Littleton (29) in the first half at Ohio Stadium.

SEC Games Help ABC Dominate College Football Ratings at Midseason

Texas–Ohio State on Fox remains the most-watched game of the season.

Featured Today

May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Derek Jeter walks the red carpet on Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Players’ Tribune Is Still Kicking 11 Years Later

Founder Derek Jeter is still closely involved in the publication.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive
October 10, 2025

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Oct 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with teammates after game four of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center.

WNBA Finals Draws 1.5M Viewers, Second-Highest Series on ESPN

The four-game series averaged 1.5 million viewers.
Micah Parsons
exclusive
October 14, 2025

NFL Scorigami Creator Blames Glitches on Twitter Platform Changes

The bot has been glitching all NFL season, and fans have noticed.
MLS
October 14, 2025

MLS Publishes Unchecked AI-Generated Game Recaps

Humans are not reviewing the articles for accuracy.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Sep 5, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia embraces after their match in the semifinal of the men’s singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
October 13, 2025

Six Kings Slam Returns With Record $6M Prize, Netflix Deal

The Six Kings Slam is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the NBA logo and NBA app logo and basketballs in front of the base during warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center.
October 13, 2025

NBA Will Take Over League Pass After WBD Divorce

The league now has full operational control of those media assets.
Aces
October 10, 2025

WNBA Finals Most Viewed In 25 Years Despite Possible Aces Sweep

Games 2 and 3 have averaged more than 1.2 million viewers.
Spectrum
October 10, 2025

ESPN Streaming Service at Core of New Spectrum Plan

The No. 1 U.S. distributor further blends linear and streaming TV.