• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 4, 2025

Thom Brennaman Returns to Booth Years After Viral Slur

  • The broadcaster’s career has been quiet since the notorious 2020 incident.
  • The CW has broadcast deals with the ACC and Pac-2.
Sam Greene/Enquirer via Imagn Content Services

Former MLB, NFL, and college football broadcaster Thom Brennaman will return to the broadcast booth next month calling games for the Pac-2 and ACC on The CW, The Athletic first reported. Brennaman used an anti-gay slur during a Reds-Royals game in August 2020 and went viral on social media for having his apology cut short by a Nick Castellanos home run.

After the incident, Brennaman lost his jobs with Fox Sports and the Reds, the team for whom his father Marty did play-by-play for 46 years. 

The Athletic story cited “the work he has done reaching out to the gay community, both in Cincinnati and nationally.” For his part, Brennaman said, “It was mainly about listening to people.” 

Brennaman has mostly worked in the fringes of sports since the incident, calling winter baseball and high school football.

The CW has built up its sports offerings over the years, including in 2023 securing 50 ACC football and basketball games annually through the ’26–27 school year. Brennaman cold-emailed the CEO of The CW’s parent company, Nexstar Media, after seeing him in his college’s magazine, according to The Athletic. Brennaman heard back from his fellow Ohio University alumnus Perry Sook the next day, the outlet reported.

Brennaman and Castellanos—then with the Reds, now with the Phillies—will be forever linked from that August 2020 broadcast. After Brennaman was caught on a hot mic using the slur, he apologized during the game. “I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of,” Brennaman said. “If I have hurt anyone out there, I can’t tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart that I am so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, that will be a home run, and so that will make it a 4–0 ball game.”

Castellanos has since become infamous for his ability to interrupt somber moments on a broadcast with home runs. He’s homered during multiple tributes to people who are sick or have died. Sometimes it isn’t a jinx, but simply aligning with the news cycle. He hit it out of the park on the day former president Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, and one week later when President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race.

The announcer’s first call will be Oregon State–Idaho State on Aug. 31, though The Athletic reports he will mostly cover the ACC.

“There are no words to describe how grateful I am that they’re rolling the dice,” Brennaman said to The Athletic. “They don’t have to do this.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

George Shea

Hot Dog Maven George Shea on Chestnut Comeback and Investor Interest

George Shea runs a real estate PR firm and Major League Eating.
Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
breaking

California AG Says Daily Fantasy Sports Are Illegal

The AG rejected arguments that DFS are games of skill, not chance.

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
Jun 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field.

Guardians Pitcher Luis Ortiz Put on Paid Leave Amid MLB Probe

Reports say the investigation is tied to gambling.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Leo Messi
June 27, 2025

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.