A’s broadcaster Glen Kuiper fired after using racial slurs on air

OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland Athletics broadcaster Glen Kuiper has been fired by NBC Sports California after he used a racial slur on a television broadcast while describing a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Kuiper was suspended by the network earlier this month after his insult aired during a pregame segment of an A’s game against the Kansas City Royals on May 5. Kuiper talked about a trip to the museum with fellow student Dallas Braden, but apparently mispronounced the word “Negro”, making it sound more like an insult.

“Following an internal review, the decision has been made for NBC Sports California to end its relationship with Glen Kuiper, effective immediately,” the network said in a statement Monday. “We thank Glen for his dedication to Bay Area baseball over the years.”

A person familiar with the investigation said “the decision was based on a variety of factors, including information uncovered during the internal review.” The person spoke on condition of anonymity and did not release specific details as the network had not publicly disclosed the results of the investigation.

Kuiper apologized live later in that game without going into detail, saying he said something that “didn’t go the way I wanted it to.” He later released a statement via the network when he was suspended, saying, “I couldn’t be more sorry and horrified by what I said. I hope you accept my sincerest apologies.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay said the decision was not made by the team and that he sympathized with Kuiper.

“I can’t imagine being in his place right now,” Kotsay said. “I think personally we’ve missed an opportunity here maybe to use this as an educational platform. But as you said I don’t make decisions and this is not a decision in which I got involved and neither did the organization. It was a decision made by NBC.”

Kuiper has called A’s games in the Bay Area for the past 20 years. He is the younger brother of former major leaguer and Giants announcer Duane Kuiper.