Technology is a wonderful thing. A very useful thing. It can also be very troublesome if used incorrectly. Charlotte Hornets radio play-by-play announcer John Focke found out the latter the hard way. Earlier today The Charlotte Hornets indefinitely suspended their first-year radio play-by-play announcer after he sent out a tweet using the N-word with the hard “er”….OOPS!!
Focke was tweeting about the Utah Jazz-Denver Nuggets playoff game Monday afternoon. “Shot making in this Jazz-(N-word) game is awesome! Murray and Mitchell going back and forth what a game!” After realizing what he had done, Focke then apologized via Twitter Monday night.
“Earlier today I made a horrific error while attempting to tweet about the Denver-Utah game,” Focke’s tweet read. “I don’t know how I mistyped, I had (and have) no intention of ever using that word. I take full responsibility for my actions. I have been sick to my stomach about it ever since. I’m truly sorry that this happened and I apologize to those I offended.”
In response to his tweet, the Charlotte Hornets released this statement, via Twitter:
The Charlotte Hornets are aware of the recent social media post by radio broadcaster John Focke. As an organization, we do not condone this type of language. John has been suspended indefinitely as we investigate the matter more closely.”
Focke,who had previously called games for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA, just finished up his first year with the Hornets not only as their play by play guy, but also as the host of their weekly podcast on their website. With all that is going on, the odds ain’t in his favor that he will see a second year.
Listen, he may not have intended to write that word, but autocorrect damn sure felt like he did. It seems as though his history has seen that word….alot. Ain’t technology wonderful?
Tyrus Kennedy is a full time content creator for Black With No Chaser and the MFer in charge of Black With No Chaser Sports. He is currently in an entanglement between writing, video content and podcasting. Needless to say that he gets around.
