I am proud to call Thom Brennaman my friend.
Unless you watch cooking shows all day long from a wheelchair like me, you know Reds announcer Thom Brennaman used an anti-gay remark while responding to someone talking in his headset.
He was wrong to have used the slur.
This word exists in the vocabulary of every heterosexual man of any color who was brought up in the 70s and 80s, myself included. We know not to use it because we have changed for the better. Unfortunately, sometimes our past rears its ugly head, soberly reminding us to continue to move forward, which is a part of the process of change and growth.
Thom made a horrendous mistake and instantly regretted it. Unlike the vast majority of those online commenting on Thom’s character, I know the man. I know what is in Thom’s heart. He is a kind, giving human being who made an awful mistake. One I know he will learn from and will never repeat. That is what good people do.
Due to the nature of his job, he will probably lose it. But, it is a shame our society is so quick to vilify and condemn a man for one word. Thom does not deserve the hatred people are flinging his way. The intolerance of the tolerant is something I will never understand.
