On Tuesday night the Los Angeles Angels were in Detroit to face the Tigers, and as is often the case when the Angels play, Shohei Ohtani was at the center of attention.
The AL MVP frontrunner had a hit, scored a run, and was walked three times in what became an 8-2 Angels win, but unfortunately the discussion after the game was about an offensive accent used in the Tigers broadcast booth by analyst Jack Morris. Morris was asked what the Tigers should do with Ohtani coming to the plate and used a mock Asian accent that led to a Thom Brennaman-esque “sorry if I offended anyone” apology after the commercial break.
Jack Morris apologies before Shohei Otani's at-bat in the ninth inning. pic.twitter.com/WdCjfyfSvX
— Spencer Wheelock (@SpencerWheelock) August 18, 2021
It remains stunning that someone paid to talk on television could think this would be OK, and the quick on air apology was not enough to keep Morris out of further trouble with his bosses at Bally Sports. On Wednesday, Bally Sports Detroit and the Tigers organization released statements on the comments, noting that Morris had been suspended indefinitely and was undergoing bias training and that neither Bally Sports nor the Tigers condoned such offensive remarks.
Jack Morris has been suspended indefinitely from Tigers broadcasts by Bally Sports Detroit pic.twitter.com/gukiMqAyBM
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) August 18, 2021
Hopefully Morris can genuinely learn from this and recognize why what he did was wrong, going beyond just saying he’s sorry for anyone offended but actually learn why it’s offensive and understand the importance of being respectful of all races and backgrounds. We’ll see how long the suspension lasts, but it’s good on the Tigers and Bally Sports Detroit to take this matter seriously and ensure Morris recognizes that as well.
