Junior hockey announcer fired during the game for racist comment made on air
During last night's playoff game between the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Langley Rivermen, a racist comment was made on air by colour commentator, Bruce MacDonald. The comment occured during the second period, when player's including the Rivermen's Owen Kim got into a scuffle after the whistle.
MacDonald first began commentating on Kim's height (5'8), before he chose to go off the rails with his next comment.
Anyway if you push the pace, you're going to draw penalties.
Does he speak English? Maybe that's the problem.
To his credit Evan Hammond, MacDonald's broadcast partner immediately called out this disgust display telling colleague he's gone "too far." But unlike most professional organizations that take time to dissect this matter, the BCHL acted swiftly. During the second intermission MacDonald was pulled from the both and banned from any future games.
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs President, David Michaud issued the following statement:
We have a 70-foot banner that hangs along the walkway that says there's no place for racism in hockey, and we stand behind that. We're proud of some of our initiatives in the community and the work we put in and to say that I'm disappointed by Bruce's comment would be an understatement.
The BCJHL also issued an immediate statement on the matter:
THE BCHL AND THE ALBERNI VALLEY BULLDOGS WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE TO OWEN KIM AND HIS FAMILY, AS WELL AS ANYONE ELSE WHO MAY HAVE HEARD THE COMMENT. WE HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOUR AND MR. MACDONALD IS BANNED FROM ANY FUTURE BROADCAST INVOLVING THE BULLDOGS OR ANY OTHER BCHL TEAM.
Kim, the target of the comment, was actually born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. So it clearly shows the level of insensitivity shown by MacDonald.
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