POPULATION, LIKELY TO BE IN MARCH.
A DECADES LONG PUNK ASKED CAREER AFTER A CONVERSATION TOOK A FEW SECONDS.
THOM BRENNAMAN USED TO GAY SLUR DURING A REDS GAME THREE MONTHS AGO.
MIKE: HE RESIGNED AND IS NO LONGER DOING CINCINNATI BASEBALL, NO LONGER DOING NFL ON FOX.
TONIGHT, HE VISITS OUR STUDIO THAT WE SET UP FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING TO SET UP -- TO TALK ABOUT A BIG MISTAKE, CHANGES, AND HOPEFULLY A DIFFERENT KIND OF BIG FUTURE.
>> IT EMBARRASSED MY FAMILY, IT EMBARRASSED MY DAD, IT EMBARRASSED A CITY AND A FRANCHISE THAT I HAVE LOVED MY ENTIRE LIFE SINCE I MOVED HERE WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD.
I EMBARRASSED MYSELF.
AND I HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE SO DEEPLY AND SO BADLY.
MIKE: AUGUST 19.
A-GAME ONE OF A REDS DOUBLEHEADER IN KANSAS CITY.
THE OPEN MIC INCIDENT THAT MIGHT HAVE CLOSED THE DOOR ON THOM BRENNAMAN’S 30 PLUS YEAR BROADCASTING CAREER.
COMING BACK FROM COMMERCIAL, HE UTTERS A THREE LETTER GAY SLUR.
HE THINKS THEY ARE STILL AT A BREAK AND IT WENT OUT OVER THE AIR.
MIKE: TELL ME ABOUT THE POINT WHERE YOU KNEW SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE AIR.
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT IT AND WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> AS SOON AS THE GAME WAS OVER, WE WERE BROADCASTING THE GAME FROM THE FOX OHIO STUDIOS.
WE WEREN’T TRAVELING.
I WENT INTO AN OFFICE TO START WRITING DOWN THE LINEUPS FOR THE SECOND GAME AND GOT A TEXT FROM AN EXECUTIVE FROM THE REDS SAYING, THIS WENT OUT OVER THE AIR.
AND HAD A CLIP OF IT.
I PLAYED IT, SITTING BY MYSELF IN AN OFFICE.
AND FROM THAT MOMENT IN TIME, EVERYTHING WAS JUST A COMPLETE WHIRLWIND.
I KNEW, AT THAT EXACT MOMENT, THAT THIS WAS VERY BAD.
MIKE: AFTER THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF TV IN OUR LIVING ROOMS, IT IS 13 LETTER WORD SHINING THE LIGHT ON THE CULTURE OF IGNORANCE THAT SO MANY ARE JUST BORN INTO.
>> WHAT I SAID WAS A TERRIBLE WORD.
AND I THINK IT’S A WORD I KNOW I’VE USED BEFORE.
IT GROWING UP PLAYING SPORTS.
GROWING UP WITH YOUR BUDDIES, RIPPING EACH OTHER HERE AND THERE AND YOU GET TO BE YOUNG ADULTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
NEVER REALLY TRULY UNDERSTOOD WHAT THAT WORD MEANS TO SO MANY PEOPLE >> TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE HURT THAT WOUL SYMBOLIZE, HE JOINED THE BOARD OF CHILDREN’S HOME OF NORTHERN
KENTUCKY >> IT IS THE MOST HIGHLY CREDITED CHILDREN’S HOME IN A SEVEN STATE REGION OR SO.
IT DEALS WITH GAY CHILDREN OR TRANS CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT OF THEIR HOUSE.
MIKE: BY PARENTS WHO WERE NOT ACCEPTING.
>> FAMILIES THAT COULDN’T COME TO GRIPS WITH THEIR CHILD WAS STRUGGLING WITH SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
IF THAT DOESN’T HIT YOU RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES.
>> HE BELIEVES IT HAS MADE HIM A BETTER PERSON.
>> IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING JOURNEY.
AND I HAVE NO DOUBT IT IS PART OF A BIGGER PLAN AND I HAVE HAD NO DOUBT SINCE DAY ONE.
NOT FOR A SECON I HAVE HAD NO DOUBT THAT THIS WILL END UP BEING THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME.
>> HE DIDN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CONVERSATION THAT LED TO THE SLUR AND SAID IT IS ALL ON HIM AND DID NOT WANT TO GET INTO IT.
>> YOU APPRECIATE HIS BRUTAL HONESTY.
>> IS DIALED IN AND ONE MISTAKE CAN COST YOU A SCHOLARSHIP OR CAREER, WHETHER IT BE OR SOCIAL MEDIA.
BOB HUGGINS INVITED HIM TO TALK WAS BASKETBALL TEAM.
>> WE CAN ALL TAKE SOMETHING AWAY FROM WHAT HE IS GOING THROUGH AND ONE THING CAN CHANGE HER LIFE WHETHER Y