A sports announcer made a racially charged comment toward a Georgia Swarm lacrosse player during a game, and the comment cost the announcer his job.
The public address announcer for the Philadelphia Wings was fired Monday afternoon after directing racial comments toward Swarm player Lyle Thompson during Saturday night’s game, the team announced on Twitter.
Former announcer Shawny Hill told the crowd, "Let's snip the ponytail," of Thompson, who is of Iroquois descent and from the Onondaga Reservation in New York, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. In a tweet after the game, Thompson said two fans behind the Swarm bench at the Wells Fargo Center yelled they would "scalp" him.
“I know Philly takes pride in their ruthless fans but I didn’t know it was like that lol. ... now I know ... just haven’t heard stuff like this since HS,” he tweeted.
Hill also tweeted an apology after the game, saying he was “deeply sorry” for his comments.
“My words were poorly chosen and were not intended as racially motivated,” Hill tweeted. “I understand the profound hurt my words have caused. I offer my sincere apology.”
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In the tweet announcing Hill’s firing, the Wings also issued a statement that said, in part:
“In addition, the Wings are working closely with the National Lacrosse League to implement ongoing diversity training for all employees which will include a focus on the Native North American (NLL) roots and traditions of the sport. The Wings remain deeply apologetic for the offensive comments that overshadowed Saturday night's game and are fully committed to furthering a culture of respect.”
The Swarm, based in Duluth, play their home games at Infinite Energy Arena. The franchise, which has been located in the Atlanta area since 2016, also issued a lengthy statement on Twitter about the incident, and it said, in part:
"We stand behind all of our players, and in this particular instance, we stand in unity with Lyle, the entire Thompson family and all of our native players who were negatively impacted by the derogatory comment that was made Saturday night in Philadelphia ... We are working closely with the NLL, the Wings and all of our native players to help implement additional educational programs in an effort to help prevent a situation like this from ever arising again."
The statement also said that the Swarm is “proud to have seven native athletes on (its) roster,” and it mentioned the team’s annual native heritage night.
Before Hill’s firing, the NLL called his comments “inappropriate” and promised disciplinary action, the Inquirer reported.
Georgia won Saturday’s game 13-11.
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