Mitch Holthus, Kansas City-based radio announcer/cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs since 1994, is in hot water across the country today for making “racially insensitive” remarks about a Kansas State basketball player on Saturday during the team’s upset victory over Florida.
During the second half of Saturday’s KSU-Florida KSU’s Angel Rodriguez picked up his third foul on a contested play. Holthus, announcing the game for ESPN discussed the merit of the foul.
But Holthus concluded the sequence by saying, “That’s sometimes where the Puerto Rican temper kicks in there. They need him on the floor instead of picking up a third foul.”
“It’s unclear what prompted such a comment. But in cases like this, intent is irrelevant. Whether Holthus knew it or not, he was tapping into an offensive stereotype,” noted a story in USA Today.
His remarks were highlighted on Deadspin.
Holthus immediately went on Twitter to do damage control.
please I DO apologize! I meant no racial slur at all I have the UTMOST respect for Angel as a student-athlete!
— Mitch Holthus (@mitchholthus) December 23, 2012
Ironically, before joining the Chiefs Holthus was the voice for KSU’s football and basketball teams for 14 years. He is also a KSU graduate.
HONEST MISTAKE
Oh for goodness sake, I think Mitch made an honest mistake. We all do.
OPEN MOUTH…
I wasn’t too high on Holthus as an announcer to begin with. Open mouth, insert foot.
NO BIG DEAL
Get over it, no big deal. He knows the kid and everyone knows there isn’t a hateful bone in Mitch’s body.
USA TODAY RIGHT
USA Today has it right. Holthus revealed that he believes an offensive stereotype. He “apologized”, saying he meant no racial slur. But he didn’t say a racial slur; he said a comment based on a stereotype.
I didn’t even know he announced basketball games. I figured the Chiefs paid him plenty for being their shameless apologist.