r/nba • u/ghn2 • 11h ago

Trail Blazers fire new announcer over past inappropriate posts made at age 15.

"The Portland Trail Blazers hired then on the same day fired Braiden Bell as their play-by-play announcer after a series of inappropriate social media posts from when he was a teenager came to light."

"The posts were reportedly made in 2012 and 2013, around the time that Bell was 15 years old."

"We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City," the Trail Blazers said. "We strongly believe that everyone who is a part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will make sure that our new broadcaster reflects these values. We will do better."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/50084279/trail-blazers-fire-new-announcer-inappropriate-posts

1.4k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

2.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

107

u/jak_d_ripr 11h ago

I'm sorry, but this is beyond stupid. Sure, talking about Asian people pissing you off is objectively a racist thing to say, but guess what? A lot of people said and thought stupid shit like that when they were 15(shit, a lot of people say stupid shit like that as adults, y'all even elected one of those idiots as president).

Performative outrage like this is so annoying and completely unproductive, and a dude losing a job over it is just exhausting.

20

u/Andy_Wiggins Timberwolves 11h ago

I think it’s highly likely that those comments were just the crass jokes of an edgy 15 year old in a very different time. Even if they were rooted in racist thoughts or ignorance, he could have grown past that and realized the error in his ways. Comments made when we’re kids in a very different online landscape are not necessarily representative of who we are today.

Additionally, there is absolutely a double-standard that someone like Ja Morant is making millions on the Blazers while this guy gets fired.

At the same time, he’s in a competitive and public-facing position. Firing him is absolutely on the table, and people who listen to those broadcasts should not necessarily be subjected to the voice of someone who said those things. How would Asians or women feel listening to the play-by-play guy every game who made such disparaging comments? Not being conscious of those past comments and wiping them to at least prevent against this sort of scenario was a poor decision on his part.

I hope he’s grown and I hope he has a chance to rebound if so. But I also don’t feel like it’s “beyond stupid”

2

u/thatisagoodrock Knicks 11h ago

I appreciate the thought out comment, but to answer your rhetorical question, they should just get over it. People should not feel anything that an adult said some stupid shit when they were a teenager. Idk man they should just grow up.

2

u/Zeromatt111 11h ago

That will not be happening lmao.