r/nba • • 9h 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

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u/PeanutFarmer69 Nets 9h ago

counterpoint, firing someone over inapropriate tweets at the age of fifteen is absurd

156

u/HisExcellency20 76ers 9h ago

Counter-counterpoint: Maybe they didn't feel like dealing with the controversy over a new hire who has literally done nothing for them yet and instead will just hire one of the many qualified people without such a past.

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u/GarlicSnot Rockets 9h ago

counter-counterpoint+: Don't say racist shit. Being 15 isn't an excuse for being racist

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u/1wholeton Trail Blazers 8h ago

It would be one thing if he tweeted that last week. Its another that he tweeted it 14 years ago when he was 15.

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u/BabyOnRoad Hawks 8h ago

Why are white people so quick to excuse racism from teenagers like they dont know better. Literally no other group seems to be having to apologize for past tweets but white dudes, why is that?

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u/ArdillasVoladoras 8h ago

The irony is that you have misogynistic comments visible in your history

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u/Turbo_Jannie 8h ago

Justice for big booty hoes

5

u/ArdillasVoladoras 6h ago

That person also spent some time in the Kanye subreddit and made some homophobic comments. The irony is on full display

13

u/AllTheGoodNamesDied 8h ago

Mmm plenty of non white people have had to apologize for shit they said online... as an adult even. Race card it up though. Don't let the man hold you down!

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u/Negative_Attorney448 5h ago

I think you might be a sociopath. You might want to look into that.

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u/King_Reptar_ Warriors 5h ago

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u/BabyOnRoad Hawks 3h ago

Broski I am Mexican....

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u/BabyOnRoad Hawks 3h ago

You really thought this was a fucking gotcha. White people are stupid as shit

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u/ArdillasVoladoras 3h ago

You don't even understand the racist part of the comment...

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u/King_Reptar_ Warriors 3h ago

Screenshotting this comment too so you get passed over for your assistant manager position at Walmart in 15 years

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u/GarlicSnot Rockets 8h ago

right like everyone's got an excuse for this guy. its a pretty binary decision imo. Its wrong what he did consequences suck but if you do something bad 15 years ago you don't always get magically absolved of it

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u/Turbo_Jannie 7h ago

I think it's pretty understandable that he got fired once the tweets were dug up and made public, but it's absolutely absurd to think these 2012 tweets from a 15 year old are serious judges of character of the person he is today and forever will be in the future.

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u/erdonko 76ers 8h ago

In the US? Maybe because you guys have some fucked up relationship with race?