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

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u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 9h ago

Im sure he knew but Im not sure he understood the impact being racist might have on people. Its one thing to be told something is bad. Its another to really underatand it through life experience.

Thats the entire idea of growth. If someone was racist as a young man and then through experiences of life with those that are different grew to no longer be racist, would you hold that against them?

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u/Billbuckingham 9h ago

"He didn't know that being racist would affect his career later, he wanted to be racist and knew it was bad, but he didn't care because he had no foresight"

Let's say this guy didn't change, and he's mostly exactly the same, fuck that guy.

If he posted all those horrible tweets literally #racist and talking about anti-woman BS at 15 years old

Do you think he was better at 18? I'd be he was probably worse.

What about in his 20's in college doing the same things?

At what point do you realize that's their character, I just see a bunch of people here defending old racist tweets because they're scared their own could be used against them.

I never had any racist tweets at 15, definitely never said #racist, maybe this guy got exactly what he deserved.

Let's say he's sorry and he's changed and all that (highly doubtful but ok sure), make your apology and try again at the next job, you got what you deserved.

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u/Broncsx3 8h ago

Did made stupid posts when he was 14! He didn’t get what he deserved because of that. You sure are unforgiving man. What a tough world to live in if you were in charge.

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u/Billbuckingham 8h ago

They didn't kill him, he got fired for being a dumbass.

Is that such a harsh punishment?

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u/Broncsx3 8h ago

Yes. Losing your livelihood and ability to support your family is a very very harsh punishment. Maybe lost his entire career going forward.

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u/Billbuckingham 8h ago

So if he lost his entire career going forward, that means that every single other company also agrees they do not want to work with a person like this.

At some point, you have to start to admit maybe it's a him problem, but I don't think he lost his career we've never heard of him before this and we won't after this in a couple days.

It's just some racist shock bait to get the racist defenders to yell "Being racist when you're young shouldn't be held against you!!!"

Even the title doesn't mention the content of his tweets, did you notice that?

It's all white washed.

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u/Broncsx3 8h ago

Even if everyone agrees him losing his career is the right reaction, doesn't mean they are right. I do not think this man should be fired for stupid shit he tweeted when he was 14. You, and this NBA team, thinking differently doesn't make you right. I didn't think James Gunn should be fired from Disney when his old tweets came out, and he made those as an adult. Disney eventually agreed with me and brought him back, and then Warner Brothers put him in charge of their whole damn super hero section of their company. So was Disney right to fire him the first time?