Update (March 14, 2021): The Oklahoma high school sports broadcaster who described the kneeling basketball players as “f***king n*****s” this week has issued a curious apology.
Matt Rowan tried to explain himself in a statement to TMZ, admitting his error, but using diabetes as part of the reason for his racist remarks that were caught on a live microphone.
"I will state that I suffer type 1 diabetes and during the game, my sugar was spiking," the 44-year-old said. "While not excusing my remarks, it is not unusual when my sugar spikes that I become disoriented and often say things that are not appropriate as well as hurtful."
The broadcaster was recorded on a livestream when he made the racist comment on Thursday, targeting his remarks at the Norman High School girls who kneeled in protest during the national anthem before facing Midwest City in a state basketball tournament.
"They're kneeling? F***ing n*****s. I hope Norman gets their ass kicked. F*** them. I hope they lose. They're gonna kneel like that?" he said.
While he’s now bringing his health into the picture, the disgraced announcer says he’s not trying to hide behind diabetes.
"I do not believe that I would have made such horrible statements absent my sugar spiking," he told TMZ. "I'm absolutely speechless for my rhetoric. I want to offer my deepest apologies to these girls because I hurt them. [The n-word] should never be thought much less muttered."
On Saturday, the Norman High School girls basketball team completed its undefeated season and won the 6A state championship, KOCO reported. It was not only a celebration for the team but also a testament to the character they showed after a harrowing experience.
Watching this city come together to support and celebrate those young women is easily one of the top 5 moments as mayor….
Posted by Mayor Breea Clark on Saturday, March 13, 2021
"Watching this city come together to support and celebrate those young women is easily one of the top 5 moments as mayor," Norman Mayor Breea Clark posted on Facebook. "The character, bravery, and resiliency of these athletes is inspiring! Congrats, ladies!"
Original (March 12, 2021): The Oklahoma youth sports community is outraged and has condemned the remarks of a high school sports broadcaster who slew racist remarks at Black female basketball players for kneeling during the national anthem.
On Thursday, announcers with the National Federation of High School Network were recorded on livestream calling the kneeling athletes “f***king n*****s” during a contest between Norman and Midwest City high schools in a state basketball tournament, according to ABC affiliate KOCO News 5.
Hey @NFHSNetwork looks like you forgot to cut the Mic!!! "F****** N******" is the one that really got me!! Tell us how you really feel!! THIS IS WHY THEY KNEEL!!!@Migliorino_Nick
@tohara_o
@NHS_AthDept
@gonormantigers
pic.twitter.com/mmWQAecLaF— Frankie Parks (@CoachFParks) March 12, 2021
David Jackson, executive director of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), confirmed that the broadcast crew will not be allowed to cover any more championship games while it conducts an investigation into the matter.
"On behalf of the NFHS Network and the OSSAA, we sincerely apologize that this happened at one of our events. While we are currently investigating the incident, this crew will not be doing any more games for the remainder of our championships,” he said.
“This kind of behavior will never be tolerated by anyone representing the NFHS or OSSAA. State tournament playoffs are a special time for our schools, their students, and their communities, and anything that is counter-productive to education-based activities will be addressed immediately and appropriately,” Jackson added.
On Friday, Norman Mayor Breea Clark released a statement condemning “the racist and hateful comments directed towards” the student-athletes on the Norman High School basketball team, according to KOCO News.
“These young athletes were simply expressing themselves as hundreds of professional athletes around the nation have done, and no one, let alone a child, deserves to experience this kind of racist and toxic behavior. The announcer could’ve stopped with declaring he hoped our team would lose, but instead he went further and decided to use profanity and racist slurs about our children,” she said.
Mayor Clark also called for the school activities association to terminate its contract with the NFHS.
“Join me in calling for the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) to end their contract with the National Federation of High School (NFHS) Network,” she began. “Their employees do not need to be anywhere near children. Further, these young women and their team deserve a public apology from NFHS and OSSAA. There is NO PLACE for this behavior in our nation, and certainly not in youth sports.”
The high school sports network issued a statement firmly denouncing any forms of racism, discrimination or hate, saying “there is no room for this in high school sports or anywhere.”
"We sincerely apologize to the students, their families and the entire community for having such ignorant comments expressed during the broadcast. We are aggressively investigating the incident and will ensure that any individuals responsible will have no relationship with the NFHS Network moving forward," the statement read.
According to an update on the Norman High School webpage, Superintendent Nick Migliorino revealed that the school will rely on its partnership with SportsTalk Media to livestream the rest of the basketball tournament.
Migliorino expressed great disappointment that the Norman girls' hard work is being overshadowed by “vile, malignant” words uttered by adults meant to cover them athletically. He said he’ll do everything in his power to support and uplift the team following the incident.
