Detroit Tigers broadcaster Rod Allen is an African American so he should feel some type of way about stereotyping a certain race. But he obviously lost his mind when he said the postgame meal for the Detroit Tigers (which mostly consist of Latino players) should include rice and beans.
Here are the details per Yahoo! Sports:
Allen made an unfunny and inappropriate attempt at a joke about Latinos during Fox Sports Detroit’s telecast Thursday night.
Allen, a color analyst since 2003, said the postgame meal in the Tigers clubhouse at Target Field should include rice and beans, because most of the team’s lineup against the Twins had Latino heritage.
Below is the conversation between Allen and Tigers play-by-play man Mario Impemba.
Allen: “Lot of quality at-bats tonight by Tigers batters.”
(Avila fouls off a pitch.)
Allen: “Tigers pretty much got a all-Latin squad out there tonight.”
Impemba: “Ordoñez, Cabrera, Martinez, Peralta, Guillen, Avila, Betemit. Jackson and Boesch don’t qualify.”
Allen: “They’re gonna have to get some rice and beans for the postgame spread tonight.”
Impemba: “[Nervous-sounding laugh]. Yes, they are. … Two and two!”
Allen should be suspended!
I know we have freedom of speech, but if this was a white broadcaster and he said ON AIR that the Miami Heat postgame meal should include fried chicken, watermelon and red Kool-aid Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and all Black people would be calling for the man’s job and his head.
I know we all crack jokes about the stereotypes of Latinos and Hispanics, but it’s a difference between saying the jokes amongst friends and saying them on live television for millions of people to hear.
I hope Fox Sports Detroit handles Allen immediately because that comment was uncalled for.