ROOT Sports hockey broadcaster Stan Savran found himself in hot water on Saturday after making an insensitive reference to the controversial Eric Garner case during the first intermission of the Pittsburgh Penguins game.
Penguins broadcaster makes awkward ‘I Can’t Breathe’ joke
Stan Savran apologized for the remark soon after.
The Columbus Blue Jackets had just finished a pretty dominant period of hockey against the Pens, taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Savran decided to make a rather misguided joke about just how badly the Penguins were struggling.
In case you’re unaware, the “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts Savran was referring to are shirts many people (including athletes) are wearing to protest the aftermath of the Eric Garner case. Garner was killed in New York in July when a police officer put him in a stranglehold, and a recent grand jury decision not to indict the officer has resulted in weeks of protest around the country.
So, probably not something you want to compare to a hockey game. To Savran’s credit, he did apologize on air soon after for the remark before taking to Twitter to apologize some more.
I can't express how sorry I am for my mindless comment. Certainly wasn't intended to make light of a tragic situation. Totally unacceptable
— Stan Savran (@StanLoveTheShow) December 14, 2014 and just plain stupid. It's now how I've conducted myself during my career. Again, I apologize and hope you can forgive me.
— Stan Savran (@StanLoveTheShow) December 14, 2014 See More:
