SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – A Memphis TV station is investigating its chief meteorologist after he used a racist slur to refer to Golden State Warriors' star Draymond Green in a social media post last weekend.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
At the end of the Warriors' 142-114 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday, Joey Sulipeck, Chief Meteorologist for Memphis' FOX affiliate WHBQ-TV, reacted on Twitter after Grizzlies' forward Kyle Anderson was ejected from the game in the closing minutes.
"And chew on this. Draymond runs his knuckle-dragging open mouth ALL GAME LONG, but mild-mannered Kyle Anderson disputes one call and gets ejected? Next level jackassery,” Sulpieck, who is white, wrote at 8:45 p.m. in a now deleted tweet.
"Knuckle-dragger" is a racist term generally used to compare Black people to apes, literally referring to large primates walking upright with their knuckles close to the ground.
Sulipeck later that night responded to the firestorm of criticism he quickly received, saying, "Anyone who knows me knows what I am. Race is never an issue to me. To anyone who was offended, I apologize but there was no ill intent."
He has since deactivated his entire account.
Green responded to Sulipeck's comments in his Instagram story last Sunday, posting an image of the tweet and writing the caption, "Are you surprised? Don't apologize. STAND ON IT!"
The station on Monday released a statement in response to the incident.
"During Saturday's Memphis Grizzlies' game, Meteorologist Joey Sulipeck tweeted a comment that does not reflect the values of FOX13. We take this matter very seriously and will take appropriate action pending a full investigation," the outlet said.
Sulipeck's comments were roundly criticized across the both the sports and media industry, including by other Memphis journalists.
Warriors' Head Coach Steve Kerr was asked about the tweet during a Sunday press conference.
"Does it surprise me that a weatherman would tweet a slur at Draymond in 2022? Not in the slightest bit," he responded. "This is America. This is how we operate."
Sulipeck has not publicly commented since Saturday night and it's unclear whether he will still be allowed to appear on the air during the investigation.
LISTEN to KCBS Radio
FAVORITE KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
