Chris Broussard Made A Mistake, And His Critics Need To Get Over It | Bobby Burack

Fox Sports host Chris Broussard is under fire for using the word "retarded" during a television debate about the Los Angeles Clippers trading for guard James Harden.

Broussard is still trending on X, some 20 hours later.

Nearly every high-volume publication from the New York Post to the Daily Mail to Barstool to Mediaite has covered the segment.

Perpetually offended journalists and social media users have called for his job.

Political writer Matt Taibbi thinks it's possible:

As usual, the decibel scale of outrage will determine Broussard's future. Yet that says more about the industry than Broussard.

Chris Broussard apologized for using the term mere seconds after he used it.

“Let me apologize for using that word,” Broussard interrupted his co-host, Nick Wright. “I didn’t mean to use that word. I apologize to the audience and everyone.”

Consider the difference between Broussard's apology and most on-air expressions of regret.

A boss didn't tell Broussard to say he's sorry. He didn't release a PR-written acknowledgment of his mistake. He didn't rehearse or pre-tape an apology.

Broussard made the decision himself. He showed immediate regret. His apology was sincere.

Other critics took issue with Broussard referencing his developmentally disabled cousin during his apology:

"My first cousin… he just died a few months ago," said Broussard. "He was developmentally disabled.."

https://twitter.com/StuartFeiner/status/1719432303464632729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1719446576190378113%7Ctwgr%5E028b2f42e7424ae4df4beecc18a94d442d43f120%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Fsports%2Ffox-sports-chris-broussard-under-fire-for-asking-if-james-harden-is-rtarded-live-on-air%2F

Broussard didn't help himself by citing his cousin's death. It was awkward and unnecessary.

However, he wasn't citing his cousin as a get-out-of-jail-free card as much as an offhand way of explaining why he should not have used the word.

What's more, any honest person can tell Broussard was not referencing the mentally challenged community but using the word as a dysphemism for "dumb."

It was previously quite common to use the word that way, particularly after the 2019 film "The Hangover" when Alan erroneously pronounced the word as "retard."

The term has grown less polysemous over the past few years with the increased awareness of the struggles that bedevil those who are mentally challenged.

(Photo by Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

Intent matters. Broussard's intent was not ill.

The outrage isn't a matter of critics wanting Brousard to show remorse. He already did. They want to destroy him as if doing so is their sport.

Case in point: "journalists" have brought up a previous comment Broussard made in 2013 when he called gay NBA player Jason Collins a “sinner," for no other reason than to further frame Broussard as an unemployable bigot.

Of course, the journalists left out that Broussard is an avowed Christian, who views homosexuality biblically.

"I'm a Christian. I don't agree with homosexuality. I think it's a sin, as I think all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is," he said at the time.

That's his opinion. That's his faith. And the outrage over his commentary 10 years ago is as fake as the outage today.

OutKick reached out to Chris Broussard for comment. He didn't respond by the time of publication.