NC State Announcer Suspended for Saying 'Illegal Aliens' During Broadcast
Just before 2022 ends, the sports world provided another entry for most ridiculous suspension of the year.
North Carolina State basketball and football announcer Gary Hahn has been suspended indefinitely after a comment he made on Friday.
What exactly was his crime?
Well, Hahn was broadcasting the NC State-Maryland Mayo Bowl game and according to The News & Observer, said "down among all the illegal aliens in El Paso it’s UCLA 14 and Pittsburgh 6."
Learfield Communications, Hahn's employer, apparently decided that fairly innocuous comment was worthy of an "indefinite" punishment.
Wolfpack Sports Properties general manager Kyle Winchester made a statement about the incident confirming Learfield's decision.
“Learfield has suspended Wolfpack Sports Network play-by-play announcer Gary Hahn from his agreement indefinitely following comments made during today’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl radio broadcast."
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 30: Fa'Najae Gotay #9 of the Maryland Terrapins attempts to tackle Thayer Thomas #5 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the first half of the Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium on December 30, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Learfield Makes Mistake with Suspension
The Mayo Bowl certainly provided a lot of excitement, between fan behavior and this suspension.
READ: IS THIS NC STATE FAN CHUGGING MAYO DISGUSTING OR ELECTRIC?
But this seems entirely unjustified, especially considering the "indefinite" nature.
It's unquestionably a statement of fact that there are "illegal aliens" crossing the border into El Paso, Texas, with remarkable frequency.
The mayor, just a few days ago, declared a state of emergency due to the border crisis. Perhaps most concerning was that he said he couldn't guarantee residents' safety, according to Fox News.
But this factual statement has been labeled by media outlets like Bleacher Report as "offensive."
Was it offensive that he made a joke about the border disaster? Or that he referred to migrants as "illegal aliens?"
Because that's exactly the term that official government websites use as well.
Just earlier this year, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Georgia announced potential punishment for an illegal alien.
So would Learfield have punished the U.S. government for not using the correct, woke terminology?
Broadcasters are frequently allowed or even encouraged to interject political or objectionable remarks. Heck, ESPN's Mark Jones can barely go a few days without saying something ridiculous.
But he does it from the correct ideology, which was the real reason for Hahn's punishment.
Illegal alien is not preferred terminology on the left, and so he was indefinitely suspended. One of the most ridiculous decisions of the year.