TV announcer suggests gay college athlete be punched for his ‘antics’
TV announcer apologizes for suggesting a gay college athlete be punched, as a coach says the broadcaster should be in jail. The post TV announcer suggests gay college athlete be punched for his ‘antics’ appeared first on Outsports.
Mark
Gay college volleyball player Jordan Lucas was the target of a comment suggesting he be punched in the face, made by volleyball legend Charlie Brande during a broadcast of a recent game.
When Cal State Northridge and UC-Irvine played last week, during the broadcast Brande observed a celebration by Lucas after a play. That’s when Brande told the broadcast audience that Lucas’ behavior was unacceptable and suggested he should be assaulted.
“I’m amazed Jordan Lucas hasn’t been popped by somebody,” Brande said. “The antics he’s making under the net, it’s very distasteful.”
Lucas is known for his brief celebrations after good plays. His “antics,” as Brande called them, are flamboyant could be considered stereotypically “gay.”
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After seeming to suggest the college athlete should be punched in the face, Brande issued the predictable public apology.
“I’d like to publicly apologize for my comment on the UC IRVINE VS CSUN Broadcast, Thursday, April 9,” Charlie Brande said in a comment over the weekend. “Most importantly, I apologize to Jordan, I whole-heartedly regret my comment towards him. I take full accountability for my comment and the damage it may have caused. Violence should never be acceptable or tolerated.
“I have spent my life promoting the game of volleyball and regret any harm to the sport or the people that play it. I will learn from this and work to do better.”
Reached by Outsports, Lucas declined to comment on the situation but did confirm he is gay.
Reactions to Charlie Brande suggesting punching Jordan Lucas
Arielle Houlihan, a volleyball coach popular on Instagram who says she has watched Lucas since he was 14, shared a powerful statement about her feelings about the athlete’s “antics” and coming to understand the powerful impact the young man has had on other gay men in the sport.
Houlihan also said Brande should be in “jail” for suggesting someone commit a “hate crime” against Lucas.
“Jail. That’s the only word I have for it,” she wrote. “My mouth dropped. An absolute abomination. Popped? So like a hate crime right?”
Volleyball commentator Canaan said Brande’s comments were clearly directed at Lucas because the player is gay.
“If a straight player did this, it’s seen as tough. But because what Jordan did is feminine and flamboyant, all of a sudden he needs to be ‘popped’?”
Canaan went further, calling for action from both the Big West Conference and the NCAA.
“This is actually ridiculous,” Canaan said on Instagram. “This cannot be tolerated. This is disgusting behavior from a college sports announcer.
Jordan Lucas is a gay athlete for CSUN volleyball
Lucas has not been shy about being gay on the CSUN volleyball team, even taking team photos for his former team holding a fan, popular in gay party culture.
Jordan Lucas is a redshirt junior from the Los Angeles area. He played for Grand Canyon University before transferring to CSUN. Lucas has some of the best stats for CSUN, with the second-most kills and a serve percentage over 90%.
The CSUN Matadors are nationally ranked in the top 25 in NCAA men’s Division I volleyball, with UC-Irvine in the top 10.
Charlie Brande was inducted into the UC-Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame two years ago. He played basketball for the Anteaters before shifting to volleyball. He was Director of Volleyball for the school, taking over the women’s program and coaching the men.
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The post TV announcer suggests gay college athlete be punched for his ‘antics’ appeared first on Outsports.
