Thom Brennaman was banished from the broadcast booth in 2020 for his homophobic remarks during a hot mic moment before a Reds game, but he's returning as a play-by-play announcer four years later.
The ex-Reds broadcast voice is switching sports and will call college football games for the CW. He'll be the lead play-by-play man for the organization's college football coverage this season, according to The Athletic.
Brennaman's first game back in the booth will come on Aug. 31 for the Oregon State vs. Idaho State matchup.
"There are no words to describe how grateful I am that they're rolling the dice," Brennaman told The Athletic. "They don't have to do this."
The CW welcomes him onto the staff after establishing itself in the sports programming world in 2023. Here's why the company hired Brennaman and what he said in 2020 to get fired.
MORE: Is the Nick Castellanos effect real?
Why did the CW hire Thom Brennaman?
Brennaman has been out of the booth for four years now, but he had been a long-time announcer for multiple teams and sports before his 2020 incident.
He's covered the Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Reds in the MLB as well as working national broadcasts for MLB, the NFL, and college football. He called a college football championship and was even on the mic for Derek Jeter's famous flip to home plate.
The CW knew his history before the 2020 incident and asked other people in the broadcasting industry if they'd vouch for Brennaman.
"It became clear that he has taken full responsibility for his actions," said Dennis Miller, the CW president.
Bob Costas, a longtime broadcaster, was one of the people the CW reached out to. Costas said:
"Neither Thom nor anyone else denies that he had a serious misstep. A misstep for which some consequence would have been appropriate. But the price he has paid is beyond disproportionate. Especially when you consider that he had a fine reputation prior to the incident, and took every proper step to make amends subsequent to it. His return to the booth is overdue and I am sure the audience will be happy to hear his voice again."
In addition to his previous coverage in baseball and football, Brennanman comes from a broadcasting family. His father, Marty Brennaman, is a Hall of Fame radio broadcaster.
MORE: What are the best college football games to watch in 2024?
What did Thom Brennaman say?
Brennaman was caught on a hot mic saying, "one of the f– capitals of the world."
He was working play-by-play for the Reds vs. Royals game on Aug. 19, 2020 and believed his mic was off. Obviously, it turned out that it wasn't, and his comment went viral instantly.
Brennaman made the remark during the pregame broadcast and eventually addressed it during the fifth inning of the game. He apologized and understood that he may never return to the broadcast booth.
While his usage of the homophobic slur was a major takeaway, the apology is what is remembered so vividly four years later. He began his speech during Nick Castellanos' at-bat before the Reds' slugger interrupted him with a home run.
"I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of. If I have hurt anyone out there, I can’t tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart that I am so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, that will be a home run, and so that will make it a 4-0 ballgame."
The quote has become a viral meme over the years and has begun a trend in which fans keep track of Castellanos' home runs during somber moments. The outfielder is now with the Phillies, and he hit a home run just hours after the announcement of Brennaman's return to the booth.
Fitting.
