Blazers Reject Fired Broadcaster's Plea for Second Chance
The Portland Trail Blazers reaffirmed their decision to dismiss Braiden Bell after racist and misogynistic social media posts from his teenage years resurfaced.
The Portland Trail Blazers have stood by their decision to fire new television play-by-play announcer Braiden Bell, rejecting his plea for a second chance. Bell was hired by the team but was quickly dismissed after offensive social media posts he made as a teenager came to light.
Bell, through his counsel Arnie Herz, had asked the team to reconsider, questioning whether "the worst words a fifteen-year-old ever wrote decide the rest of his life." Herz stated that Bell has owned his past actions and demonstrated his growth since. However, the Blazers reaffirmed their commitment to their initial decision.
"We stand by our statement issued last week and have no further comment at this time. We wish Mr. Bell the best," the team told The Athletic.
The problematic posts, dating back to 2012 and 2013 when Bell was approximately 15 years old, included derogatory remarks about "Asian people" and misogynistic comments. One post from December 9, 2012, read, "I’m not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people piss me off! Hahaha #Honest." Another from February 13, 2013, said, "We got a slut alert on aisle 10."
According to reports, a journalist at KGW in Portland discovered the posts and contacted the team for comment before Bell's termination. The Blazers issued a statement emphasizing their zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments.
"Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster," the team stated. They also apologized to fans, acknowledging they "did not meet our own bar in this process" and vowed to ensure their new broadcaster would reflect the team's values of inclusivity and safety.
Reports indicated that no offensive posts were found from Bell's adult years. Bell was hired to replace long-time Blazers announcer Kevin Calabro, who departed after reportedly being offered a "subprime" contract.