Hornets radio announcer John Focke tweeted the n-word rather than “Nuggets” when describing Denver-Utah Game 1:
The Charlotte Hornets have indefinitely suspended radio play-by-play announcer John Focke after a tweet he sent Monday which included the N-word, per https://t.co/DLwZUwC8Bb pic.twitter.com/lbNQrTe4lt
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 18, 2020
Focke called it a “horrific error” and said he mistyped. The “i” is next to the “u” and the “r” is next to the “t” on a standard keyboard.
Appropriately, the Hornets investigated.
Hornets:
Charlotte Hornets Statement: pic.twitter.com/6FS29oU5Yj
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) September 3, 2020
If the Hornets’ investigation uncovered a pattern of troubling behavior or Focke admitted he intended to tweet the n-word, this would be justified.
If Focke got fired for mistyping, that’s absolutely ridiculous.
I don’t know which is the case. Hopefully, the Hornets do. But a refusal to explain their conclusion doesn’t inspire confidence in their investigation.