Photo: Bryan Woolston/Getty
The San Francisco 49ers have suspended a radio analyst after he made racially insensitive remarks during an appearance on a local sports talk show.
On Monday, San Francisco 49ers’ radio analyst Tim Ryan said that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had an in-game advantage because of his “dark skin color.”
“He’s really good at that fake, Lamar Jackson, but when you consider his dark skin color with a dark football with a dark uniform, you could not see that thing,” Ryan, 52, said during his weekly segment on KNBR radio station’sMurph and Macmorning show, according to theSan Francisco Chronicle.
He continued: “I mean, you literally could not see when he was in and out of the mesh point, and if you’re a half step slow on him in terms of your vision, forget about it, he’s out of the gate.”
Tim Ryan, 2012.Cindy Ord/Getty
The analyst will sit out the 49ers’ next matchup, which is against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
“Tim has expressed remorse in a public statement and has also done so with us privately,” the statement continued. “We know Tim as a man of high integrity and are confident he will grow and learn from this experience.”
The team said it contacted the Ravens on Wednesday to “extend our apologies.” A spokesperson from the Baltimore team confirmed to PEOPLE that the 49ers reached out and “explained what happened.”
Lamar Jackson.Rob Carr/Getty
Issuing an apology, Ryan said he has “respect” for 22-year-old Jackson.
“I regret my choice of words in trying to describe the conditions of the game,” Ryan said in a statement. “Lamar Jackson is an MVP-caliber player and I respect him greatly. I want to sincerely apologize to him and anyone else I offended.”
Raised in Pompano Beach, Florida, Jackson is currently in his second season with the NFL. He was awarded the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 2016.
source: people.com
