Hot Microphone

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Thom Brenneman is a really good sports announcer.

I’ve always preferred when he was calling a game rather than Joe Buck.

Seems I won’t be hearing him anymore.

Thom was heard using a gay-bashing word on a hot microphone. Before the game was even over he was well aware that he was done. He actually yanked himself from the broadcast and talked about how he figured he was cooked.

It was inexcusable.

Yet, I once had a hot microphone moment of my own.

Back in college, I reported the news on the college radio station. I even spun records.

It was great fun.

But on the day hockey goalie Pelle Lindbergh died I was getting the news stories in order as the DJ was hosting his show.

He yelled out to me:

“Hey, Fuzzy, what did you think about Lindbergh?”

“It f****ng sucks!” I yelled.

He didn’t answer me.

Instead, he was talking into the microphone...

...apologizing.

He slapped a record on, and then muted his microphone.

“You dumb bastard!” He said.

“That went out?”

The ringing telephone answered my question. It was my teacher.

He wasn’t happy.

“Have you learned your lesson about a hot microphone?”

I had.

Always looked for the light from that point on.

Thing is, my F-word was excusable...

...Thom’s wasn’t.

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