Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

ESPN anchor Anderson apologizes for mocking Vegas defenceman Whitecloud's name

Share

ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor John Anderson apologized to Zach Whitecloud, a First Nation member in Canada, on Tuesday after comparing the Vegas Golden Knights defenceman's last name to toilet paper the previous night.

Whitecloud told reporters in Edmonton that he spoke with Anderson on Tuesday morning.

"I think it was an attempt at humour that came out as being obviously insensitive, and he acknowledges that," Whitecloud said. "He understands that it was wrong to say. I wanted to make sure he knew that I accepted his apology. People make mistakes, and this is a scenario where not just John but everyone can learn from and move forward in a positive direction and try to be better for."

Anderson's comments came while narrating Whitecloud scoring in the Knights' 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night. Vegas leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday night in Edmonton.

"What kind of name is Whitecloud?" Anderson asked during the highlights. "A great name if you're a toilet paper."

Whitecloud is the first member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation to play in the NHL.

"This is totally on me and I sincerely apologize to Zach, the Golden Knights, their fans and everyone else for what I said," Anderson said in a statement. "It's my job to be prepared and know the backgrounds of the players and I blew it."

While speaking to reporters, Whitecloud became emotional when talking about his background.

"I'm proud of my culture," Whitecloud said. "I'm proud of where I come from and where I was raised, who I was raised by. I carry my grandfather's last name, and nothing makes me more proud than to be able to do that. In our culture, we were raised to be the first ones to reach out and offer help, so that's why I reached out to John this morning."

This is the second time in less than a week an announcer made news over a comment.

Last week, Oakland Athletics announcer Glen Kuiper appeared to mispronounce "negro" during the pre-game show on NBC Sports California when talking about a visit to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Kuiper apologized during the A's-Kansas City Royals broadcast "if it sounded different than I meant it to be said."

NBC Sports California suspended Kuiper the next day.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Emotions boiled over after a judge acquitted two out of three defendants in a manslaughter case, while the third accused has since died.

A Toronto senior says she can’t believe that two roofers took advantage of her, despite knowing she was recently widowed and suffering from a painful disability.

A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.

Local Spotlight

A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.

Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.

A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.

Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.

Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.

Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.

A gargantuan gourd – affectionately named ‘Orangina’ by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home – earned the massive honour of being named B.C.’s heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.

Stay Connected