I don’t know that there’s any commentary to be made here apart from flagging it as one of the weirdest broadcast moments in recent history. Not the open-mic part; we’re all familiar with people getting caught saying something they shouldn’t near a microphone. Why, the sitting president of the United States nearly had his campaign implode four years ago after an old recording of him caught on a hot mic went public.

The weird part was how quickly Thom Brennaman shifted to damage control as news of what he said spread.

Here he was last night at the end of a commercial break before the seventh inning of game one of a Reds/Royals doubleheader, on the air unbeknownst to him. Lord only knows what he was talking about that led him to this soundbite.

Here’s a better video with the full bit of the perceived tHom homophobic comment at around the 2:06 mark of the game. pic.twitter.com/g1yBHg8zA0

— Church of Baseball ⚾ (@churchofbasebal) August 19, 2020

By the top of the fifth inning of the second game, word had gotten around on social media that Brennaman had said something he shouldn’t have. Most people’s reactions in a situation like that, I think, would be to ignore it and deal with it later. Just get through the game, see how bad the fallout is afterward, then call in the PR guys for clean-up.

But we live in an age of “cancellation.” Brennaman must have grasped, correctly, that the slur he uttered might not only cost him his job but that the axe might fall before the day was done. Issuing an anodyne, impersonal written apology after the fact would be easy for critics to dismiss. So he did something bold: In the top of the fifth inning, he frankly acknowledged his screw-up, apologized profusely, and basically begged for his job.

And you know what? It might work. A groveling apology delivered personally, on camera, within just an hour or two of his screw-up *might* get him enough sympathy to escape with a suspension. To make it extra surreal, a home run was hit smack dab in the middle of his mea culpa, forcing him to pause for a moment and make the call. And then, right then and there, he announced that he was done for the night.

Thom Brennaman apologizes, leaves @reds broadcast after open-mic disaster tonight. pic.twitter.com/ZAFYKtJRRo

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) August 20, 2020

“That is not who I am, and never has been,” Brennaman claimed, implausibly. Dude, it was who you were literally three hours before.

His suspension was duly issued after the game. But he’s not fired — yet.

pic.twitter.com/cdmmqsGjlg

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 20, 2020

It’s worth noting that Brennaman has called games for the team for years and his father, Marty, called them for decades on the radio. The Brennamans are a Cincinnati institution of sorts. They team’s not just weighing the fate of any ol’ broadcaster here.

Whether he survives depends on two things, I think. First, local reaction. Is the public, especially prominent members of the public, in a forgiving mood or nah? Not lookin’ good early:

What Thom Brennaman said tonight isn’t just a slur, but a statement that devalues and mocks the dignity of an entire community of people. It does not represent the values of the @reds or our city. He should go.

— Councilman Greg Landsman (@GregLandsman) August 20, 2020

The Brennaman family are Cincinnati sports icons with a powerful voice in our community, which makes it even more disgusting and totally unprofessional to hear such language used. The Reds have been proud supporters of their LGBTQ+ fans, and this language cannot be tolerated.

— Chris Seelbach (@ChrisSeelbach) August 20, 2020

Cincinnati went from being one of the least LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the country to becoming one of the most. We've made great strides – Brennaman's slur is completely unacceptable, and does not represent the city we know and love. https://t.co/f3McgdSMkD

— P.G. Sittenfeld (@PGSittenfeld) August 20, 2020

Second, will anyone who’s worked with Brennaman come forward to accuse him of having made similar “off-color” remarks before? The more of a pattern there is, the easier it’ll be for the Reds and Fox to pull the plug. We’ll find out on the next episode of “The Cancellation of Thom Brennaman.” Stay tuned.