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An announcer at a high school hockey tournament in Minnesota was reportedly yanked from the broadcast booth Thursday after making a reference to \u201clynching ropes\u201d after a goal, video shows.<\/p>\n
Doug McLeod, a play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports North, made the off-color comment as he called the Minnesota Boys\u2019 State Hockey Tournament Class AA quarterfinals between White Bear Lake and Blaine, according to a six-second video clip posted to Twitter.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the White Bear fans get out the lynching ropes,\u201d McLeod said. \u201cJust reporting.\u201d<\/p>\n
McLeod, who typically covers the University of Minnesota men\u2019s hockey team for Fox Sports North, was invited to work the booth during the 75th<\/sup> annual high school hockey championships at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. But that special appearance was cut short after the remark during the second period, the Star Tribune reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n The comment prompted Tom Hauser, chief political reporter for KSTP who worked the game as its studio host for tournament coverage on KSTC-TV, to apologize later in the broadcast. McLeod, meanwhile, did not return to the booth to call a second scheduled game.<\/p>\n \u201cEarlier in this broadcast this afternoon, there was an inappropriate comment made,\u201d Hauser said. \u201cIf you were offended by this comment, we sincerely apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n Messages seeking additional comment from KSTC and Fox Sports North were not immediately returned Friday. A University of Minnesota spokeswoman referred inquires regarding McLeod to Fox Sports North, while McLeod could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, McLeod said he was \u201cthrilled\u201d to return to work the high school hockey tournament again.<\/p>\n In a tweet, which has since been deleted, McLeod agreed with a user who said the controversy was overblown.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d McLeod posted. \u201cYou are exactly right. This country is so thin-skinned and easily offended that an innocent remark like that gets pounced on and my career, perhaps, trashed. I appreciate thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n