On air ‘Tarp off’ comment, as convoluted as it was, has spooked Ron MacLean into silence
Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Too bad for The Great One, then, that Canadian sports broadcasting was at that very moment in the middle of yet another case study of Why You Must Never Let Your Guard Down When You Are On-AirThe MacLean gaffe was, like many of his interjected asides over the years, almost too convoluted to explain, but let’s give it a shot.’s first intermission segment on Tuesday, MacLean had joked with his panelists about an old photo that Kevin Bieksa had on the shelf above him.
What was that supposed to mean? The incident became a real-time Rorschach test for the masses. Many among the online horde assumed the worst, jumping to the conclusion that MacLean had implied something homophobic. Minutes later, Sportsnet issued a statement of support for MacLean, noting he has “a strong history of being an outspoken ally and continues to advocate for all equity-seeking communities.”The ground has shifted beneath the feet of on-air broadcasters. As a breed, when the red light goes on, they operate on pure instinct, but if they can’t trust themselves not to offend, how can they do their job?