On Friday, December 30th, long-time N.C. State radio broadcaster Gary Hahn was suspended indefinitely following a casual remark about illegal immigrants during the Mayo Bowl.
During the 16-12 loss to Maryland, Hahn gave listeners an update on the Sun Bowl occurring simultaneously, saying “Down among all the illegal aliens in El Paso, it’s UCLA 14 and Pittsburgh 6.”
This prompted a rapid response from the university, suspending Hahn for his allegedly “offensive” remarks. The beloved “Voice of the Wolfpack” has called football and men’s basketball for N.C. State since 1991, and on two occasions won North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year.
Learfield Communications, the broadcast rights holder of NC State, released a statement regarding the disciplinary action against Hahn, reading, “Learfield has suspended Wolfpack Sports Network play-by-play announcer Gary Hahn indefinitely following comments made during today’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl radio broadcast.”
The swift actions of the university has prompted confusion and spurred support for the broadcaster among fans. The Twitter account @SealPacker wrote,”I really don’t understand the outrage. It’s not like his comment wasn’t factually correct. It’s sad that any comment perceived to be offensive to someone these days or a differing opinion can result in your life and career being canceled at the drop of a hat.”
Daragh O’Sullivan also made a remark on Twitter, writing that,”Speaking the truth is prohibited. It’s 1984″, while EMMY award winner Graham Ledger added some kindle to the fire, saying, “As a broadcaster, I can tell you this was not an error/mistake or poor choice of words. His words were decisive and accurate. They were meant to convey the truth about his country being destroyed by an invading army of… ILLEGAL ALIENS. SUPPORT THIS MAN: Gary Hahn.”
A major community event in El Paso on the eve of the Sun Bowl, the Fan Fiesta, was canceled in order to turn the downtown El Paso Civic Center into a shelter for upwards of 1,000 immigrants. A state of emergency was recently declared by the city in response to a sudden uptick of illegal border crossing over the winter months, which directly caused the cancellation of the Fan Fiesta. The decision to cancel the event sparked outrage amongst members of the community, and likely contributed to the undeservedly “controversial” statement by Gary Hahn.
Kyle Winchester, the General Manager of Wolfpack Sports Properties, the NCSU division of Learfield Communications, attended UNC Chapel Hill, a notably progressive public university in North Carolina, and the phrase “Stand for Diversity” is publicly stated in his LinkedIn bio at the time of this publishing. This may suggest a politically-motivated bias in the discipline taken against Hahn.
In a campus environment that continues to grow increasingly progressive, many are now wondering if his indefinite suspension will turn into a termination. Given the high profile nature of this predicament, the decision that results may be a bellwether for the socio-political direction that N.C. State will continue to move in.
As of January 14, Hahn returned to the Wolf Pack following a short apology.
What if he said, “amongst the eskimos” if the game was against North Dakota and Montana St? Taking offense is a choice when it does not inhibit your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I support the voice of the Wolfpack.