STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

49ers Broadcaster Tim Ryan Suspended Over ‘Dark Skin’ Comments About Ravens’ Lamar Jackson

Ryan said Jackson’s “dark skin color” helps him hide the football on fake handoffs.

A San Francisco 49ers broadcaster is in hot water over comments that at best can be described as ridiculous. At worse, racially charged and insensitive.

According to ESPN, the 49ers have suspended broadcaster Tim Ryan for comments about Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s “dark skin color.”

In an appearance on KNBR radio in San Francisco on Monday (December 2) Ryan said of Jackson:

“He's really good at that fake, Lamar Jackson, but when you consider his dark skin color with a dark football with a dark uniform, you could not see that thing. I mean you literally could not see when he was in and out of the mesh point.”

Jackson and the Ravens defeated the 49ers on Sunday (December 1) 20-17. Jackson had 101 yards rushing and a touchdown, and another 105 yards passing with a touchdown. 

Related: Stereotypes Of A Black Quarterback Misunderstood: Lamar Jackson Just Took A Big Step In Silencing His Critics

Ryan will not broadcast the 49ers upcoming game on Sunday (December 8) against the New Orleans Saints. 

The 49ers issued a statement regarding Ryan, which read:

"We are disappointed in Tim Ryan's comments earlier this week, and have suspended him for the upcoming game. We hold Tim to a high standard as a representative of our organization and he must be more thoughtful with his words. Tim has expressed remorse in a public statement and has also done so with us privately. We know Tim as a man of high integrity and are confident he will grow and learn from this experience."

In a separate statement Ryan said:

"I regret my choice of words in trying to describe the conditions of the game. Lamar Jackson is an MVP-caliber player and I respect him greatly. I want to sincerely apologize to him and anyone else I offended."

See, this is the problem. 

The words are what they are, and they matter a great deal. 

But it’s the mere notion that Ryan harbors these types of thoughts and beliefs that is of greater concern. 

The 49ers reached out to the Ravens and advised them of the situation and apologized, according to reports. 

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