After making insensitive and derogatory comments on Iranian NBA player Hamed Haddadi, Fox Sports announcers Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith have been suspended one game by the channel. Iranian community in the USA and the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) sent their resentment and grievance to the channel’s executives following the on-air comments about Haddadi.
The incident that led to the suspension of Lawler and Smith took place on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, during a broadcast of the game between Haddadi’s team and the Los Angeles Clippers. Besides distorting ‘Iranian’ to ‘Eye-ranian’, the announcers exchanged pejorative comments about Haddadi and Iran, which roused condemnation from the Iranian Americans.
PAAIA sent a letter of condemnation to the channel’s executives, who responded by issuing an apology to Haddadi and any/all who were offended. At the same time, the announcers responsible for the offense were suspended for Friday’s game. It is worth-mentioning here that Lawler and Smith have been associated with the Clippers for many years. The exchange of comments between the two about Haddadi and Iran is online at USA Today’s coverage of the story.
