Reds Announcer's "Queer" Comment Not About Gays, He Says

Cincinnati Reds announcer Marty Brennaman said Monday that his "queer" remark on Saturday had nothing to do with gays.

The comment, made in reference to the president of Marshall University, occurred Saturday night at a baseball banquet and fund-raiser in Huntington, W.Va. While noting that the school opened a $2.5 million softball facility in 2008 but still didn't have an on-site stadium for its baseball team, Brennaman said the president must be "queer" for softball.

After being reported in the Charleston Daily Mail, Brennaman's comment sparked discussions on Twitter and various online outlets. When questioned by The Cincinnati Enquirer Monday, the 68-year-old Brennaman said "not a soul" had contacted him about the remark and added, "I probably could have made a better choice of words, but in no way does that reflect my opinion about gays at all."

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary cites "obsessed" as one its definitions of "queer," using the following as its example: "seems to be queer for these early-morning conferences."

"People are going to think what they're going to think," Brennaman continued. "My point was, [Marshall president Stephen Kopp]'s willing to spend [$2.5] million for girls' softball, but he won't even attend a baseball banquet trying to raise money to build a baseball facility."

After nearly 38 years as the radio voice of the Reds, Marty Brennaman has ruffled his share of feathers. In 2007 he made news for comparing a Reds road trip to the Bataan Death March and the following year he opined that Chicago Cubs fans were "the most obnoxious fans in baseball in this league." He later apologized for both comments.

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