Bomani Jones isn’t afraid to take a stand. Even if it ruffles a few feathers in the process.
The opinionated ESPN Radio talk show host filled in on “Mike and Mike” Thursday, but it wasn’t his candid commentaries this time that had people talking. Instead, it was his shirt, which featured the word “Caucasians” across the front.
While talking with Molly Qerim, he said the point he was trying to make was obvious. The shirt was a spoof on the Cleveland Indians’ team logo, which, until this month, featured “Chief Wahoo”, an image that many in the Native American community find offensive and racist.
Although he was able to make his point, Jones was asked to cover up his attire by an ESPN executive according to TMZ. He eventually complied and zipped up the front of his hoodie, covering the main part of the image.
ESPN sent a statement to The Huffington Post which said: “As the show progressed, we felt Bomani made his point and had openly discussed why he was wearing the shirt, and we wanted to keep the focus to the topics of the day.”
The controversial Indians logo has been mentioned frequently in the news lately. Cleveland owner Paul Dolan said last week that “Chief Wahoo” had been downgraded to secondary status with the team. The franchise previously nixed the pictogram from its road baseball cap and batting helmet in 2011 and 2013.
The remaining issue stems from the club’s refusal to sever all ties with the image. Dolan says “it’s part of the team’s history and legacy,” which is why it continues to be featured on the sleeves of the club’s jerseys. Jones is advocating for change, and his decision to wear the “Caucasians” t-shirt this morning, much to the chagrin of his bosses, has once again put Dolan’s decision back in focus.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
