After the whole Josh Hader incident, you would think that agents would go back into their client’s social media history to remove any compromising remarks made by the player that could cause damage to their reputation. Well, think again.
Sean Newcomb had an up and down day yesterday, to say the least. He came one out shy of no-hitting the Los Angeles Dodgers in an outstanding pitching effort, but things would soon start tumbling down for the Braves pitcher.
A number of racial and homophobic slurs were found deep in the 25-year-olds twitter account from when he was just an 18-year-old in high school. Several of the posts have since been deleted, but one Twitter user exposed Newcomb for his heinous language as seen below:
http://twitter.com/NatsSquid/status/1023668575058518016
He apologized after his insensitive comments were leaked, saying “This is something that obviously can’t be happening. I feel bad about it. I don’t mean to offend anybody. I definitely regret it.” He would go on to say that he “meant nothing by it. I didn’t mean to offend anybody, and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The Braves have since released a statement acknowledging the situation and assuring its fans that the proper measures are being taken:
We are aware of the tweets that surfaced after today’s game and have spoken to Sean who is incredibly remorseful. Regardless of how long ago he posted them, he is aware of the insensitivity and is taking full responsibility.
“We find the tweets hurtful and incredibly disappointing and even though he was 18 or 19 years old when posted, it doesn’t make them any less tolerable. We will work together with Sean towards mending the wounds created in our community.”
Trea Turner of the Washinton Nationals was the next player who was found making hateful comments on social media:
Dave have you seen these tweets by trea turner? It would be a shame if the nats guy @BarstoolNate didn't blog about it pic.twitter.com/x6Aw20w8MD
— Blake Bortles is Elite (@BBBortles5) July 30, 2018
These tweets were written when Turner was around 17, or 18 years old, but that certainly does not excuse his behavior or any player that makes similar comments.
Like Newcomb, Turner would also issue a heartfelt apology:
“There are no excuses for my insensitive and offensive language on Twitter. I am sincerely sorry for those tweets and apologize wholeheartedly. I believe people who know me understand those regrettable actions do not reflect my values or who I am. But I understand the hurtful nature of such language and am sorry to have brought any negative light to the Nationals organization, myself or the game I love.”
Like the Braves did with Newcomb, the Washington Nationals also released a statement concerning the conduct of their shortstop.
Mike Rizzo issues statement on Trea Turner … pic.twitter.com/4mNru6HanK
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) July 30, 2018
There is no place for this type of language in today’s society. Several professional athletes are openly gay, and many are black so making comments like these not only impact your reputation around the league but can cause strains between teammates as well.
This is the 21st century, its a time of acceptance not hate. Although its possible these players were joking around and didn’t understand the magnitude of their remarks at the time, it is necessary to take responsibility nonetheless and to suffer the consequences associated with it.
It will be interesting to see how the MLB deals with this situation. In the Josh Hader incident, he was not suspended but was required to undergo sensitivity training, so it remains to be seen if the ramifications for Newcomb and Turner will be similar.
Featured Image Via Flickr/Lorie Shaull
