ESPN anchor John Anderson apologized to National Hockey League (NHL) Indigenous player Zach Whitecloud after mocking the last name of the Vegas Golden Knight defenseman.
Anderson made fun of the name of the First Nation member in Canada during the Monday night episode of SportsCenter.
ESPN Anchor John Anderson Apologizes to Indigenous NHL Player
According to USA Today, the ESPN "SportsCenter" host blurted out the insensitive joke amid his comments on the highlights of the Golden Knights' victory against the Edmonton Oilers. The Knights won Game 3 of the second-round series, 5-1.
The ESPN anchor shockingly compared the name of the Indigenous NHL player to toilet paper while the TV host shared his two cents on the second-period goal of Whitecloud.
Anderson mocked the last name of the Knights defenseman, asking, "What kind of name is Whitecloud?" He said it would have been a "great name if [you are] a toilet paper."
It turns out that Whitecloud is the first-ever NHL player hailing from the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in Manitoba, Canada. But it appears that the sports anchor was unaware of this.
Fox News highlights that the sports host has been with ESPN since 1999. He has hosted the "SportsCenter" evening program for roughly 24 years. With more than two decades of experience, he acknowledges that it is part of his job "to be prepared and know the backgrounds of the players," admitting that he made a mistake.
Anderson apologized to Zach, his team, fans, and the rest for mocking the last name of the Indigenous NHL player. The ESPN host revealed that he plans to send his regrets to the Golden Knights and Whitecloud.
Golden Knights' Whitecloud Responds
According to ESPN, Whitecloud confirmed that Anderson has already apologized to him in an emotional press conference on Tuesday, a day after the host mocked his last name. He says that the sports anchor reached out to him earlier that day.
The Knights defenseman believes that the sports anchor attempted to be funny, but he ended up telling an insensitive joke, mocking his surname. Despite that, the NHL player assured the "SportsCenter" host that he already accepted the apology of Anderson.
Furthermore, Whitecloud acknowledges that humans make mistakes from time to time. And from these setbacks, the Knights player says people should learn their lessons and "try to be better" moving forward.
