49ers Suspend Radio Analyst Tim Ryan For Comments On Lamar Jackson

[RealGM Wiretap]

The San Francisco 49ers have suspended radio analyst Tim Ryan for comments about Lamar Jackson\'s skin during Sunday\'s game.

\"We are disappointed in Tim Ryan\'s comments earlier this week, and have suspended him for the upcoming game,\" the statement said. \"We hold Tim to a high standard as a representative of our organization and he must be more thoughtful with his words. Tim has expressed remorse in a public statement and has also done so with us privately. We know Tim as a man of high integrity and are confident he will grow and learn from this experience.\"

Ryan made the comments early in an interview on the \"Murph and Mac\" show on KNBR radio in San Francisco on Wednesday morning when discussing Jackson\'s success running the ball against the Niners. KNBR is the Niners\' radio partner and broadcasts all of the team\'s games.

\"He\'s really good at that fake, Lamar Jackson, but when you consider his dark skin color with a dark football with a dark uniform, you could not see that thing,\" Ryan said on air. \"I mean you literally could not see when he was in and out of the mesh point.\"

Via Nick Waggoner/ESPN

[IWishIWasHarden]

There is no issue with his comment.

Black people are harder to see sometimes, like in the dark. That's just a fact.

[SAKURABA216]

There is no issue with his comment.

Black people are harder to see sometimes, like in the dark. That's just a fact.

Yeah, but its not like they were playing in the dark and none of the defenses he's lit up have mentioned that the reason he's been doing so well is because they can't see him. It's a pretty dumb statement.

[grindtime22]

There is no issue with his comment.

Black people are harder to see sometimes, like in the dark. That's just a fact.

Yeah, but its not like they were playing in the dark and none of the defenses he's lit up have mentioned that the reason he's been doing so well is because they can't see him. It's a pretty dumb statement.

It was a dumb comment to make, but there are some pictures where you can conceive of what he is talking about. Other pictures make it not even close and look completely stupid.

For the record, he isn't talking about being able to see the player. He is talking about identifying the football and where it is at in the mesh point of the zone read (I think). You are talking about making decisions and figuring out what is going on in a split second. Is he handing it off or is he keeping it? Is it possible that the ball blends in more during that split second through the rain with dark jerseys, dark skin, and a maybe darker than usual (wet) football? Maybe, although the white numbers should give you a little bit of a backdrop. It would certainly be easier to identify with white jersey's on right? He should have known to stay away from the skin comment regardless.

[mplsfonz23]

It was a DUMB Statement PERIOD!

In this sensitive world there is no room for this. He will learn to be more sensitive going forward.
No need to label him a racist. For those who remember Howard Cossell said "look at that little monkey go" to a black player. That was it for him.

[mplsfonz23]

There is no issue with his comment.

Black people are harder to see sometimes, like in the dark. That's just a fact.

Just a fact, ALL people are hard to see in the DARK.....Dumb statement.

[SAKURABA216]

There is no issue with his comment.

Black people are harder to see sometimes, like in the dark. That's just a fact.

Yeah, but its not like they were playing in the dark and none of the defenses he's lit up have mentioned that the reason he's been doing so well is because they can't see him. It's a pretty dumb statement.

It was a dumb comment to make, but there are some pictures where you can conceive of what he is talking about. Other pictures make it not even close and look completely stupid.

For the record, he isn't talking about being able to see the player. He is talking about identifying the football and where it is at in the mesh point of the zone read (I think). You are talking about making decisions and figuring out what is going on in a split second. Is he handing it off or is he keeping it? Is it possible that the ball blends in more during that split second through the rain with dark jerseys, dark skin, and a maybe darker than usual (wet) football? Maybe, although the white numbers should give you a little bit of a backdrop. It would certainly be easier to identify with white jersey's on right? He should have known to stay away from the skin comment regardless.

Ok, I see what you mean. Yeah, I guess it would be hard to tell who is holding the football especially when he is doing fake hand-offs. I retract my earlier comment. It seems like he was just making an observation and was just trying to point something out to the audience.