For those who enjoy the dulcet tones of Ted Robinson on Left Coast football telecasts, you’ll have to wait awhile to hear them again.
In a statement released Wednesday night, the Pac-12 announced that its network’s college football play-by-play man* has been suspended for two weeks for comments he made earlier this week during a radio interview. This weekend and next, Robinson, who is also the play-by-play voice of the San Francisco 49ers and has been suspended from that role as well, will not call any games on the Pac-12 Network or appear on the network, period.
He’s also been ordered to undergo sensitivity training before he can return to the network.
“Ted’s commentary on Monday was entirely unacceptable and stands in stark contrast to the core values of Pac-12 Networks,” said Pac-12 Networks president Lydia Murphy-Stephans in a statement. “We value Ted as a member of our team, but see this as an important learning opportunity as we work with him through sensitivity training before welcoming him back to our air.”
During the interview with KNBR Monday, the conversation turned to the volatile Ray Rice situation, which has quickly morphed into the watercooler topic in every sport including college football. While most of the radio back-and-forth was innocuous and fairly standard fare, Robinson stepped in it when he repeatedly criticized Janay Rice, who was on the receiving end of the former Baltimore Ravens running back’s infamous elevator knockout punch.
(Tip O’ the Cap top Awful Announcing for shedding light on the tweets below)
Ted Robinson: "The *victim* here ... bares some of the responsibility ... for not speaking up ... that to me is the saddest part of it."
— LOLKNBR (@LOLKNBR) September 8, 2014
Ted Robinson literally just said Janay Rice's decision to marry Ray Rice and stand by him after the fact is pathetic. Said it twice.
— LOLKNBR (@LOLKNBR) September 8, 2014
Ted Robinson on Janay Rice: "How does she marry him after that? How does she go in front of Goodell (stand by him)? That's pathetic to me."
— LOLKNBR (@LOLKNBR) September 8, 2014
Given the backlash, Robinson wrote up a statement that was released as well.
“I want to unconditionally apologize for my comments the other day,” the veteran broadcaster began. “As a professional communicator, I am responsible for my words. My choice of words was careless and does not reflect my true feelings about domestic violence. I understand that the cycle of abuse keeps people in unhealthy relationships. No blame or responsibility should ever be placed on a victim.”
(*Full disclosure: Robinson has worked as a play-by-play voice on numerous NBC Sports telecasts)
(Photo credit: Pac-12 Networks)