Orioles Broadcaster Brian Roberts Apologizes to Canadian Fans After On-Air Remarks
Roberts apologized during a MASN broadcast after questioning Canadian fans' 'baseball IQ' during Friday’s game at Rogers Centre; he later expanded on his comments in an interview with the Toronto Star.
Brian Roberts, a television analyst for the Baltimore Orioles, issued a public apology after questioning the baseball knowledge of Canadian fans during a broadcast of Friday night’s game at Toronto’s Rogers Centre.
The remarks came during coverage of a pick-off attempt by Orioles pitcher Shawn Dubin that was booed by fans. Play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown called the reaction "silly," and Roberts followed with a comment that drew wider attention: "I gotta be real, real careful what I say, but sometimes we had some major questions about the baseball IQ of some Canadians here and there. At times it felt like maybe they knew a little bit more about hockey than baseball." Brown then urged Roberts to "shut that down now," and Roberts added, "We're not on the air in Canada, are we?"
The comments circulated on social media and drew attention over the weekend. During Sunday’s MASN broadcast of the Orioles-Blue Jays game, Roberts addressed the remarks directly. "I hope that they will accept my sincere apology for what I said on the air the other day," he said. "I definitely never, ever meant to cause anyone to feel like I was disrespecting them at all."
Before Sunday's game, Roberts spoke with the Toronto Star and offered additional context. He said he was relating the remark to his own experience living in Florida and acknowledged a limited knowledge of hockey, saying, "Honestly, I related it more to, like, I live in Florida. My hockey IQ is very low, to be honest with you, but I go to games." He added, "It's not the native sport of Canada. The same as baseball would generally be considered the native sport of America."
Roberts, 47, is in his eighth season as an Orioles broadcaster. He played 14 major league seasons, all but one with Baltimore, and was selected to All-Star teams in 2005 and 2007. He finished his playing career with a .276 batting average.
The Orioles fell 11-2 to the Blue Jays in the game following Roberts' on-air apology. The incident and subsequent apology drew attention to broadcast conduct and fan engagement during interleague and international games, with the broadcaster offering a public expression of regret for remarks that offended some viewers.