High school basketball announcer blames ambien and his DIABETES after he was caught on hot mic calling girls team the N-word when they kneeled during the anthem
- The incident took place at a high school playoff game on Thursday
- A live video feed caught the shocking moment the unidentified basketball broadcaster called one team 'f*****g n*****s'
- Matt Rowan admitted he was the man to make the comment but blamed it on his diabetes
- Several organizations have cut ties with the broadcasters in the last 24 hours
- Kneeling during the national anthem was popularized by Colin Kaepernick A live video feed caught the shocking moment a basketball broadcaster called one team 'f*****g n*****s' after they chose to kneel for the national anthem - but he has since bizarrely blamed his diabetes for the vile outburst.
Thursdays' game pitted Norman High against Midwest City in Oklahoma's women's Class 6A state quarterfinals contest.
The video, which was posted on Twitter on Friday morning and has already racked up more than 560,000 views, starts with the announcers in the game cutting away for the national anthem.As the Star-Spangled Banner starts, several members of the Norman High team begin to kneel on the court, a protest against police brutality popularized by former NFL star Colin Kaepernick.
The two broadcasters continue to talk to each other as the anthem plays before one says, 'They're kneeling? F*****g n*****s.'
'Are you serious,' the other broadcaster says. It's unclear if his comment is directed at the team or his fellow broadcaster.
He continues, 'I hope Norman gets their ass kicked. F*** them. I hope they lose. C'mon Midwest City. They're gonna kneel like that? Hell no.'
Matt Rowan, 44, admitted to TMZ he was the man who made the comment, and told them: 'I will state that I suffer Type 1 Diabetes and during the game, my sugar was spiking.
'While not excusing my remarks, it is not unusual when my sugar spikes that I become disoriented and often say things that are not appropriate as well as hurtful.
'I do not believe that I would have made such horrible statements absent my sugar spiking.'
He also apologized to the girls, said he does not want to 'hide behind my diabetes' and added: 'I am sickened by what I said. I am so sorry for what I said.'
Thursdays' game pitted Norman High against Midwest City in Oklahoma's women's Class 6A state quarterfinals contest
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