"I know I'm not a racist deep down—I uttered a racist term." Until April 2020, when he was recorded using the slur while chatting on a headset during a virtual race, the 28-year-old was one of the sport's rising stars. The six-time champion was then sacked from his racing team. His comments had caused outrage, with many calling for him to be kicked out of motorsport.
In an interview published Monday in French newspaper Le Parisien, Grosjean said that when he heard "black people" on the phone during a break at the Spanish Grand Prix, he replied "tu parles nègre" (you're talking shit). He said he knew immediately what he had done and felt terrible about it. Grosjean has been working as a commentator for French television since being released by his team.
Grosjean later issued an apology through his lawyer. "I'm deeply sorry for what I said and I regret my response very much," he said. "It was a bad moment for me and I cannot explain myself because I don't understand myself."
Grosjean was ordered off the track by his own team after the incident but continued with the race. He was penalized by his own team for the incident and finished last of the race. He has never raced again since.
In his first interview since being sacked by Chip Ganassi Racing on April 15 for using the N-word in a virtual race, he highlighted his ignorance in using the slur and stated that he has taken measures to educate himself. "I was simply uninformed." said Larson.
Larson also commented on how he has been receiving support from all corners of the racing world. "It's amazing to see everyone come together like this after something so ugly," he said. "I just want to thank everyone for their messages of support. This means a lot to me."
He added that he is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of a car soon. "Right now I'm just trying to take it one day at a time," Larson said. "But I know I'll be back behind the wheel very soon."
Larson was suspended by Nascar for two races for his comments during an online game called "Race Day Heroes". He was fired a week later after another incident where he used the n-word during a radio conversation with fellow driver Martin Truex Jr.
Nascar has a strict policy against racism and other discriminatory practices.
Kyle Larson has been praised for his apology but also criticized for not knowing what the word "nigger" actually means.
Kyle Larson was fired from Chip Ganassi Racing's NASCAR Cup Series team for using a racial slur, but not before losing several sponsors. However, it was not his use of the racist term that eventually cost him his job. Rather, it was his failure to issue an apology that lost him all his sponsors.
Larson used the n-word during an interview with ESPN after being asked about how he was doing following his accident at the Daytona 500. He has denied using this language before and says it was not directed at anyone in particular. However, since this incident he has been removed from all forms of social media and has refused to comment on it further.
This is not the first time that Larson has come under fire for remarks made during an interview. In February 2018, while talking to reporters after winning the pole position for the Daytona 500, he had said that "Mexicans are like s--t". This came after a series of incidents where Mexican drivers have had items thrown on their cars during races run in Mexico.
Larson has also been involved in another controversy when photos emerged online showing him drinking alcohol at a recent NASCAR race weekend. Although this incident occurred last year, it resulted in him being banned from driving for three months. During this period, he could not be replaced so he did not drive in any more races.
His future with the team is uncertain.
In addition to Larson, four other drivers were dismissed for drug violations: Joey Logano (seven times), Kevin Harvick (three times), Aric Almirola, and Paul Menard. All five drivers will be unable to drive for the next two races of their respective series.
The study also found that energy drink consumption is common among athletes of all ages, genders, and sports. In fact, more than half of all high school athletes reported drinking them. The most popular brands are Red Bull, Rockstar, and Monster.
Red Bull alone accounts for 25 percent of all caffeinated beverage sales in the United States. Too much caffeine is toxic to humans in small doses; at higher levels it can trigger heart failure, seizures, and even death.
According to researchers, this increase in caffeine use by athletes is related to its performance-enhancing effects. However, any benefit is usually outweighed by the risk of adverse effects.
Children, teenagers, and young adults are particularly likely to experience symptoms of a caffeine overdose.
Brown was reported to have written a troubling text to a German freshman player in which he stated that he would be the "new Hitler" in the young man's life. The widely reported conversation sparked outrage, prompting Brown to resign from his job so that Indy could terminate connections. An investigation later concluded that there was no evidence that Brown was actually going to carry out his threat, but this didn't stop him from suffering major backlash from fans and members of the media.
In addition to this incident, many other problems reportedly existed within the school's basketball program. For example, it was claimed that some players were given special favors by staff members during practice and game time. There were also allegations that players had been involved in violent incidents during times when they should have been resting before test days.
Indy responded to these accusations by hiring Ed Pinckney as their new head coach. Pinckney had previously worked with Brown at Louisville and was expected to bring much-needed change to the program. However, this plan came undone after only one season when Pinckney was fired himself following a trip to the NCAA tournament.
It is believed that the main reason for both coaches' departures from Indy was because of their differences in opinion regarding how to run practices and games.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc.
