Golden Knights' Zach Whitecloud accepts sportscaster's apology for insensitive joke
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud accepted an apology from ESPN sportscaster John Anderson on Tuesday following an insensitive joke about Whitecloud's last name.
Whitecloud scored a big goal during the Golden Knights' 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night as they took a 2-1 lead in their second-round series. While providing the highlight of the goal, Anderson exclaimed, "What kind of name is Whitecloud? Great name if you’re a toilet paper.”
There is a brand of toilet paper called White Cloud, which was almost certainly the inspiration for the joke. But joking about a person's last name, especially when comparing it to a toilet paper, is probably not the best practice. Especially when that last name is a significant part of a person's heritage, as is the case with Whitecloud.
Whitecloud is a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and is one of only six indigenous players in the entire league.
After the clip of Anderson's joke went viral, he faced criticism for it and issued an apology.
“This is totally on me and I sincerely apologize to Zach, the Golden Knights, their fans and everyone else for what I said,” Anderson said in a statement. “It’s my job to be prepared and know the backgrounds of the players and I blew it. I will be reaching out to the team to personally apologize and hope to have the opportunity to speak to Zach as well.”
Whitecloud addressed the situation on Tuesday and said he accepted Anderson's apology as sincere and that he hoped it could be a learning experience. Reports that were present for Whitecloud's media availability described it as emotional, while Whitecloud was tearful by the end of it.
He has spoken at great length in the past about the pride he has for his heritage and how he carries his entire community on his shoulders.
It was a very rough week for ESPN regarding its NHL coverage. Studio analyst P.K. Subban was harshly criticized after making a fat-shaming joke when he said the Toronto Maple Leafs needed to "pack a Lizzo-sized lunch" before Game 2 of their series.
On Monday, ESPN accidentally spoiled its draft lottery coverage when it revealed that the Columbus Blue Jackets had moved back from the No. 2 spot to the third pick. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft is a significant deal as Connor Bedard, the consensus top pick, is considered to be a generational talent and a franchise-changing player. The Chicago Blackhawks, who had the third-worst record in the league, ended up winning that pick in the lottery.
This is ESPN's second year as one of the NHL's primary rights holders. It has clearly had some hiccups.
More must-reads: