49ers suspend announcer Tim Ryan for saying Ravens quarterback Lamar's "dark skin" helped him: 'You could not see the football'
A radio host for the San Francisco 49ers has been suspended by the team for one game after he said Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is helped by his "dark skin."
Former defensive lineman Tim Ryan was discussing Jackson's outstanding performance in securing the Ravens' victory against the 49ers on Sunday when he made the controversial comments, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Ryan was discussing Jackson's use of faking handoffs during his weekly segment on KNBR's 'Murph and Mac' morning radio show on Monday, when he suggested his skin color helped him disguise the maneuver.
According to the host, the frontrunner for NFL's Most Valuable Player was so good at the fake handoff partly due to his "dark skin with a dark football with a dark uniform." He said Jackson got away with the move because opposition players were unable to see "when he was in and out of the mesh point."
"He's really good at that fake, Lamar Jackson, but when you consider his dark skin with a dark football with a dark uniform, you could not see that thing," Ryan said live on air. "I mean you literally could not see when he was in and out of the mesh point, and if you're a half step slow on him in terms of your vision, forget about it, he's out of the gate."
Jackson led his team to a 20-17 win over the 49ers in a game between two of the league's top teams, rushing 101 yards and scoring a touchdown.
Ryan was suspended by the San Francisco 49ers for their next game against the New Orleans scheduled to be held Sunday. However, they released a statement saying while they were "disappointed" by his comments, he had "expressed remorse" and was a "man of high integrity."
Furthermore, the 49ers said they had also contacted Ravens officials to "extend our apologies and assure them the matter is not being taken lightly."
"I regret my choice of words in trying to describe the conditions of the game," Ryan said in a statement. "Lamar Jackson is an MVP-caliber player and I respect him greatly. I want to sincerely apologize to him and anyone else I offended."