A Memphis-based meteorologist is under investigation by his employer for using a racial slur in a tweet about Warriors star Draymond Green amid the Grizzlies-Warriors playoff series.
According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, FOX13 Memphis chief meteorologist Joey Sulipeck, who is white, tweeted the following after Game 3:
“And chew on this: Draymond runs his knuckle-dragging open mouth ALL GAME LONG, but mild-mannered Kyle Anderson disputes one call and gets ejected? Next level jackassery.”
Sulipeck reportedly deleted the tweet after facing backlash, and he later deleted his entire Twitter account.
Before deleting his Twitter account, the weatherman reportedly tweeted, “Anyone who knows me knows what I am. Race is never an issue to me. To anyone who was offended, I apologize but there was no ill intent.”
According to screen-grabs on social media, Green reacted to the situation in a post on his Instagram story, writing, “Are you surprised?” with a bunch of crying-laughing emojis. “Don’t apologize. STAND ON IT!”
The Memphis television station acknowledged the weatherman’s tweet and released a statement on Twitter, that read: “During Saturday’s Memphis Grizzlies’ game, Meteorologist Joey Sulipeck tweeted a comment that does not reflect the values of FOX13. We take this matter very seriously and will take appropriate action pending a full investigation.”
The phrase “knuckle-dragging” can have a number of meanings, including racist tropes used to compare Black people to apes.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked about Sulipeck’s tweet on Sunday, and said he was not surprised about the reported tweet aimed at Green.
“Does it surprise me that a weatherman would tweet a slur at Draymond in 2022? Not in the slightest bit,” Kerr said. “This is America. This is how we operate.”