Packers WR Devin Funchess apologizes after using racial slur in press conference
Green Bay Packers receiver Devin Funchess apologized late on Saturday night after he used a racial slur and made a slanted-eye gesture during a media conference earlier in the day.
Funchess appeared to be trying to make a joke with reporters on Saturday when he used the anti-Asian slur.
— Devin Funchess (@D_FUNCH) August 8, 2021
“I want to apologize for the disparaging remark I used tonight. It was not OK,” he wrote. “I have grown to develop deep personal and business relationships in the Asian community! I meant no harm, and those that know me know I have love and respect for all cultures and people. I will learn from this and continue to grow as a person. I’m forever sorry!”
Funchess was speaking with reporters when he used the slur.
“I like to smile. I can tell you’re smiling, I can see your face [through the mask],” he said to reporters before making the gesture. “I can see the face, everybody goes c****y, and that’s how I know.”
The use of the slur and gesture has been an ongoing problem in the sports world. The Juventus women’s team sent out an incredibly racist tweet with a player making that slanted-eye gesture earlier this week for seemingly no reason. TBS announcer Ron Darling used the word during the 2018 ALDS when talking about an Asian New York Yankees pitcher. An ESPN headline in 2012 used the same phrase that Darling did when describing former NBA player Jeremy Lin.
Funchess signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Packers in March. The 27-year-old opted out of last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and missed nearly all of the 2019 season after he broke his collarbone in the first game of the season with the Indianapolis Colts.
More from Yahoo Sports:
