In Support of Rob Blair

On Monday, January 17, Rob Blair was fired from his job as a weatherman on KTNV-TV in Las Vegas for uttering what was interpreted by many to be a racial slur. The offending phrase has been widely reported as "For tomorrow, 60 degrees, Martin Luther Coon King Jr. Day, gonna see some temperatures in the mid-60s."

Without the benefit of having seen the forecast, my initial reaction was there is a good explanation for what people thought they heard. I first learned about the story yesterday, and immediately thought it was the result of a simple transposition of the "K" sound in King with the first part of the "unior" sound in Junior. My guess is that he stopped halfway through to correct himself and everyone heard -- well, you get the picture. I have done this more often than I would like to admit.

Today I came across a draft of an op ed piece attributed to Linton Johnson (reportedly a close friend of Blair's) which defends Mr. Blair and criticizes (rightly so) those who have rushed to judge him. I completely agree with the sentiment expressed in these words, whether they were really written by a friend of Blair's or not. It is appalling to me that so many people would condemn this man over something that could be easily explained.

I'm not sure what to make of a subsequent report revealing that, incredibly, the forecast was taped; and although it was reviewed by at least six people, no one noticed the gaffe before broadcast. I don't, however, believe it's a conspiracy at work. At worse, it demonstrates poor attention to detail. On the other hand, the word is not that well-known as a slur (I'm guessing a lot of black people will argue with this) outside the South, and it could be that no one in the newsroom recognized the potential for trouble. Hmm. A good argument for diversity at all levels of the media, though.

Of course, I could be completely wrong and this was really a Freudian slip. Or worse, he actually thought he could say something so outrageous, apologize and get to keep his job. Does anyone really believe that? I can only imagine how Mr. Blair must feel right now. I just want him to know there are those of us who believe he made an honest mistake and hope that he can eventually make a living in his chosen profession.

And although it really shouldn't matter, I also want to mention that I happen to be a black man.