Gamecock great Kip Bouknight issues apology after saying R-word on baseball broadcast

Former South Carolina baseball star Kip Bouknight, the winningest pitcher in school history, apologized Sunday after using the R-word during Sunday’s USC-Clemson game broadcast.

The University of South Carolina also issued a statement on the matter Sunday night in response to Bouknight saying the derogatory word for persons with developmental disabilities.

“The comments made during today’s baseball SEC Network+ telecast were inappropriate and unacceptable,” the school statement said. “The announcers for SEC Network+ telecasts are employed by the USC Athletics Department. We take this matter seriously and are addressing it internally. Gamecock Athletics adheres to the Carolinian Creed, the University’s value statement, which respects the dignity of all persons.”

Bouknight is the color analyst for Gamecock baseball home games that are streamed via SEC Network Plus. He made the R-word in an attempt to describe how well USC junior Wes Clarke is playing. (Clarke has eight home runs this season, including two in Sunday’s win over Clemson.)

Bouknight posted this apology to Twitter shortly after 6:30 p.m., a little more after Sunday’s game ended: “I’d like to apologize for my comment in reference to Wes Clarke’s stellar early season performance during today’s telecast. The comment, although not intentional whatsoever, was completely inappropriate. Period. There is nowhere in my heart that finds it ok to be insensitive to those with special needs. I would never do that. I am deeply sorry and remorseful and again I apologize to everyone.”

The remark, made in the top of the sixth inning, appears to have been removed from the game’s replay that’s now online — several commercials instead appear in the middle of a Clemson at-bat — but Bouknight’s on-air apology remained.

“And we are back here as South Carolina goes to the bullpen again, and I just want to make sure and apologize out there,” he said during the broadcast. “I had a bad moment there with a word I used that probably shouldn’t have been used. And I just want to make anyone out there listening and watching did not take me the wrong way. Certainly would never ever mean anything blatant by what I said. So I do apologize there.”

Bouknight replaced former Gamecock baseball player Trey Dyson as the color analyst for SEC Network Plus ahead of the 2018 season. The role, at the time, paid $250 per game.

This story was originally published February 28, 2021 at 6:52 PM.