Fan Accused of Shouting Racial Slur Was Actually Just Trying to Get Attention of Rockies Mascot 'Dinger'
Sunday's Colorado Rockies - Miami Marlins game was marred by an ugly fan incident. Or so everyone briefly thought. During the top of the 9th inning, with Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson at the plate, the broadcast clearly picked up a fan shouting something over and over. Many people watching heard what sounded like a racial slur.
A fan at Coors Field just yelled the N-word at Lewis Brinson so loudly that the Bally Sports microphone picked it up. Absolutely horrible.
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) August 8, 2021
That fan should be held just as accountable as the fan who threw a baseball at Verdugo. Ban him.
I’m absolutely disgusted at the language that was picked up by the mics late in the game today.
— Paul Severino (@SeverinoMLB) August 8, 2021
The level of hate that was displayed has no place in this world. Unfortunately it’s still far too prevalent. We need to be better. And soon.
Awful.
The consesus was that the guilty party should immediately be found and punished.
Shouting the N-word at a game? Where is the @Rockies statement on how they apprehended the racist and what they did to him? Where is @mlb’s investigation?
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) August 8, 2021
This is a private business and they are responsible for the conduct of their patrons.
pic.twitter.com/LEeJVLmpVz
A short time after the game the Rockies released a statement saying they were disgusted by the incident and launching an investigation. So far the offender has not been singled out, which seemed surprising. The crowd was dwindling in the 9th inning of a (then) six-run game. There were cameras and security everywhere. How could this person simply walk away? Maybe because no one was shouting a racial slur at all.
if you look closely he was trying to get the attention of “Dinger” the Rockies mascot. pic.twitter.com/kVB8RVByXW
— rhysta (@vrhysta) August 9, 2021
As the Internet got down to detective work, another possibility presented itself. The fan might not have been shouting a racial slur at all. He might have just been shouting to the Rockies dinosaur mascot, "Dinger." One video shows the fan behind home plate in the original videos appearing to signal to the mascot a couple sections over.
This explanation was good enough for the Rockies, who said this morning that they tracked down the fan involved.
NEW: The Rockies tell me last night’s incident was a fan shouting to get the attention of the Rockies mascot Dinger, not a racial slur. The Rockies have spoken to the fan who confirms this is the case. They’ve also reviewed video from the local broadcast. #9News
— Steve Staeger (@SteveStaeger) August 9, 2021
So the truth may be that we had a new, very not safe for work audio version of The Dress. An auditory illusion like Yanny or Laurel, or maybe even the application of the McGurk effect. If Brian Anderson had been at bat when that fan tried to get Dinger's attention, would anyone have noticed?
So this time there was nothing nefarious, which is a nice change in 2021.