(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) An announcer for the Montana State University women’s basketball team was fired after comparing players from Portland State University to “Antifa after a riot.”
“They might go to jail, but they get out right away,” Mark Martello said, following a game with what he believed to be a lack of fouls against Portland State. “They can get away with it.”
Martello—who was running the play-by-play commentary for the game—said this after a Montana State Bobcats player was fouled several times, according to The Blaze.
“Evidently, ‘Cats are up 19, Portland can get away with whatever they’re going to get away with,” Martello said. “Portland’s like Antifa after a riot. They might go to jail, but they get out right away. They can get away with it.”
Joe Terry of Big Sky Valhalla tweeted about Martello’s words the day of the game, and copied Montana State’s director of athletics.
After a no call on the MSU end, the Cats pxp guy takes an interesting tact on the call:
“Portland can get away with whatever they want to get away with. Portland’s like Antifa after a riot. They might go to jail but they get out right away.”
— Joe Terry (@joseph_terry) January 22, 2022
The following day, Terry tweeted that he heard Martello had been fired.
Getting word that the MSU announcer for the game was let go. Unsure if Montana State will comment on the situation. https://t.co/g1H4cq0BEI
— Joe Terry (@joseph_terry) January 23, 2022
Martello told 406mtsports.com that he was fired because of Terry’s tweets.
“I am taking responsibility for what came out of my mouth,” Martello texted to 406mtsports.com. “I will miss the team and coaches. There will be no apology, no one was harmed.”
In a press release, MSU said Martello “has been removed from Montana State’s radio broadcast team” and the decision was made by the LEARFIELD broadcasting company.
No reason was given for his dismissal; both LEARFIELD and ESPN declined to comment.
