Patrick Reusse deletes Twitter account after backlash over 'clumsy' post

Yahoo

09-03-2025

Veteran Twin Cities sports writer and broadcaster Patrick Reusse has deleted his Twitter/X account after his post about a rap song played at a Gophers baseball game was misconstrued as racist.
Reusse, who is a columnist for the Star Tribune and a regular guest on Twin Cities sports talk station SKOR North, posted the following during the Gophers' Big Ten opener on Friday:
"I'm at Zygidome to watch Gophers opener in Big Ten baseball. The guy or gal blasting that ******* monkey rap song could've made a quick $20 not to play if they had checked with me first.(Note: Yes, operators of The Zygi hate baseball, but the playing field looks OK.)"
The reference to "monkey rap song" sparked immediate allegations of racism from some followers, though it quickly emerged that Reusse was referencing "Brass Monkey," the 1986 song by (white) rap group The Beastie Boys.
Reusse later issued a statement via Minnesota Vikings reporter Matthew Coller, who said Reusse's tweet "was taken totally wrongly by some folks online, so he got annoyed and deleted his account."
"I was at Gophers baseball game Friday. All alone in main press box at the Zygidome more than hour before game, with a rappy style song blaring that had many mentions of monkeys," Reusse said. "I couldn't stand this gawd-awful noise. I switched into my super senior wise-ass mode & send out a Tweet that had very clumsy wording for a guy who will have been a sports writer for 60 yrs on Dec. 27, 2025.
"I didn't realize this until couple hrs later when noting a number of 'J—- Ch——, Reusse' responses. Even then, it took a while for me to figure out why the 'Racist!' accusations were flying."
Reusse continued to say that the response prompted him to reflect on his time on social media and "grudges I've gained against Twitter in recent times," criticizing the "dipwads" who comment on his columns "when clearly all they have read is a sentence or two from the Twitter posting."
Describing himself as a "dyed-in-the wool lefty," he then went on to share his wider complaints about the "mobs" who support President Donald Trump on the platform, and the "back-to-back Nazi salutes" by Twitter/X owner Elon Musk.
"Being old enough to not know the song with the monkeys in it, it also took a while to follow deactivation instructions, but eventually I was successful. I was not thrown off Elon's plaything. It was voluntary. That is the truth. And speaking of truth, maybe [Trump's social media platform] Truth Social should be my new home. They would welcome an old dyed-in-the-wool lefty, I'm sure."
The furore prompted a comment from the Star Tribune, who spoke with Reusse after the tweeted and subsequently "concluded that the post was not racial in intent."
"I acknowledge the concerns raised by a recent post on X/Twitter shared by Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse during batting practice prior to the Minnesota Gophers-Purdue Boilermakers baseball game on Friday, March 7," said sports editor Ryan Kostecka.
"The initial post sparked complaints of racial insensitivity. Reusse, in a subsequent post, clarified that he was commenting on the lyrics to a specific song playing at the time. The Star Tribune, after speaking with with Reusse and confirming with the Gophers that the song is on the team's batting practice playlist, has concluded that the post was not racial in intent, but deeply regrets any unintended harm it may have caused."
Kostecka added: "As an organization that values diversity and inclusion, we remain committed to thoughtful engagement with our audience, value your trust, and take all feedback seriously. Moving forward, we will continue to ensure that the content produced by our newsroom fosters constructive dialogue that aligns with our values."