13-04-2025
Brennaman is persona non grata after homophobic slur and other opinions you read the most
(In this column, Opinion Editor Kevin Aldridge briefly recaps the most-read letters to the editor and guest columns on this week in case you missed them. You can read all these opinions in their entirety by clicking on the links.)
Thom Brennaman's return to the local radio airwaves was cheered and jeered by Cincinnatians. Brennaman has been hired by radio station 700 WLW, nearly five years after he lost his job as the voice of the Cincinnati Reds for saying a homophobic slur on-air during a game. Brennaman has been working to rehabilitate his reputation and career as a broadcaster ever since.
WLW gave him a second chance to do what he loves, hiring him to take over the station's weekday drive-time show from Mike McConnell, who retired. The station's decision was applauded by some and criticized by others. Mel Shuller of Montgomery said WLW was tone-deaf for hiring Brennaman in one of the most-read letters to the editor this week.
"While Brennaman has said that he is sorry for his homophobic slur on an open mic while doing a Reds game broadcast in 2020, I believe he is only sorry that he was caught," Shuller wrote. "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."
In his letter to the editor, Jeffrey DePuy of Maineville called Brennaman's hire "extremely disappointing." He said while Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman is Cincinnati royalty, his son is persona non grata.
"I love listening to WLW in my truck going and coming from work on my 40-minute commute, but if Brennaman is the new morning host now, I'm probably going to be switching to another station," DePuy wrote.
Others welcomed Brennaman back to the Queen City with open arms. Jenny Johnson of Blanchester wrote that Brennaman "will be a great addition to the 700 WLW team." And Glenn Harmeyer of Colerain Township reminded readers of the price Brennaman has paid for his mistake.
"He lost his job immediately after making his comment that was never intended for the public airwaves. His life, and the lives of his family, changed drastically after that incident, and he has struggled to get back into the radio broadcasting business," Harmeyer wrote. "I wonder if Brennaman's critics have ever said anything that they regretted saying, lost their job because of it, or had their lives and the lives of their families changed forever?"
More: Williams: Thom Brennaman's return to broadcasting on 700 WLW is a 'big deal'
Jan Kuhn of Erlanger asked a simple question in her letter: "Aren't we as a country known for giving individuals a second chance?
"For those criticizing this hire by WLW radio, I say to you, take a look at your own life, as no one is perfect. Are you?"
I, too, weighed in on the Brennaman hire, saying he should get a second chance but still has work to do to rebuild trust, especially with the LGBTQ community. Some LGBTQ persons are indeed skeptical about whether Brennaman has truly changed; it's also fair to point out that he does have some supporters in the gay community as well.
Send me a letter to the editor or op-ed with your thoughts about whether Brennaman deserved a second chance. Was it a smart hire by 700 WLW, and does it make you more or less likely to listen to the station? Do Cincinnatians need to forgive and move on? I can't wait to hear from you.
The Cincinnati Bengals' Paycor Stadium lease with Hamilton County is one of the biggest stories of the year. The deadline is looming as the current lease expires on June 30, 2026. Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn recently said the team wouldn't rule out relocation if a deal can't be reached.
'We could, I guess, go wherever we wanted after this year if we didn't pick the up option up," Blackburn said. "So, you know, we'll see."
Those comments did not sit well with Mark Zoller of White Oak, who took the Brown family to task for threatening to "hold Hamilton County and the taxpayers hostage" once again. His letter to the editor was the most-read opinion this week.
"The Brown family should be eternally grateful to Cincinnati, but instead, they threaten to leave unless we pump millions of dollars more into their family business," Zoller wrote. "It is an expensive game that we can't continue to play."
More: Bengals Beat Podcast: Getting ready for the 2025 Draft
Michael Bruckmann of Colerain Township agreed that Hamilton County can no longer afford to keep the Bengals. Bruckmann said Hamilton County shouldn't have to foot the bill alone.
"The Bengals are a Tristate team, and the Tristate should pay to keep them," he wrote in a letter to the editor. "Ticket holders come from all the surrounding counties, and all the surrounding counties abutting Hamilton County should have a sales tax to help pay for them."
What do you say about Who Dey? Can Hamilton County afford to lose the Bengals? What do you think about Blackburn's comments about relocation? Should surrounding counties help pay to keep the Bengals here? How much confidence do you have in Hamilton County officials to get a fair deal for taxpayers? Send us your thoughts in a letter or guest column.
Two months after a group of neo-Nazis held a demonstration on an I-75 overpass near Lincoln Heights, the mayor of Evendale wrote an op-ed about how he has been working to create lasting, tangible change from the ugly, hateful incident. Evendale was heavily criticized for the way its police department responded to the incident and how village officials handled the subsequent scrutiny. Mayor Richard Finan acknowledged they didn't handle things in the best way possible and offered an apology.
"We recognize that the events of Feb. 7 not only caused pain but also raised questions about how we, as leaders, chose to respond when faced with such vile actions," Finan wrote. "We needed to be connected, empathetic, accountable and, when necessary, contrite. We were not... We should have first demonstrated our concern and our caring, which our community has in abundance. We apologize for this and are committed to learning from this experience."
You can read the mayor's full commentary here.
Lastly, in case you missed them, here's a chance to catch up on a couple more of the most-read opinions this week:
Op-ed: I lost four friends and Cincinnati lost four giants
Op-ed: My friends talked with JD Vance. They took a chance to speak truth to power
Letter: Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase might be fast but he's slow on Cincinnati's Cajun cuisine
Op-ed: Developing in Cincinnati is hard enough. Don't make Hyde Park another red flag
As always, you can join the conversation on these and other topics by sending your thoughts to letters@ Letters of up to 200 words may be submitted and must include name, address, community and daytime phone number. Op-eds are submitted the same way, except they should be 500-600 words and also include a one-sentence bio and headshot. Submissions may be edited for space and clarity.
If you need some tips on how to write an op-ed, click here.
Opinion and Engagement Editor Kevin S. Aldridge can be reached at kaldridge@ On X: @kevaldrid.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Second chance for Brennaman is overdue; Bengals too costly to keep
