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‘Lynching’ reference prompts Channel 45 ‘apology’

A quick glance at the calendar confirms that it's 2019, so it's important to ask what on earth goes through a person's mind when referring to lynching during a hockey game broadcast?

Doug McLeod, on Channel 45's coverage of the state high school hockey tournament on Thursday between Blaine and White Bear Lake said, “All the White Bear fans get out the lynching ropes” moments after Blaine scored.

McLeod, a University of Minnesota play-by-play announcer on Fox Sports North, is one of several broadcasting big names Channel 45 has brought in to get some attention during the tournament. It got it, but not the kind it wanted.

Tom Hauser, the studio host during the tournament, apologized.

"If you were offended by this comment, we sincerely apologize,” he said.

Well, sure. Social media lit up with an immediate debate over what's wrong with references to lynching.

McLeod was pulled from the broadcast of the game.