Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Carlton Davis apologizes after tweeting anti-Asian slur
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis has apologized after using an anti-Asian slur on Twitter Sunday night.
Davis, who is part of the team's social justice board, wrote in a now-deleted tweet, "Gotta stop letting g---- in Miami."
The 24-year-old later apologized for his remarks, saying he will "retire that word from my vocabulary." His tweet comes amid a rise in attacks against the Asian American community during the pandemic.
"I would never offend any group of people," he said. "You reporters can look for another story to blow up . The term was directed towards a producer claiming he 'ran Miami.'"
Davis, who is from Carol City, Florida, said that he understood the term to mean "lame" in South Florida. He said he was unaware that it had a "darker, negative connotation."
"I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these hard times," Davis said.
I used a term that from where I come from has always meant “lame”but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation. I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other
— C-Murda ™ (@Carlton_Lowkey) April 5, 2021
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in statement on Monday that the team is in communication with Carlton regarding his social media post.
"Words carry weight and it is incumbent upon all of us to have a thorough understanding of the words we choose and the effect they may have on others," Licht said. "We look forward to working with Carlton to find appropriate ways to learn from this experience and continue our joint efforts to put an end to all forms of social and racial injustices."
The Asian American Journalists Association's sports task force said they're "disappointed by his sentiment" in response to the tweet containing the "hateful slur." The AAJA said the Buccaneers will address the matter with Davis and they acknowledged his apology, saying they "look forward to seeing how he will help the affected communities."
There has been a disturbing trend of attacks against the Asian community in the U.S. since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. A new study released last month based on police department statistics across major U.S. cities found a 149% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in 16 of America's largest cities in 2020.