Orioles Suspend Papa John's Promotion After Founder's Resignation
BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) -- The Baltimore Orioles have pulled the plug on a promotional deal with Papa John's.
The pizza chain previously offered a deal in which fans could get 50 percent off their order the day after the Orioles scored five runs in a game.
Other teams that discounted their own promotions with the pizza company include the Washington Nationals, the New York Yankees, the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners.
Major League Baseball had also said it was indefinitely suspending a promotion with Papa John's that offered people discounts at the pizza chain after a player hit a grand slam.
Schnatter came under fire this week after a Forbes report that he used the N-word during a media training conference call in May. When asked how he would distance himself from racist groups, Schnatter reportedly complained that Colonel Sanders never faced a backlash for using the word.
RELATED: Papa John's Founder Apologizes For Using N-Word On Conference Call
He subsequently said he would resign as chairman and issued a statement of apology acknowledging the use of "inappropriate and hurtful" language.
Schnatter owns nearly 30 percent of the company's shares, which fell after the report but rebounded when he said he would depart as chairman. They ended little changed Friday.
Papa John's, which has featured founder John Schnatter as a spokesman in logos and TV ads, has begun pulling his image from its marketing and pledged to assess its diversity practices in response to his use of a racial slur.
RELATED: Papa John's Starts Pulling Founder's Image From Marketing
Schnatter's face was off some materials by Friday, though the pizza chain said there are no plans to change its name. Schnatter is still on the board and is the company's largest shareholder — meaning he remains a key presence.
Papa John's International Inc., which began operations in 1984, has more than 5,200 locations globally.
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