A Boston sports radio producer has sparked outrage for making a racist and sexist remark about ESPN’s NFL analyst Mina Kimes on air. Chris Curtis, who works for WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show”, used an ethnic slur to refer to Kimes. He said this while discussing a proposal to ban mini liquor bottles, also known as nips, in Boston.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning, when co-host Courtney Cox suggested that the show’s personalities rank their top five nips, presumably referring to alcohol brands. Amid a list of popular liquors, Curtis interjected, “Uh, I’d probably go Mina Kimes,” with a smile. The other co-hosts continued on without addressing his comment.
Nip is an offensive term that targets people of Japanese descent and origin. Kimes, who was born in Omaha, Nebraska, is of Korean descent. She is one of the most prominent and respected voices in sports media, covering various topics such as the NFL, NBA, MLB and soccer. She also hosts her own podcast, “The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny”, and appears regularly on shows like “Around the Horn”, “Highly Questionable” and “NFL Live”.
Curtis’ comment was widely condemned by social media users, who called it uncalled for, extremely offensive and unacceptable. ESPN also issued a statement to USA Today Sports, saying that there is no place for these type of hateful comments.
Audacy, WEEI’s parent company, told The Boston Globe that Curtis was trying to reference actress Mila Kunis instead of Kimes. However, this explanation did not appease many critics who pointed out that it still implied a sexist joke based on objectifying women.
Mina Kimes has yet to respond
Kimes herself has not publicly responded to Curtis’ comment. However, she changed her Twitter profile picture to one of Kunis as a subtle jab at him.
It remains unclear whether Audacy or WEEI will take any disciplinary action against Curtis for his remark. This is not the first time that WEEI has faced controversy for its on-air comments. In February 2023 , another host was suspended for making insensitive remarks about Tom Brady’s daughter.
As a professional sports radio producer , Curtis should have known better than to make such a disrespectful and inappropriate comment about Kimes or any other woman . His remark not only showed his ignorance and prejudice but also his lack of respect for his colleagues , listeners and industry . He owes Kimes an apology and should face consequences for his actions.
