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    Ralph Lauren drops Justin Thomas after gay slur heard on TV

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1905 Views
    Justin Thomas watches a shot during the second round of the Tournament of Champions golf event Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP)

    By Doug Ferguson, Golf Writer

    HONOLULU (AP) --

    Ralph Lauren Corp. said Friday it is ending its sponsorship with Justin Thomas after he was heard muttering a homophobic slur to himself after missing a putt last week in Hawaii.

    Thomas has worn the company's clothing since he turned pro. He has reached No. 1 in the world briefly on two occasions, won a major at age 24 and captured the FedEx Cup in 2017.

    In the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, he missed a 5-foot par putt on the fourth hole. He could be heard saying the slur under his breath as he tapped in.

    Ralph Lauren said it was "disheartened" by his language.

    "We believe in the dignity of all people, regardless of age, race, gender identity, ethnicity, political affiliation or sexual orientation," Ralph Lauren said in a statement. "In reflecting on the responsibility we have to all of our stakeholders, we have decided to discontinue our sponsorship of Mr. Thomas at this time."

    Thomas was on an overseas vacation and could not immediately be contacted. He is playing in Abu Dhabi next week on the European Tour.

    He apologized after this third round, and then again Sunday when he finished one shot out of the playoff.

    "It's inexcusable," Thomas said. "First off, I just apologize. I'm an adult. I'm a grown man, there's absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It's terrible. I'm extremely embarrassed. It's not who I am, it's not the kind of person that I am or anything that I do. Unfortunately, I did it and I have to own up to it and I'm very apologetic."

    It wound up costing him.

    "While we acknowledge that he has apologized and recognizes the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador of our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture that we strive to uphold," the company said in a statement.

    Ralph Lauren said it hopes Thomas "does the hard and necessary work in order to partner with us again – truly examining this incident, learning, growing and ultimately using his platform to promote inclusion."

    The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LBGTQ advocacy group in the country, last year designated Ralph Lauren as "Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality."

    Tags:Justin ThomasRalph Lauren Corp.



    Football Practice Preps Nikki Glaser For Hosting The Golden Globes

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    Nikki Glaser stands on the field after NFL football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

    What do Tom Brady, Taylor Swift and comedy have to do with learning about football?

    In the case of Nikki Glaser, it is all intertwined.

    Glaser has become a familiar face to football fans this season. Her breakthrough performance at the Tom Brady Roast on May 5 paved the way for five appearances on Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" postgame show.

    Before last Thursday's game between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, Glaser said doing her "Late Hits" segment was a no-brainer following her success at the Brady roast.

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    Glaser admits her knowledge of football is not all the way there yet. Still, it is further ahead than it was a year ago when she started casually watching Chiefs games due to Swift's relationship with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce.

    And mostly then, it was to see when Swift appeared on screen.

    However, Glaser decided to start learning more about the game, which she compared to trying to learn a new language.

    "I went my whole life putting on blinders because I was just scared to look stupid if I tried to learn. I always thought football fans would be really judgmental and cruel about my lack of knowledge. But they're not," Glaser said. "They're eager for you to understand and... Read More

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