Ohio Student Punished for Using “Getting-Away-From-the-Cops Speed” Phrase at Football Game

Oct 10, 2013
12:17 PM

This is from the local pages the Sandusky Register in Ohio:

Margaretta Schools officials punished a high school student Friday after he made a controversial remark as a play-by-play commentator at a seventh-grade football game.

The boy, 15, has received several threats in person and online regarding the incident, prompting his parents to file a report with deputies at the Erie County Sheriff’s Office on Friday.

At Thursday’s game, the boy announced “he’s got that getting-away-from-the-cops speed” when an opposing player from Edison Schools ran the football for several yards, according to the report. The player he referenced is Haitian.

Since Thursday, several individuals have threatened to harm the boy on Facebook because the comment upset them, according to the report.

According to the local report, the boy was disciplined. Superintendent Ed Kurt said the following to The Register, “We worked with the student, and we hope this is a learning experience. We want to move forward in a positive fashion.”

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The phrase actually has a history. Announcer Gus Johnson said it in 2009 and had to apologize for it. Here is what one report said about that:

CBS announcer Gus Johnson apologized on Tuesday after making a controversial remark describing Titans RB Chris Johnson on Sunday.

As Chris Johnson, who is black, broke through the Jaguars’ defense for a 52-yard TD run, Gus Johnson, who is also black, said in his excitable style of the Titans tailback, “He’s got getting-away-from-the-cops speed!”

Newer versions of the popular Madden sports game also include the phrase, and many note that this happens more often when black players score a touchdown: