Crews line up for the inaugural running of the Year of Sport Open Crew race at the 207th Royal St. John’s Regatta on July 30. Photo by Nicholas Mercer/The TelegramArticle contentThe Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee is condemning certain remarks made by a RogersTV commentator during the races earlier this week as body-shaming, inappropriate and hurtful. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentCommittee president Ashley Peach issued a public statement Friday morning, Aug. 1, saying the committee had been notified of the comments though e-mails from community members and messages on social media, and it has contacted Rogers Communications to express its concerns. Article contentArticle contentArticle contentThe comments in question were made by Out of the Fog Host Don-E Coady during coverage of the U-16 girls race. Article content“I gotta say, if I decided to row, I’d be hiring a tiny little coxswain and I would probably lock them in a basement and not feed them for three weeks before getting in the boat. Is that wrong?” Coady said at the end of the race, as the camera focused on one of the teams that had just finished the race. Article content“I will back that up,” he later added, “but I will say there are so many ingredients that lead to a win, and some are feeling more logical than others.” Article contentPeach said the committee members have reviewed that segment of the broadcast – which appears to have been edited out of the RogersTV coverage of the event on YouTube – and the remarks don’t align with the organizations’ values. Article content“The committee agrees that the remarks referencing body image in a joking and derogatory manner were both inappropriate and hurtful,” Peach wrote. She did not name the commentator. Article contentArticle content“Our organization is committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, respect and sportsmanship. These are values that have define this historic sporting event for over two centuries. Every participant deserves to be treated with dignity and celebrated for their commitment to the sport of rowing. Article contentWe have reached out directly to Rogers Communications to express our concerns and to reaffirm our expectation for respectful and inclusive commentary…. body shaming and demeaning language, whether intended as humour or not, has no place in sport, in broadcasting, or in our community.” Article contentCoady also made a public post on social media Friday morning addressing the response to his comments during the live broadcast, apologizing and saying he will be more careful and considerate in the future. Article content“We had been talking about the evolution of boat weight, which came up a few times, from an innovation perspective,” Coady wrote, ‘but as we were moving past the topic, yes, I can totally see how someone could be offended, because the visual that was paired with that moment, someone sitting in a boat, a piece of footage I never even observed, could not have been worse timing- through no fault of anyone but me, of course. Article content“I feel that I’m a champion of inclusivity in my daily life. I am absolutely devastated and wholeheartedly apologize to anyone in my communities who has been hurt or disappointed.” Article contentHe added that he has learned from the situation and will “absolutely be doing better moving forward.” Article content
St. John’s regatta committee condemns comments made during live TV coverage of races
