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Controversial video angers 49ers owners, city mayor
A video meant to prepare San Francisco 49ers players for dealing with the media features off-color humor -- including racial jokes and nudity -- and has outraged team ownership and the city's mayor.
The 15-minute film shows team public relations director Kirk Reynolds sitting in San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's office, impersonating the mayor there and in other city scenes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.
The video, sent anonymously to the paper, also featured racial jokes, lesbian soft-porn and topless women.
Reynolds said he made the in-house video to coach players on handling media questions in diverse San Francisco -- and never meant it for public consumption.
"Did I push it too far? I did," Reynolds said. "The ideas of the tape are appropriate for the locker room -- though some of the subjects were inappropriate for the values of this organization, and mine, frankly."
Team spokesman Jason Jenkins told the Associated Press that Reynolds was leaving the team, but added that he had been planning that move "for some time."
Team owners Denise and John York did not address Reynolds' future and Reynolds did not return phone calls Wednesday. Goines said team executives never reviewed or approved of the video, and he has since disciplined "the person or persons responsible."
The video was shown to players last August during training camp in Santa Clara where it was part of a diversity workshop.
Then-general manager Terry Donahue showed a snippet to team owner John York in January, just one day before he was fired, and then sent a copy to York at his request in March. Team lawyer Ed Goines got the tape about three weeks ago, the Chronicle reported.
In a statement Wednesday, the Yorks called it offensive, inexcusable and "absolutely contradictory to the ideals and values of the San Francisco 49ers."
"Ostensibly, the video was created to raise player awareness about how to deal with the media and to demonstrate by example how poor conduct can unintentionally make news," the statement said. "Unfortunately, this video is an example in itself."
Reynolds opens the film sitting behind the mayor's desk, then goes to Chinatown, where a 49ers trainer uses racial slurs about the Chinese community. The next scene, in a strip club, shows a topless, lesbian wedding officiated by Reynolds, again impersonating the mayor.
"You do something controversial, you say something controversial, it will have an impact on this team. So remember, be mindful of your actions," Reynolds says later, wearing only a towel before joining three topless women for a group hug. "What you do is not only a reflection of yourself. It's a reflection of the San Francisco 49ers."
Newsom was not amused.
"It wasn't right to do it to the Asian community, particularly the Chinese community. It was wrong to do it to the gay and lesbian community. It was wrong to exploit women as they were exploited in this video," the mayor told Fox-affiliate KTVU on Wednesday. "The video is reprehensible."
See the video at sfgate.com.
Source: AP
The 15-minute film shows team public relations director Kirk Reynolds sitting in San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's office, impersonating the mayor there and in other city scenes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.
The video, sent anonymously to the paper, also featured racial jokes, lesbian soft-porn and topless women.
Reynolds said he made the in-house video to coach players on handling media questions in diverse San Francisco -- and never meant it for public consumption.
"Did I push it too far? I did," Reynolds said. "The ideas of the tape are appropriate for the locker room -- though some of the subjects were inappropriate for the values of this organization, and mine, frankly."
Team spokesman Jason Jenkins told the Associated Press that Reynolds was leaving the team, but added that he had been planning that move "for some time."
Team owners Denise and John York did not address Reynolds' future and Reynolds did not return phone calls Wednesday. Goines said team executives never reviewed or approved of the video, and he has since disciplined "the person or persons responsible."
The video was shown to players last August during training camp in Santa Clara where it was part of a diversity workshop.
Then-general manager Terry Donahue showed a snippet to team owner John York in January, just one day before he was fired, and then sent a copy to York at his request in March. Team lawyer Ed Goines got the tape about three weeks ago, the Chronicle reported.
In a statement Wednesday, the Yorks called it offensive, inexcusable and "absolutely contradictory to the ideals and values of the San Francisco 49ers."
"Ostensibly, the video was created to raise player awareness about how to deal with the media and to demonstrate by example how poor conduct can unintentionally make news," the statement said. "Unfortunately, this video is an example in itself."
Reynolds opens the film sitting behind the mayor's desk, then goes to Chinatown, where a 49ers trainer uses racial slurs about the Chinese community. The next scene, in a strip club, shows a topless, lesbian wedding officiated by Reynolds, again impersonating the mayor.
"You do something controversial, you say something controversial, it will have an impact on this team. So remember, be mindful of your actions," Reynolds says later, wearing only a towel before joining three topless women for a group hug. "What you do is not only a reflection of yourself. It's a reflection of the San Francisco 49ers."
Newsom was not amused.
"It wasn't right to do it to the Asian community, particularly the Chinese community. It was wrong to do it to the gay and lesbian community. It was wrong to exploit women as they were exploited in this video," the mayor told Fox-affiliate KTVU on Wednesday. "The video is reprehensible."
See the video at sfgate.com.
Source: AP
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