Oakland A’s bench coach Ryan Christenson is under fire for making what many called a Nazi salute in a post-game celebration earlier in the week:
A clear Nazi salute from Oakland @Athletics bench coach Ryan Christenson today. His apology does not suffice.pic.twitter.com/wAtP6TDuy5
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) August 7, 2020
San Francisco Chronicle sportswriter Susan Slusser wrote that it looked like the coach was attempting to do his signature “karate chop” forearm bump and things somehow went awry:
Seeing some consternation over Ryan Christenson’s postgame celebration gesture – he typically does a karate chop. That’s what he was getting ready to do, from what I can tell.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 7, 2020
And he realized what he did after the game:
I just spoke to Ryan Christenson and he said he knew instantly what it was about when David Forst called him because when he had reached out to do the karate chop with Hendriks, Hendriks said “No, no, no straight arm!” and Christenson took a second to realize what he meant.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 7, 2020
Christenson has since apologized for it:
Oakland A's Bench Coach Ryan Christenson Apologizes for Nazi Salute During Game https://t.co/KPm978ddlh
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 7, 2020
“I made a mistake and will not deny it,” he said in a statement released by the A’s. “My gesture unintentionally resulted in a racist and horrible salute that I do not believe in”:
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) August 7, 2020
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And for libs trying to cancel the coach, he’s described as a “progressive”:
Bob Melvin says that everyone in Oakland’s clubhouse supports Ryan Christenson and he says he has never before seen anything that would suggest racial or cultural iinsensity from him. Asked to describe Christenson, Melvin said, “He’s progressive.”
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 7, 2020
Yes, everyone should move on from this one:
I’m a Jew and son of Holocaust survivors. I do not believe after six years in the majors and a lengthy coaching career Ryan Christenson suddenly decided it would be fun to celebrate a win with a Nazi salute. I believe him. Glad he apologized and understands offense. Let’s move on
— Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) August 7, 2020
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