Major League Baseball suspended its Papa John’s promotion until after the All-Star break after the CEO John Schnatter resigned over his use of the N-word during a conference call in May.
The MLB “Papa Slam” promotion gave fans a discount when players hit grand slams. The program was suspended after Schnatter stepped down as CEO Wednesday night after admitting that he made the racial slur, according to Fox News Friday.
MIAMI, FL – JULY 11: A Papa John’s restaurant is seen on July 11, 2018 in Miami, Florida. The founder of Papa John’s pizza, John Schnatter, apologized Wednesday for using the N-word on a conference call in May. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
During the call, he reportedly stated that “Colonel Sanders called blacks n——.”
“News reports attributing the use of inappropriate and hurtful language to me during a media training session regarding race are true,” the CEO said in a statement. “Regardless of the context, I apologize. Simply stated, racism has no place in our society.”
On Friday, teams like the Washington Nationals joined with other MLB teams like the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles in distancing themselves from the pizza company and suspending promotional deals, stating that they “do not condone discrimination of any kind.”
The New York Yankees released a statement that read, “In response to the reprehensible remarks made by Papa John’s founder and owner, the New York Yankees are suspending their relationship with the company.”
Statement from the New York Yankees regarding Papa John’s:
“In response to the reprehensible remarks made by Papa John’s founder and owner, the New York Yankees are suspending their relationship with the company.”
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 13, 2018
Miami Marlins also announced they were cutting ties with the pizza franchise.
“Mr. Schnatter’s derogatory and insensitive comments are not at all reflective of the values of our organization, ” a statement from the Marlins read.
In December, Schnatter originally stepped down as CEO over comments he made about how the NFL’s handling of the national anthem protests were the reason for the slump in pizza sales during the third-quarter.