Oakland A's Coach Ryan Christenson Apologizes For "Accidental" Nazi Salute. Really.

Oakland A's bench coach Ryan Christenson is in hot water after having made a gesture post-game that resembled a Nazi salute. Video evidence is hard to dispute, but Christenson somehow defends his actions.

Baseball has been known as a predominantly white sport since birth, but this gesture fails to show baseball's true backbone. In 2019, 7.7% of players were black, 31.9% latino, and an overall 42.5% for people of color.

A Nazi salute doesn't reflect the league's integrity...Ryan Christenson tarnished his...on his own.

The salute warrants swift and severe punishment but should be met with a laugh at Christenson's expense because people of color have a home in this game. Statistics prove that.

The Athletics and Christenson frantically crafted a joint statement.

Few gestures "resemble" a Nazi salute, so the attempt to save face lands about as well as O.J Simpson's book. The best move was to admit an intentional mistake and move forward.

Just like we don't accidentally cheat on our significant others, we don't inadvertently salute the genocide of 6 million Jewish people. Commissioner Rob Manfred crapped the bed failing to punish the Houston Astros for cheating their way to a World Series title, but he can't miss the mark here.

For a coach willing to wave a flag for white supremacy, he sure chose the wrong sport to infiltrate. Like attending a Golden State Warriors game hating the 3-ball.

Why it doesn't matter

Racial gestures don't accomplish anything...hiring people of all races if they qualify for the job, does. Instead of worrying about what people like Christenson think, we could spend our time celebrating what this game really is.

Written by
Gary Sheffield Jr is the son of should-be MLB Hall of Famer, Gary Sheffield. He covers basketball and baseball for OutKick.com, chats with the Purple and Gold faithful on LakersNation, and shitposts on Twitter. You can follow him at GarySheffieldJr