San Diego-based sports media brand Kaplan and Crew is facing mounting criticism after the clip circulated widely on social media, drawing backlash over remarks perceived as offensive during a night meant to celebrate the region’s binational culture. The incident occurred during the April 10 matchup between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies, which marked the on-field debut of the team’s new City Connect uniforms.
The jerseys, unveiled the day prior, are heavily inspired by Día de los Muertos and feature a prominent La Catrina sleeve patch, a skeletal female figure adorned with a floral crown, intended to honor cultural traditions, family remembrance, and San Diego’s deep ties to Mexico. The rollout drew significant attention, including a sold-out crowd and more than $1.1 million in merchandise sales, setting a new franchise record.
In the now-deleted video, Kaplan and Crew host Scott Kaplan is heard reacting to mariachi music playing inside the stadium, asking, “Is that mariachi?” before directing attention toward performers. Co-host John Browner then responds, “The level of anti-American in this game right now. I don’t know what to say… This is getting out of control,” as the video pans to a woman on the Jumbotron dressed in La Catrina-style attire. Browner continues, “I’m about to call him… call Captain Orange, because we can’t have it… Where are we? Where are we?”
The comments, made during a themed celebration tied directly to the City Connect launch, were quickly clipped, shared, and reposted by viewers after the original post was removed. Online reaction was swift and critical. Comments on a separate Kaplan and Crew Instagram video posted later that evening, celebrating the Padres’ 5-2 walk-off victory via a three-run home run in the ninth inning, highlighted the growing outrage.
Among them: “Oh man, good thing the crowd drowned out the mariachi for you so you can keep celebrating!” and “SD please standup against this… They put up a racist video because Mariachi was playing???” Another commenter added, “Who are you going to call again on the mariachi? Why you took the video down are you ashamed of your comments against the Hispanic community?”
Following publication of the initial backlash, Kaplan and Crew and co-host John Browner provided statements asserting the clip was intended as satire. In a direct response, Browner said, “This is way outta context. It was from a joke made on our show. It’s satire which to someone who doesn’t know the joke can find it upsetting… it wasn’t real. it was a joke.” The Kaplan and Crew Instagram account similarly stated that the video “was created in jest from a segment of Thursday’s show,” adding that while the clip was “understandably offensive” out of context, the full episode would provide clarity on the intended tone. The Thursday show is embedded below for those looking for added context.
Despite that explanation, the tone and delivery of the remarks in the video did not clearly signal satire to many viewers, contributing to the intensity of the backlash and raising broader questions about how such content translates outside of its original format. The decision to delete the video appears to reflect an acknowledgment of how the clip was being received once it circulated beyond the show’s core audience.
Kaplan and Crew, which bills itself as “Southern California’s realest sports talk,” has built a following with more than 10,000 YouTube subscribers, approximately 17,000 followers on Facebook, nearly 9,000 on Instagram, and over 14,000 on X. The platform operates with a roster of local sponsors prominently featured across its content, including Seven Mile Casino, Blenders Eyewear, Mountain Trust, and Callaway Golf. The controversy places those partnerships under potential scrutiny as the backlash continues to circulate online.
The timing of the video has amplified criticism. Friday night’s game was not only the debut of the Padres’ new uniforms but also a broader celebration of the region’s cultural identity, with mariachi performances and themed activations taking place throughout the ballpark. The City Connect design itself was explicitly created to reflect the shared San Diego–Mexico border culture, incorporating marigold patterns, sunset tones, and Día de los Muertos symbolism.
Kaplan and Crew founder Scott Kaplan is no stranger to controversy in the San Diego media landscape. In 2012, the longtime sports radio host was fired from 1090 AM following backlash over derogatory on-air comments about a female college basketball broadcaster, whom he referred to using terms including “a beast” and “a sasquatch of a woman,” according to reporting by NBC San Diego and The San Diego Union-Tribune. At the time, Kaplan defended his remarks, describing his program as a “guy show” with a “locker room” tone and stating he did not believe an apology was warranted. The incident resulted in his removal from the station just one day after he publicly doubled down on the comments, marking one of the more notable controversies in his broadcasting career.
The original clip remains deleted from Kaplan and Crew’s official channels, though screen recordings and excerpts continue to circulate across social media platforms as debate over the incident persists.
Originally published on April 12, 2026.