Oakland A's coach apologizes after he makes gesture that looks like Nazi salute
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland A's bench coach Ryan Christenson is apologizing after he made a gesture that looked like a Nazi salute.
The hand gesture, where he raised his arm straight to the sky, occurred following the A's win Thursday over the Texas Rangers.
There is video of him making the gesture as the players leave the field. His teammates are seen coming up to him, and bumping their elbows or forearms against his outstretched arm.
The A's and Christenson were quick to put a joint statement.
The team said the gesture was "incredibly offensive."
And Christenson said he made a mistake and adapted a COVID-era elbow bump, turning it inadvertently into a racist gesture that "I do not believe in."
"What I did was unacceptable and I deeply apologize," he wrote.