Baltimore Orioles CEO John Angelos scolded a reporter from The Athletic for asking a question about the team’s rumored sale or move at a Martin Luther King Day event.

Angelos was speaking at an event with the Mayor of Baltimore, Brandon Scott, at the Orioles’ home ballpark, Camden Yards. Angelos announced the Orioles will commit $5 million to the CollegeBound Foundation, which helps students of Baltimore schools chase their dream of attending college.

Meanwhile, Angelos and his mother, Georgia, have been sued by his brother Louis over control of the organization. There has been speculation that Angelos wants to move the team out of Baltimore. The Athletic‘s Dan Connolly decided to ask Angelos about the feud between him and his brother, and the rumors about moving the Orioles out of Baltimore.

“What is your situation and your plan?” Connolly asked. “Given some of the things that have been swirling for the Orioles and the Angelos family in a year, three years, five years, ten years, what do you see as your relationship with this team?”

“And also, do you have any concerns about setting things up like this, Mayor? And then to have a change in ownership and it not being the Angelos family?” Connolly questioned.

Angelos asked Scott if he could give his answer, and the Mayor of Baltimore let the Orioles’ CEO have the floor. Angelos dropped the hammer on Connolly.

“So, you’re not going to take me up on the Martin Luther King Jr. part, are you?” Angelos said. “No, but seriously I’m going to take you to task on it, okay? With all due respect, that’s not an appropriate subject matter for this day.”

“That’s not appropriate,” Angelos added. “There’s a vicious virulent amount of racism, historically, through this country, and part of what we’re trying to do here is change that. So, it’s really not important at all in the grand scheme of things to people that are clear thinking, and who mean well and have a perspective to on Martin Luther King Jr. Day while we’re talking about putting kids that don’t have a shot in hell of anything because of where they were born, though college, to be talking about those kinds of things.”

The Orioles CEO told Connolly he would refrain from answering questions about his family or anything outside the MLK Day event. Angelos continued to scold Connolly.

“I find that to be highly inappropriate, and I think your focus is completely out of touch and has no perspective whatsoever on what real-world people face and what the real pillar and role of an organization like the Orioles and (Baltimore) Ravens ought to be,” Angelos continued.

He explained to Connolly that the Angelos family owns 70 percent of the Orioles, so they will need approval from the minority owners to change their organization drastically.

“Number two, we’re not going anywhere,” Angelos said. “Number three, the Principle Owners are Georgia and Peter Angelos. And number four, you see what we’re doing here in the community.”

Angelos invited Connolly and other media members who follow the Orioles around so that he could show them the financials and ownership of the team, but he did not want to do it on a day like Martin Luther King Jr Day. However, the sports editor for the Baltimore Banner, Chris Korman, called Angelo’s self-proclaimed transparency, “baffling.” And asked for the Orioles’ CEO to name the time, and the Baltimore Banner will be there.

“But today, on MLK Day, I’m not answering anymore of those questions,” Angelos continued.

Conolly tried to rebut, but Angelos had someone take the microphone from his hands and blasted him one last time.

“It’s highly inappropriate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day,” Angelos concluded.

Watch above via @PaulGessler on Twitter.

The post Orioles CEO Spends 5 Minutes Berating Reporter For Asking About Team’s Future: ‘Today, On MLK Day, I’m Not Answering’ first appeared on Mediaite.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/KUqPQ6N