A Minnesota sports radio personality is apologizing after remarks he made on air about Minneapolis ICE protesters and the harsh winter weather headed for the area.
Paul Allen, the voice of the Minnesota Vikings, released a statement on Monday, Jan. 26 after comments he made Friday while discussing an incoming winter storm and the city’s ongoing demonstrations.
“I made a comment on Friday about protesters and the weather that was insensitive and poorly timed, and I’m sorry,” Allen, 60, said in a prepared statement. “It was a misguided attempt at humor and while it was never meant with any ill intent or political affront, I absolutely and whole-heartedly want to apologize to those who genuinely were hurt or offended by it.”
He added, “I’m taking a few days off.”
Last week, Allen was talking about the forecast with former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway and Vikings beat reporter Alec Lewis when he delivered what he later referred to as a “cheap one-liner.”
“In conditions like this, do paid protesters get hazard pay?” Allen asked. “Those are the things that I’ve been thinking about this morning.”
“Yeah, probably not going to touch that one,” Greenway replied, before Allen moved on to discussing NFL coaches who were fired this season and who had also “caught strays.”
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The controversy flared again Saturday after Allen posted — and later deleted — a message on X praising another broadcaster for doing “good work” and “firing bullets.”
That post appeared the same day 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed by a federal immigration agent.
Allen later said he was unaware of Pretti’s death when he posted.
“Pulled that post I had praising friend Parker Fox for doing good work on TV and the words I used,” he wrote. “Did not know at that time about the shooting of a man in MPLS. I do now and yanked the tweet because my description of his performance lacked tact given the current situation. I am sorry. May God be with us all.”
In a separate post, Allen described how the violence in Minneapolis had affected him personally.
“I have to stop watching all this for a little bit,” he wrote. “I’m so sad this terror is happening all around us here in MN. I just prayed to God’s will for it to somehow stop and now and started crying.”
