Colts Say Announcer Bob Lamey Retired After Using Racial Slur at Work

The Indianapolis Colts released a statement Wednesday saying longtime announcer Bob Lamey resigned Sunday after using a racial slur at work.

The Colts described the nature of Lamey's departure in a statement provided to Bob Kravitz of WTHR (h/t Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith):

"Bob publicly acknowledged that last week he repeated an inappropriate word when telling a story. He immediately apologized to the people who heard him use the word, and then promptly resigned. Bob has a long and storied history in our community, but he made a serious mistake. We are deeply disappointed the incident took place and offer our sincerest regrets to all who were impacted by Bob's lapse in judgement."

The Colts initially announced that Lamey had retired after 31 years with the team, but didn't mention his use of a racial slur.

When describing the rationale behind leaving his post Sunday, Lamey simply said, "It's time," per Jordan Guskey of the Indianapolis Star.

Colts owner Jim Irsay spoke glowingly of the former play-by-play man before the full details came to light: "With his historic calls, familiar sayings and passion for football, he became part of the fabric of this entire community. No one has been more 'Indianapolis' than Bob Lamey. Even more so, he was very much a part of our team family, and he's as dear to us as anyone who has ever worn the Horseshoe."

Lamey worked for the Colts from 1984-1991 and again from 1995-2018.

The 79-year-old is temporarily being replaced in the booth by Matt Taylor until the Colts find a permanent option.