Associated Press

San Francisco — An in-house video meant to prepare San Francisco 49ers players for dealing with the media backfired on the NFL team Wednesday when it was learned that it featured racist jokes, lesbian soft-porn and topless blondes.

The 15-minute video, a copy of which was sent anonymously to the San Francisco Chronicle, features the team's public relations director, Kirk Reynolds, impersonating Mayor Gavin Newsom in the mayor's office and other places around town.

The mayor is outraged, the team's owners are embarrassed and Reynolds has lost his job.

Reynolds said he made the video to coach players on handling media questions in diverse San Francisco, and never meant it for public consumption.

"Did I push it too far? I did," Reynolds said. "The ideas of the tape are appropriate for the locker room — though some of the subjects were inappropriate for the values of this organization, and mine frankly."

The video was shown to players last August during training camp. It was part of a diversity workshop.

In a statement Wednesday, team owners Denise and John York called it offensive, inexcusable and "absolutely contradictory to the ideals and values of the San Francisco 49ers."

"Ostensibly, the video was created to raise player awareness about how to deal with the media and to demonstrate by example how poor conduct can unintentionally make news," the Yorks said. "Unfortunately, this video is an example in itself."

An NFL statement supported the Yorks' viewpoint.

"We applaud 49ers' owners Denise and John York for their strong public criticism of the media training video that was shown to their team last summer and for taking appropriate disciplinary action in response," the league said. "We share their view that the video was inappropriate, offensive in every respect, and of no value whatsoever. It does not reflect the 49ers' values and traditions or those of the league and its member clubs."

Team lawyer Ed Goines said in a statement that the 49ers' executives never reviewed or approved the video, and issued "appropriate discipline to the person or persons responsible."

Reynolds did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday from The Associated Press. But team spokesman Jason Jenkins told The AP that Reynolds "has planned to leave for some time."

Reynolds opens the film sitting behind the mayor's desk, then goes to Chinatown, where a 49ers team consultant uses racial slurs about the Chinese community. Next comes a topless, lesbian wedding filmed at a strip club and officiated by Reynolds, again impersonating the mayor.

"I know the courts say we can't do this," says Reynolds, before the happy couple engages in heavy petting. "We make our own rules here in San Francisco."

Reynolds then goes to SBC Park, where as the "mayor" he throws out the opening pitch, then takes a bribe from the catcher, who thanks him for supporting "hookers and booze."

"You do something controversial, you say something controversial, it will have an impact on this team. So remember, be mindful of your actions," Reynolds says, wearing only a towel before joining three topless blondes for a group hug in a strip club's dressing room. "What you do is not only a reflection of yourself. It's a reflection of the San Francisco 49ers."

San Francisco — An in-house video meant to prepare San Francisco 49ers players for dealing with the media backfired on the NFL team Wednesday when it was learned that it featured racist jokes, lesbian soft-porn and topless blondes.

The 15-minute video, a copy of which was sent anonymously to the San Francisco Chronicle, features the team's public relations director, Kirk Reynolds, impersonating Mayor Gavin Newsom in the mayor's office and other places around town.

The mayor is outraged, the team's owners are embarrassed and Reynolds has lost his job.

Reynolds said he made the video to coach players on handling media questions in diverse San Francisco, and never meant it for public consumption.

"Did I push it too far? I did," Reynolds said. "The ideas of the tape are appropriate for the locker room — though some of the subjects were inappropriate for the values of this organization, and mine frankly."

The video was shown to players last August during training camp. It was part of a diversity workshop.

In a statement Wednesday, team owners Denise and John York called it offensive, inexcusable and "absolutely contradictory to the ideals and values of the San Francisco 49ers."

"Ostensibly, the video was created to raise player awareness about how to deal with the media and to demonstrate by example how poor conduct can unintentionally make news," the Yorks said. "Unfortunately, this video is an example in itself."

An NFL statement supported the Yorks' viewpoint.

"We applaud 49ers' owners Denise and John York for their strong public criticism of the media training video that was shown to their team last summer and for taking appropriate disciplinary action in response," the league said. "We share their view that the video was inappropriate, offensive in every respect, and of no value whatsoever. It does not reflect the 49ers' values and traditions or those of the league and its member clubs."

Team lawyer Ed Goines said in a statement that the 49ers' executives never reviewed or approved the video, and issued "appropriate discipline to the person or persons responsible."

Reynolds did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday from The Associated Press. But team spokesman Jason Jenkins told The AP that Reynolds "has planned to leave for some time."

Reynolds opens the film sitting behind the mayor's desk, then goes to Chinatown, where a 49ers team consultant uses racial slurs about the Chinese community. Next comes a topless, lesbian wedding filmed at a strip club and officiated by Reynolds, again impersonating the mayor.

"I know the courts say we can't do this," says Reynolds, before the happy couple engages in heavy petting. "We make our own rules here in San Francisco."

Reynolds then goes to SBC Park, where as the "mayor" he throws out the opening pitch, then takes a bribe from the catcher, who thanks him for supporting "hookers and booze."

"You do something controversial, you say something controversial, it will have an impact on this team. So remember, be mindful of your actions," Reynolds says, wearing only a towel before joining three topless blondes for a group hug in a strip club's dressing room. "What you do is not only a reflection of yourself. It's a reflection of the San Francisco 49ers."

Newsom, shown the tape by the Chronicle, was not amused.

"It wasn't right to do it to the Asian community, particularly the Chinese community. It was wrong to do it to the gay and lesbian community. It was wrong to exploit women as they were exploited in this video," the mayor told KTVU-TV. "The video is reprehensible."

The mayor's staff will now insist on seeing the content when it grants requests for filming inside City Hall, said his aide, Peter Ragone.

Coach Mike Nolan, who was left to face the media Wednesday at 49ers training camp, stressed the video reflected decisions made by an old "regime," and that York has since put the team in the right direction.

"I will say this: We do a lot of the sensitivity training, and we do it in the right manner. This is an example of how you do not do it," said Nolan, who was hired in January. "That's not what the 49ers will be about."

racial tolerance NFL style

[ 02 June 2005: Message edited by: donvonbra ]