Podcasters Mike Jimenez and Joe Garcia talk about the prospect of a new Spurs arena during an episode of the Alamo City Sportscast on Tuesday. Credit: Screenshot / Youtube

San Antonio sports podcaster Mike Jimenez, who’s faced previous anger over his hot takes, is drawing fresh criticism, this time for making what listeners called insensitive comments about Latinos on Tuesday’s Alamo City Sportscast.

While discussing the highly anticipated unveiling of plans for a new Spurs arena this Thursday, Jimenez pondered whether the city had the money to pull off such a feat.

“A stadium nowadays costs several billions of dollars to build, right?” cohost Joe Garcia asked.

However, Jimenez didn’t appear concerned about the city finding the labor to handle the project.

“Well, the thing is that we already have the Mexicans here to build it,” Jimenez replied.

YouTube video

Jimenez’s comments came at about the 35-minute mark of the show.

The podcast, which streams on YouTube and features a live comment section, was quickly flooded with remarks lambasting Jimenez, who also happens to be Latino.

“Quick, someone tells Mike he’s Mexican too,” listener @SithLord_Elias commented.

Jimenez doubled down in response, saying, “Yep, and my 1099’s allowed me to hire Mexicans to do certain things.”

After the show, the controversy over Jimenez’s comments seeped onto social media platform X, where KENS5 sports broadcaster Jeff Garcia accused the podcaster of throwing around a racist stereotype.

“Did [Mike Jimenez] reallyyyy go stereotype/racist on the peeps of SA and flaunt he makes more money than the peeps here?” Garcia tweeted.

Commenters on Garcia’s tweet posted a series of memes, including one where Jimenez’s face replaced that of President-elect Donald Trump, who’s made racist remarks and attacks on immigrants part of his political brand.

Other users who chimed in called Jimenez a “coconut” — a derogatory term Latinos sometimes used to describe brown people who disregard their culture act like Anglos.

It’s not the first time Jimenez, who worked on radio for 94.1 FM San Antonio Sports Star until a 2023 layoff, has faced backlash for for on-air comments. In February, he landed in hot water for calling San Antonio poor.

“What we’re asking is the question: Is San Antonio, or is Bexar County, poor?” Jimenez said. “We are. We are, and it’s because the jobs aren’t here.”

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This article appears in Nov 13-26, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...