Ross Shimabuku, the Fox 5 San Diego sports anchor who apologized after implying a sexist slur about NASCAR driver Danica Patrick on the air before her Sprint Cup debut in Monday's Daytona 500, is suspended for a week without pay, according to reports.  

Patrick finished 38th in Monday's delayed Daytona 500. (Reuters/Jeff Haynes)

Shimabuku may have implied Patrick was a "b----" last week after starting his segment by calling her a "pretty girl" who makes a lot of "money in sponsorships because of it." He then said, "But what's not attractive is that she's sexy and she knows it."

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A video clip of Patrick at NASCAR Media Day complaining that media always describes female athletes such as herself as "sexy" was then shown.

"Is there any other word that you can use to describe me?" asks Patrick in the clip.

Then, after Shimabuku was cut to, he responded, "Oh, I've got a few words. Starts with a 'B', and it's not 'beautiful."

Patrick "always has a chip on her shoulder, trying to prove something," he added.

It didn't take long for Shimabuku to regret his words in the midst of ESPN recently firing editor Anthony Federico and suspending anchor Max Bretos for using the "chink in the armor" racial reference about New York Knicks point guard sensation Jeremy Lin.

Fox posted a video of Shimabuku apologizing on its web site Sunday in which the anchor wishes Patrick a great race and says that she is great for NASCAR.

Here's the original clip that got the anchor in hot water and went viral:

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