Apparently being handed a 30-day suspension doesn’t mean Hawaii Warriors football coach Greg McMackin is disappearing. In fact, the “faggot dance” dance commentator is out there running his mouth to the press.
After apologizing for the second time and facing the suspension and a pay cut (he’ll now earn just $1,023,000 per year), McMackin isn’t completely abandoning the job. He showed up for the Honolulu Advertiser‘s online show The Warrior Beat (pictured) — and acknowledged what went down: “Basically, I made a mistake,” he said, notng that he’s working “to make up for that and moving straight ahead to football. So I’m not really going to talk about that anymore. I got a little choked up at the press conference because every player was there to walk me into the room and show me that they had my back. And you know, some people might have thought that was weird, but I got emotional. But I love my players and it was really an emotional (time).”
But attendees weren’t done with him.
At the end of the show, one reader (Mitch Kahle) commented: “For Coach McMackin: As a person with many gay, lesbian, and transgender friends, I was deeply offended by your use of a hurtful slur, and I immediately wrote letters of complaint to the University. Your public apology was greatly appreciated and obviously sincere. Thank you.”
In response, McMackin said on the show: “You know, thank you. I will say that … cause I’m not going talk about this anymore. There’s been enough talked about, nationally they want to talk about it, but in Hawai’i, and across the country, I have e-mails, I have thousands of positive e-mails … because I’m very sincere. I did not mean to do that. I hurt people. I want to do things, I want to make some PSAs and work with the gay, lesbian, community on our campus. I just … like my wife says, she never heard me use that word in 40 years of marriage. And the thing is, I don’t know how it happened. I made a mistake. Like I said, I’m moving ahead and all I care now about is this football team. And quite honestly, doing the right things for people. I’ve always taught to treat people with respect and dignity and I appreciate what that person said and what people … I’ve received about 20-30 e-mails and letters from people from the gay community that completely understand that I wasn’t meaning anything about their community. I was trying to be funny about how our haka was stronger than Notre Dame and I wasn’t really trying to knock Notre Dame. They didn’t put all the good things I said about Notre Dame in. The thing is, I made a mistake and I feel really bad about it. I’ve expressed that and I’m completely dedicated to my football team and I really appreciate that comment.”
Is it time to leave this guy alone? Accept his apology? Move on? Maybe. He’s been on an apology tour since the incident. He’s been punished where it hurts: the wallet. But we can’t help but thinking: If this man had said Notre Dame was performing a “little n****r dance,” would he still have a job?
How about we take this to the next level?
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DM73
Strange. It’s okay to forgive when using certain defamatory language. It’s expected we forgive him for using “faggot”. But if he used the “n-word”, would the same voices calling for forgiveness stand as affirmedly with him and “have his back”. No. Fire him.
schlukitz
Well, at least Greg McMackin owned-up to what he said and offered what appears to be sincere and heartfelt apologies, unlike Isaiah Washington who called T.R. Knight a faggot on the set and then defiantly denied it.
Brian
This was another example of RELIGION SPEAKING. Even the apology and forgiveness part.
schlukitz
@Brian:
You’re right.
We are living in a society that has enshrined “free speech” to the point that it is perfectly ok to demean, degrade and devalue any minority group, just so long as you issue a public apology when they get called on it.
The apology, of course, makes it all ok! It’s so Christian to forgive and forget, isn’t it?
The problem, however, is that the damage is done and no amount of apologies undoes that damage.
Umm…but the people who are doing this know that, don’t they?
That’s why they keep doing it…ad nauseum.
DM73
So by issuing an apology, that means people have to accept it no matter how “sincere” it appears to be. Nope. I’m sick of being cowtowed by politically correct “pr” spinmasters. You think he did this on his own. The tearing up was a nice touch. Did he apply glycerine or menthol?
We all know that it’s acceptable to pick on us. We always have to accept or rather tolerate this behavior.
I don’t accept it. The onus is always on the minority group to oblige the majority’s indiscretions. Nope. They can take their spindoctors and shove it.
youcanthandlethetruth
@schlukitz: The problem, however, is that the damage is done and no amount of apologies undoes that damage.
_________________________________________
What damage has been done??
Apart from a handful of homosexuals who even knows about the comment?
What about all the damage you inflict on “breeders” and “christers” with your constant, vitriolic attacks?
Be honest stories like this are just another chance for the homosexuals to try and flex their muscles in front of an American public who are alternately irritated and bored by your constant whining and self-imposed victimhood.
Darling Nikki
@YOUCANTHANDLE
Boy, you must do lots of rimming, because your full of shit.
youcanthandlethetruth
@Darling Nikki: If you were a football coach would you get suspended for saying that?
If you’re a homosexual then you get a free pass – only homosexuals are allowed to be offended!
schlukitz
@youcanthandlethetruth:
This should make you and DuttyBarb weep inconsolably.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090805/ap_on_re_us/us_psychologists_gays
Vancouverite
@youcanthandlethetruth: You never complain about things that offend you as a Christian, though, right? I mean, like the song says, Onward Christian Soldiers, and all that.
(And if there’s anything hotter than a football player, it’s a soldier, amirite?)
No, straight peeps and Christians have way too much character and moral fibre to complain about slurs, that’s why you never heard about it on the news or the websites and such.
ps: While we’re talking about the ol’ pigskin, how much do you love the smell of a sweaty jock, right??
Prague Spring
@youcanthandlethetruth: Bitch your so 1984 – my apologies to all who identify as women or as canines excepting members of the American fascist scene ie Anne Coulter etc.
DeAnimator
@youcanthandlethetruth: Nope. You’re allowed to be offended by our outrageous demands for EQUALITY. We’re selfish jerks, I know.