The University of Hawaii handed down a multi-pronged action against football coach Greg McMackin for his “faggot” comment at a Thursday press conference. Among other things, the coach is suspended without pay for 30 days, will have his salary reduced, and will participate in various pro-gay-tolerance initiatives. You can see all the details here.
I love that he is going to now be promoting understanding of gay people and the language that hurts them. And I liked the language they used in their press conference. I also liked how quickly (about 24 hours) they acted on it. Good moves by the coach and the school.
More, plus video, after the jump.
But suspending him? That just seems like it goes too far. But wait! He’s suspended but will be allowed to continue to coach the team for free for the next 30 days. Huh? Doesn’t suspended mean you can’t participate with the team? And forcing him to a reduction in salary? Seems odd to me.
In other news on this, Notre Dame coach (at whom the “faggot” comment was directed) got some personal revenge, able to attack the man who was belittling him:
“Coach McMackin demonstrated poor judgment when, while making comments critical of our football program, he used a derogatory word,” Weis said in a statement. “Speaking only for our football program, we were offended by the remarks.”
After seeing the video of his fifth apology, I think he is truly remorseful and I will be hoping he follows through with his commitment: He’ll certainly have a fan in me if he does!
on Aug 1st, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Good! High profile slap downs like this help drive the point home that gay folks don’t like being belittled and insulted and would gives the college a bad image. The pay cut is a surprise and the program would suffer if the dude isn’t on staff so it’s not surprising he’s not “really suspended” but in name only. The suspension of pay is appropriately harsh in my opinion. Sends a message that this wont be tolerated and the good old boy/club days are over.
The ‘mos spend a lot of dough in Hawaii vacationing there too so there might be some politics and financial CYA involved.
on Aug 1st, 2009 at 3:35 pm
How is the program going to suffer if he’s not around for the next month? Don’t they have an assistant coach who could take over? Overall, though, I’m reasonably pleased.
on Aug 1st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
After seeing his teary apology at Towleroad, I feel bad for the man. I’ve gone through financial troubles in my life as a person of poor origins, so financial sanctions really upset me.
I understand we need to send a message, but this went too far for me. How about instead of those financial punishments and suspension, he had received a reprimand and done the work regardless with gay student organizations?
Heck, the university could’ve strongly suggested that he make a donation for the gay student center. With such strong sanctions on a first-time offender, who quickly apologized and seemed earnest and worried, I could see some straights– especially those close to the coach– developing some resentment toward the gay community.
on Aug 1st, 2009 at 5:02 pm
I see where you’re coming from, Lucruce, but sometimes people need to be made examples of. This is the first time that I can remember in which a sports figure received a real sanction for making anti-gay comments. He makes $1M a year and is the highest-paid state employee in Hawaii; he can afford it. The result would have been far worse he had been anti-black, anti-woman, or anti-just about anything else. Just because he regrets his actions doesn’t mean he didn’t deserve punishment.
on Aug 6th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
i love it. i hope that he follows through with his promises. i’m all about people making mistakes as long as they are able to learn from them to help promote awareness to others!
hey lucrece, according to what i read, some of the money being taken away from his salary was voluntary, and it will go to the glbt community at the univ of hawaii!
on Oct 28th, 2009 at 12:22 am
How “offended” would Liberals be if someone had made a Mick joke? Or some Black made a comment about “crackas”? That’s what I thought. Seems like the ONLY people who can get in trouble these PC days are WHITE HETEROSEXUAL MALES
Gays need to get over themselves/get off their soap boxes (we’re SO F*CKING TIRED of hearing their bullsh*t) and crawl back into the holes from which they came. If their PC BULLSH*T continues, pretty soon heterosexuals will have to apologize for being heterosexuals.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 9:37 am
How does suspending a millionaire without pay hurt them? f I was suspended without pay my family would go hungry, his won’t miss a beat.
It does seem a shame that the PC is being carried way too far, why can’t we be offended at everyone else taken offense at innocent remarks?