ESPN’s Outside the Lines did a good job of tackling the issues surrounding gay epithets today in a conversation with (among others) out former NFL player Esera Tuaolo and WAC Athletic Commissioner Karl Benson. The latter dropped a little bomb of his own, saying that if Hawaii coach Greg McMackin had uttered the word “faggot” in a press conference during the season, the WAC would have suspended him a game. However, they felt that a suspension coming over a month from the incident would have seemed out-of-place.
Tuaolo repeatedly used the word “crippled” in referring to hearing a big-time football coach use the slur. He felt that the punishment handed down by the University of Hawaii should have been stronger.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
What punishement? The guy will still be coaching the whole time he is ’suspended’, he is just going it for free.
Considering he is the highest paid state employee in Hawaii at 1.1 Mil, the 90k he is giving up really isn’t going to hurt.
Finally, the pay cut he took was already planned prior to his little ‘misstep’.
This guy is getting off with a fine, that’s it. If he had used the N word, something anti semtic, or Imus he would have been fired. But insulting ‘feminine’ homosexuals is just part of the ‘macho’ world of sports.
Ugh.