Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh denies he used the word “faggot” while yelling at officials during Saturday’s Notre Dame-Stanford game. Harbaugh told Ted Rybka of GLAAD:
It did not come out of my mouth. It would not come out of my mouth. It’s not in my heart to ever say that.
It did not come out of my mouth. It would not come out of my mouth. It’s not in my heart to ever say that.
The controversy was started when Chris Finley e-mailed a YouTube link alleging that Harbaugh yelled “f*cking asshole faggot” at an official following a holding call. The problem though is that the audio is muted and Finley laid over text of what he guesses Harbaugh is saying.
Harbaugh told GLAAD that he did curse but denies using an anti-gay slur. He issued the following statement on Friday:
“I would like to state unequivocally the alleged anti-gay remark that some have attributed to me did not come from my mouth and any such assertion is hurtful to me, members of my family and the gay community. Those who know me know I never use slurs under any circumstances; the bias reflected by spiteful slurs is simply not in my heart.”
I am giving Harbaugh the benefit of the doubt. Without audio, it is impossible to know what he said. To accuse someone of using a slur, you need some sort of proof (audio, an eyewitness account) and not trying to read lips off a TV monitor.
