Greg McMackin, the University of Hawaii Warrior football coach who succeeded June Jones, is waking up every morning with a serious taste of toejam in his mouth.Coach McMackin unthinkingly used the podium at the Western Athletic Conference’s football media preview to describe the University of Notre Dame’s pre-game dance as “this little faggot dance.” Then to make things worse, he tried to backtrack, uttering the pejorative twice more as he implored the journalists in attendance not to use that quote.
As a former journalist myself, I can tell you that the worst thing ever tell a journalist is not to use something. That almost always guarantees your quote will be used.
And used, it was. And rightly so. Anytime a public person (especially one who is the highest-paid public worker in the State of Hawaii) utters something stupid, it can be considered fair game.
Many are defending Coach McMackin, basically saying he is the salt of the Earth and they are surprised to hear the word come out of his mouth. But like others who are weighing in on the issue, I am less forgiving. Whenever someone commits such an egregious faux pas, he may not be overtly prejudiced, but certainly the bias lingers deep within him.
I sympathize with him. But, I fear his days as a football coach at the University of Hawaii are numbered. As they should be.
Lesson to be learned by anyone who says anything in public: Put your brain in gear before putting your mouth in motion.
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UPDATE: Coach McMackin has been suspended for 30 days without pay, and will have to pay a fine equal to 7% of his annual $1.1-million salary ($169,000). The sobbing Coach McMackin will continue to work with the team on a voluntary basis during his suspension.
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