Greg McMackin, coach of the University of Hawaii college football team, has done what many have done (and regretted before): open his mouth and let some un-politically correct epithet (OK, slur) come out. Besides earning him criticism, it's earned him a suspension.

Greg McMackin's slur was the word f*gg*t. He used it in reference to Hawaii's post-season loss to Notre Dame, when speaking at the Western Athletic Conference’s annual football media preview in Salt Lake City on Thursday.

He had his guys. "We do something special at Notre Dame," he said, and they get up and they do this little cheer, like this (clap), you know, this little f****t dance. And you remember, Jason and Stephen, so my guys were looking at me. They’re all looking at me trying not to laugh. So I gave them the shaka. Don’t write that "f****t" down. I was misquoted. [...]

So, anyway, just please. Last year, you covered for me as far as (inadvertently mentioning a) recruit. Cover for me. Go ahead. Say "f****t dance." No, please cover for me on that, too. Right, Karl (Benson)? I’ll deny it. Anything else?

Later, Greg McMackin apologized for the slur, saying:

"It ticks me off that I said that because Notre Dame played a great ball game. What I was trying to do was be funny, and I wasn't funny, and it's not funny. Even more, it isn't funny to me. I was trying to make a joke. It was a bad choice of words. I really, really feel that.

"I wanted to apologize. I'm going to apologize to my team. I'm going to apologize to the people of Hawaii. ... All I can do is apologize, and I feel bad that I used those words. It was really stupid. I just feel really bad. I apologize."

To be honest, things like those don't just slip out unless they're language casually used by the speaker.

Greg McMackin received a 30-day suspension, without pay for that slur. He's also offered to take another 7% pay cut off of his $1.1 million salary (I really feel for someone who makes that much money, insert sarcasm here).

You can listen to the audio here.

Originally on SNAFU-ed