Man Meets Whale

These are the best shots of a whale and human I've seen since this one.

One more, AFTER THE JUMP...

Hawaii Coach Sobs in Apology After 30-Day Suspension for Gay Slur

 

Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin, who used the word "faggots" in reference to Notre Dame players several times during a WAC press conference and then pleaded with the press not to cover it, has been given a 30 day suspension without pay and additional penalties:

"Officials say the coach's comments violated university policy, and as a result coach Mcmackin is being suspended without pay for 30 days. The coach has volunteered to work for free during the suspension. In addition to the 30 days of no pay, the coach will voluntarily take a 7 percent pay cut. He will also appear in a public service announcement. Based on the coach's million-dollar-a-year salary, 30-days of no-pay and a 7 percent cut takes more than 150,000 dollars from the coach...Part of the money saved from his suspension will pay for a student intern for the University's gay student services office. Mcmackin will also have to make presentations about the topic during student orientations, and work on awareness training for the athletics program."

McMackin broke down sobbing during a second apology, following his suspension.

A report on the suspension and a video of the coach's second apology, AFTER THE JUMP...

Video: Hawaii Football Coach Greg McMackin's 'Faggot' Apology

Yesterday, I posted about Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin, who repeatedly used an anti-gay slur at a media preview on Thursday and then attempted to persuade the media to not report on it. McMackin apologized one he realized the press was going to cover it.

According to the Idaho Statesman, "McMackin said Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis got up at the banquet and told the crowd, 'We do something special at Notre Dame.' 'And they get up and they do this little cheer, like this,' McMackin said Thursday, doing a rhythmic clap. 'You know, this little faggot dance.'"

Watch his apology, AFTER THE JUMP...

Western Athletic Conference said it was waiting to determine what action to take against McMackin, the AP reports: "WAC commissioner Karl Benson said McMackin's offensive comments brought negative publicity to the conference, 'at an event where the purpose was to promote the WAC in a positive manner. While his comments clearly violate the WAC Code of Conduct, I will wait until the University of Hawaii determines its course of action before determining what sanctions the WAC may impose,' Benson wrote in an e-mail."

Hawaii Coach Asks Media Not to Cover His 'Faggot' Slur, Apologizes

Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin repeatedly used an anti-gay slur at a media preview on Thursday and then attempted to persuade the media to not report on it, the Idaho Statesman reports:

"Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin said Thursday at the WAC media football preview that Notre Dame did 'this little faggot dance' at a banquet the night before last year’s Hawaii Bowl. McMackin used the term 'faggot' three times while explaining why Notre Dame was so fired up to play Hawaii in the game, which the Fighting Irish won 49-21. McMackin responded to the Notre Dame clapping tradition by having his players do the ha’a, an intense Polynesian dance and chant the Warriors do before games. McMackin said Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis got up at the banquet and told the crowd, 'We do something special at Notre Dame.' 'And they get up and they do this little cheer, like this,' McMackin said Thursday, doing a rhythmic clap. 'You know, this little faggot dance.' Once McMackin saw Notre Dame’s team demonstration, he gave his players the signal — the shaka — to do their ha’a."

McMackin apparently pleaded with the press not to report on the slur: "I want to officially, officially apologize...Please don’t write that statement I said as far as Notre Dame. The reason is, I don’t care about Notre Dame. But I’m not a — I don’t want to come out and have every homosexual ticked off at me. You know what I mean. Because I don’t have any problem with homosexuals. But I apologize for saying that and I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t run that word. If you said dance, that’s OK. But don’t use the bad term that I chose, please. Thank you."

The paper adds:

"Once it was clear that McMackin’s comments would be reported, he made another statement to the media. 'I would sincerely like to apologize for the inappropriate verbage, words that I used,' he said. '… I’m really ticked off at myself for saying that. I don’t have any prejudices and it really makes me mad that I even said that and I’m disappointed in myself. … What I was trying to do was be funny and it’s not funny and even more it isn’t funny to me. I was trying to make a joke and it was a bad choice of words and I really — I really, really — feel bad about it and I wanted to apologize. I’m going to apologize to my team. I’m going to apologize to the people in Hawaii.' A Notre Dame spokesman said the school likely would not comment."

Hawaii Civil Union Bill Likely Dead for the Session

According to the Honolulu Advertiser:

 "The state Senate [Wednesday] rejected a motion to recall a civil-unions bill from committee...The vote on the motion to pull the bill was 18 to 6 in opposition. Under the state Constitution, it takes the votes of nine of 25 senators to recall a bill from committee. The bill, which passed the state House last month, would give same-sex partners the same rights, benefits and responsibility as married couples under state law. The state Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee split 3-3 on the bill last month. The Senate gallery was full of observers and a crowd gathered outside. Many in the crowd were wearing red, the symbol of opposition to civil unions."

HRC's President Joe Solmonese issued a statement: "Today’s vote helps no one in the state of Hawaii. It protects no one’s marriage. It grants dignity to no couple’s relationship. It does nothing to ensure that all families receive the equal rights and responsibilities they deserve. But no one is giving up.  The Human Rights Campaign is proud to have partnered with the Family Equality Coalition on behalf of this critical legislation. It has been a long, hard struggle for couples and families in Hawaii who simply want equal rights, and this effort continues, as it does across the nation."

News: GLSEN, RuPaul's Drag Race, Hawaii, John Mayer Twitter

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Zac Efron won't be taking the Kevin Bacon route.

Democrats seek to break deadlock on Hawaii civil unions bill: "Opponents, led by conservative Christian church groups, have lobbied against the bill, saying Hawaii voted against gay marriage in 1998 and that the issue should not be taken up again. Now supporters of the bill say a recent statewide survey done by QMark Research and Polling shows 81 percent support for equal treatment for couples no matter what their gender. For the Senate Democrats, the issue is whether they have enough votes to either pull the bill from the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is deadlocked 3-3, or fashion a compromise by amending the bill in committee. An amended bill would require passage by the Senate, sending it back to the House for either approval or a conference committee later this spring."

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Jennifer Hudson taping secret Idol concert tonight.

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OUT interviews the real winner of RuPaul's Drag Race (spoilers).

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Sarah Palin a hypocrite on "special needs" children.

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