Twitter has a lot to say after a former University of Cincinnati coach said a homophobic slur twice during an interview on 700WLW.
Bob Huggins, who coached UC men's basketball from 1989-2005 and now coaches for West Virginia, called Xavier University fans "Catholic f**s" while talking to 700WLW's Bill Cunningham on May 8.
"Have you poached any Xavier guys to come to West Virginia?" Cunningham asks in audio posted to Twitter.
"Catholics don't do that," Huggins responds. "I tell you what, any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn't do it, by God they can get away with anything."
"I think it was transgender night, wasn't it?" Cunningham says.
"It was a Crosstown Shootout, yeah no, what it was was all those f**s, those Catholic f**s, I think is what it was," Huggins responds. "They were envious they didn't have one."
Laughter from Cunningham ensues.
Social media quickly called out Huggins for using the slur and Cunningham for laughing at it, while many pointed out that the bigoted conversation was typical for Cunningham’s show.
Huggins eventually issued an apology on Twitter, saying:
"Earlier today on a Cincinnati radio program, I was asked about the rivalry between my former employer, the University of Cincinnati, and its crosstown rival, Xavier University. During the conversation, I used a completely insensitive and abhorrent phrase that there is simply no excuse for — and I won't try to make one here,” Huggings said in the statement released on Twitter.
"I deeply apologize to the individuals I have offended, as well as to the Xavier University community, the University of Cincinnati and West Virginia University. As I have shared with my players over my 40 years of coaching, there are consequences for our words and actions, and I will fully accept any coming my way. I am ashamed and embarrassed and heartbroken for those I have hurt. I must do better, and I will.”
Check out Twitter’s reaction to Huggins’ slur use and the reaction to Cunningham’s business-as-usual show.
