Thursday, February 19, 2009

What Ol' Roy should do now

So I watched the video clip of Roy Williams' F-bomb, issued after UNC's win over N.C. State Wednesday, and it looked pretty harmless. Williams sounded like he was halfway joking, although he was obviously angry about his team's pressure defense and double-teaming.

Here's what I would do if I were Williams. Issue a statement that apologized to everyone who heard the comment on live radio on the UNC and N.C. State radio networks. Then I'd say I was going to donate at least $10,000 apiece to a charity of those radio networks' choice as a goodwill gesture.

Ol' Roy is just lucky he's not in NASCAR, where in recent years both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart were penalized 25 driver points and fined $25,000 for cursing on their interviews on live TV. I thought those penalties were both too strict. The fine, sure, that's OK. But taking away driver points, too? That's way too much.

There's no doubt, though, that Ol' Roy saying the "F" word at a press conference being broadcast live around much of the state would qualify as inappropriate. It's nowhere close to a hanging offense, but it's not something I'd have wanted my 4 kids to hear, either, had they been listening.

No matter whether the ACC penalizes Ol' Roy with some sort of slap on the wrist or not for this, Williams should get in front of this one, apologize and make a charitable contribution. Then the Tar Heel coach should just watch his mouth a little more closely, if only to make sure the word "frickin'" comes out when he intends it to.

BTW, I'll be on a live chat on CharlotteObserver.com from noon to 1 p.m. on FRIDAY, to talk about this issue and anything else you might have on your mind.

6 comments:

Jason said...

Gotta admit that it's funny the least foul-mouthed coach in the league has this happen to him, when the most foul-mouthed coach in the league gets a free pass to cuss at the top of his lungs at every time-out.

Unknown said...

it needs to cost him something...I'm just sayin'

Unknown said...

So if you coach a darker blue uniform that's not a dirty word?

MichaelProcton said...

Hmm...can ya'll remind me, then, when the last time Krzyzewski said the word F\/<|< in a live press conference being broadcast across the country? Yeah, thought so.

Matt said...

Well, I've heard K say it in at least a couple dozen games through the years clear as a bell when the mic was close. I've seen him mouth it in every single game he's ever coached. And those get broadcast across the country. That's a pretty short high horse you're looking down from, Michael.

Talk about a mountain out of a molehill!

Anonymous said...

The donation idea is stupid. Why is that in America today people think that someone needs to dish out cash every time they say something stupid or offensive?