The Miami Herald's Salguero reports that sports reporter Jeff Darlington is being punished by the poo-bahs at 1 Herald Plaza for playing a role in the distribution of the tape of Nick Saban's "coon-ass" comment.
Saban told the joke containing the "slur" -- which isn't really a slur from my experience, anymore than redneck or cracker is a slur -- at an interview with Darlington and reporters with the Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post. The joke, however, was off-the-record. Seems Darlington then gave WQAM's Orlando Alzugaray a partial copy of the audiotaped interview. Explains Darlington:
''In poor judgment, I decided to e-mail another journalist an audio sampling of an interview that took place in Nick Saban's office. Though I did not expect the clip to be used, it was still my responsibility to make sure the audio was never published in any way. I apologize for my bad decision."
Yeah, Jeff, who woulda thunk sending an audiotape to a radio station would end like this? I mean, radio stations usually have better sense than to drive up ratings by putting controversial tapes of celebrities on the air. So don't beat yourself up, man, because NOBODY could have foreseen that. Now make sure to say 50 Hail Jakes before the Super Bowl -- which you won't be covering due to your "bad decision" -- and don't forget to buy some dip.
After the jump: More Pope
Since we've started with Edwin Pope, let me share the lede in his column this morning:
Permit, please, one wee step out of Super Bowl flow to recall a friend's misfire back in the day. His commanding officer at a New Mexico service base chewed him out for shooting at a coyote while he was on guard duty. The c.o. concluded in a roar, "Don't you know no coyote has ever made an unprovoked attack on a human?''''Sir,'' my friend replied, "I figure there's always a first time for everything.''
That's about how it is with supposedly lesser quarterbacks against better-known ones in the Super Bowl.
Of course it's in his wacky mashed-up style, but tell me, are we supposed to empathize with his friend? Are we supposed to find humor in a stupid son of a bitch shooting a coyote for no good reason?
(Okay, he shot "at" the coyote, so we don't know if he hit it. But still.)
Other than that, it was a pretty interesting column.
