Crushing the Coach: Who Ya Got?

Chiefs' Johnson takes swipe at Haley in Twitter post
AP

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson used a gay slur for the second time in as many days Monday, the Kansas City Star reported on its Web site.

Johnson refused to speak with reporters, a day after the Chiefs' 37-7 home loss to the Chargers. Sitting in front of his locker, he turned away and muttered the slur in telling reporters to get "out of here," according to the Star, which recorded the comment.

On Sunday, Johnson belittled rookie head coach Todd Haley on Twitter in a series of posts that also included the same gay slur.

The Twitter remarks were posted after San Diego routed the Chiefs (1-6).

One tweet read: "My father got more creditentials than most of these pro coaches." That was followed by: "My father played for the coach from "rememeber the titans". Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefley. Our coach. Nuthn."

The tweets drew responses, including one that referred to a nightclub incident in which Johnson was accused of spitting in someone's face.

Johnson's response include a three-letter gay slur. The final post read: "Make me regret it. Lmao. U don't stop my checks. Lmao. So 'tweet' away."

Full story here.

A lot of hullabaloo has come about in the last day or so after the Chiefs Larry Johnson criticized Chiefs coach Todd Haley and referred to him as a 'fag' in Twitter posts. But what has missed out and garnering the same national attention is the comments made by UCLA freshman receiver Randall Carroll who referred to legendary college offensive coordinator Norm Chow as a 'nigga.' Chow, of course being Asian.

Tweet from UCLA player's account uses racial epithet for Norm Chow
By Chris Foster/LA Times

A Twitter message sent by UCLA freshman Randall Carroll to a top high school recruit complained about Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow and referred to him with a racial epithet.

The post, from the account of OCiAM, dated Oct. 22, referred to the Bruins' last three games before Saturday and read, "man oregon, stanford and cal should have been easy wins ,, but [expletive] thys [racial slur] norm chow dnt be trustin us ,, so it is what it is."

Carroll directed the tweet to the attention of La Cañada St. Francis High running back Dietrich Riley. It also could be seen by the public.

"I was frustrated, tired of losing," Carroll said Saturday after UCLA's 27-13 loss to Arizona. "I wasn't trying disrespect Norm Chow in any way. . . . He was one of the reasons I came here. I was just saying I didn't feel like he trusted us, because we are such a young bunch. I wasn't downgrading his coaching."

So my question is, who is the bigger bonehead? My first inclination is to go with Johnson. This certainly isn't his first negative brush with an authority figure as he has had his issues with Joe Paterno and Herm Edwards in the past. But on some level I can understand his concern about playing for someone who hasn't played the game. I hate it when athletes tell writers that can't properly comment about the game because they didn't play but I can see how a coach might need that background to connect with his players. I just think LJ could have refrained from questioning's Haley's sexuality.

But calling the greatest offensive mind in college history a nigga on a message board might be the ultimate absent minded move. I guess I missed it when Twitter and Facebook turned our athletes into 16-year-old girls. I'm wondering how long it is before they start 'sexting' during games or updating the media on who their BFF's and frienemies are each week. I guess some things about technology are bound to suck. I do enjoy my iPhone though.