Posted on 03/22/2006 3:16:47 PM PST by cardinal4
A radio personality at 550 KTRS was fired on the spot this morning after using the word “coon” on the air in a conversation about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Dave Lenihan was dismissed after what he called an inadvertent slip of the tongue. Within 20 minutes, station CEO Tim Dorsey apologized on the air to listeners and announced that Lenihan, who had been with the station for less than two weeks, had been let go.
“I don’t know what was in Mr. Lenihan’s mind,” Dorsey said in an interview. “I know what I heard. I know it was reprehensible.”
Lenihan’s comment was made during a discussion about Rice’s credentials to become commissioner of the National Football League, a topic that has been fodder for sports talk radio since the current commissioner announced he would retire later this year.
Lenihan was listing what assets Rice could bring to the league, including her tenure as a top academic officer at Stanford University and the fact that she is African-American.
“She’s just got a patent resume, of somebody that’s got such serious skill,” Linehan said on the air. “She loves football, she’s African-American, which would kind of be a big coon, a big coon – oh my God, I am totally, totally, totally, totally, totally sorry for that, OK? I didn’t mean that. That was just a slip of the tongue.” Lenihan later said he meant to use the word "coup."
Reached at home, Lenihan said he was still trying to figure out what happened, and was drafting a letter of apology to Rice.
"I was trying to say 'quite a coup' but it came out 'coon,"' he said. "I caught myself and apologized. It wasn't anything I was meaning to say. I never use that word.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
I think I remember that incident. I didn't know that the guy didn't get fired though! If I'm thinking of the same thing, his comments were WAY out of line (fireable).
Need sound file.
How stupid - he didn't mean it - I've heard worse slips. Like the two "rap" DJ's in St. Louis that called for violence against the city's police. I don't think they were ever fired.....
He didn't get fired. In fact, I believe he's the General Manager, so firing him would be next to impossible, unless there is someone above him like the owner of the station.
I suspect that Dr. Condi would just laugh it off, she has too much class to sweat a little thing like this.
"Totally, totally, totally, totally, totally sorry..."
Well, at least he wasn't being niggardly with his apology;)
They werent, although I dont think theyare both there anymore..
Surprised Dorsey didn't recommend a firing squad instead of a mere firing.
God forbid this guy ever makes a mistake.
STL ping..
They also have a poll asking people fire/not fire. I voted. We should freep it as just a stupid slip of the tonge or lapse of judgement IMHO.
Nothing different than Shep Smith's "slip of the tongue" when he said "blow j#b" during a story on Jennifer Lopez. How's that for a double entendre?
Not to mention of Jesse-Im-not-a-real-reverend-jackson's "Hymietown" comment..
So why didn't we see any condemnation in the media of the political cartoons depicting Rice as something like a house slave and drawing her like something you'd see in a KKK pamphlet.
Are you in Napoli?
That's something I'll never understand. How did blowtorch KMOX loose the Cardinals to some half watt station? To me KMOX and Cardinal baseball are like Jack Buck and Cardinal baseball.
I never understood the switch either..
Shades of Barney Fag...
Too bad for him he is not a rat US Senator.
It sounds to me like he could have been thinking of the words "boon" and "coup" and accidentally used parts of both. People do that all the time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.