CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia football coach Al Groh apologized Wednesday for a comment that offended many people, including university President John Casteen. On a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Groh was told that several of his players had voiced concerns about flying to this weekend's game at Clemson (2-0). The Cavaliers (1-1) travel by chartered jet, and Groh said they need not worry about a hijacking. "I'm not saying this to make light of it by any means, but I'm not planning on having Arabs in the traveling party," Groh said. "So therefore I think probably that the threat of our being hijacked is pretty remote." News of his comment spread, and the former coach of the NFL's New York Jets issued a written apology. "I am sorry if my remarks were insensitive," Groh said. "I certainly did not mean to insinuate that millions of sensitive, God-fearing people of Arabic descent are terrorists." "Like many American citizens, my emotions are near the surface after last week's tragedy, especially since 70 people in the town I lived in for four years, many of whom I know, are missing." Casteen said he took Groh's "apology seriously, and I hope that others will also." In the same release, athletic director Craig Littlepage said: "This is no time to inflame emotions. Unfortunately, Coach Groh's remark earlier today has had that unintended effect."
Relax man. He apologized. Everyone is commenting without really thinking nowadays. He is human afterall and no one is perfect.
Very nice! I often wonder if at times of great emotion that isn't when we are at our most honest, which is kinda scary considering what people say when they are pissed.
Geez he's a football coach ..whatta you expect.It's not like he said anything racial.I'm not saying it's right ,but it's hardly newsworty.
Darorockets, "I don't plan on having any Arabs in my party, so I'm not worried about it...." That's not racial? I think it is.
DAROckets, If he had said something like, "I don't plan on having any blacks in the travelling party, so crime shouldn't be a problem". Would that be racial? Hmmmm..... --------------------------- It saddens me. To tell you the truth, just about everyday, I lose a little more faith in mankind.
They aren't. There isn't really many other ways you can interpret his comments, so they probably say a lot about his feelings. Like Jeff said, sometimes truth comes out when you are too emotional to hold it back. It doesn't necessarily mean he's a completely immoral man, but he said what he thinks.
Well, he's right! They do travel by charter jet, so I don't think there's a chance that terrorists will be sneaking onto the plane...The only Arab that you would see on that plane would be, what...the place kicker?
You're extremely naive if you don't think a large portion of the country thinks what this man said. There was a congressman from La. on the Factor last night who had said something negative about people who wear turbans.
I can't believe there are people defending this guy! Granted there are a large portion of people who think like he does, but there are a large portion of people who feel the same way about black people, and we don't ok that. That is racism plain and simple, it's just a different race of people someone is being prejudice against.
<B>"I'm not saying this to make light of it by any means, but I'm not planning on having Arabs in the traveling party," Groh said. "So therefore I think probably that the threat of our being hijacked is pretty remote." </B> So, basically, only Arabs hijack planes. Excellent. This means that the rest of us should not need to deal with the tighter security. Only put the Arabs though those security checkpoints.
The facts are that it was 19 Arabs who committed a terrorist act. What Groh said was wrong, but I can't blame him for saying it. If anyone on this board (regardless of race, religion, etc) can say they won't be more worried the next time they get on a plane and see 4-5 muslim-looking men sitting in 1st class (or for that part any other part of the plane) then I would say you either are lying or you are a greater person than me.
shanna: how many scotches would you order if you climbed on board a plane tomorrow and saw half a dozen or so Middle Easterners seated throughout the plane?! As someone once said, "Don't be so open-minded that your brain falls out." Don't distort Groh's words; he didn't say that ONLY Middle Easterners hijack planes. He said the Middle Easterners DO hijack planes. The reality here is that these Middle Easterners have just commmited the largest coordinated hijacking conspiracy in human history and commited the single largest act of terrorism in human history on our soil.
I'm a greater person than you. Except, I do get the willies whenever I see a redneck driving a Ryder truck.
<B>shanna: how many scotches would you order if you climbed on board a plane tomorrow and saw half a dozen or so Middle Easterners seated throughout the plane?! </B> Ummm, none. I don't have a psychotic fear of Middle Easterners. The fact that people do is quite disturbing to me. Were you nervous around white people after the McVeigh bombing? If not, why not?
