Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl caught lots of laughs for a joke that associated the hometown of one of his players to the Ku Klux Klan. According to a CBSsports.com report, he has since apologized, avoiding further drama that could have come out of the harmless-intended remark.
“I’ve got a tough job,” Pearl said, referring to the challenge of coaching a team of players from different backgrounds. “I’ve got to put these guys from different worlds together, right? I’ve got guys from Chicago, Detroit. I’m talking about the ‘hood! And I’ve got guys from Grainger County, where they wear the hood!”
The joke was caught on WBIR-TV cameras. Pearl then issued an apology in which he explained he “did not intend to offend anybody,” especially no one from Grainger County, a northeast Tennessee County which is home to Volunteers freshman Skylar McBee.
McBee’s father, Doug McBee, said there was “no hard feelings at all” over the incident.
