Chansky’s Notebook: What Was He Thinking?

One truly dumb coach sours the efforts of so many others.

During the Black Lives Matter protests, coaches from all levels and all leagues picked their words thoughtfully in  supporting the movement for social justice. Even coaches from opposite sides of the aisle.

For example, Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams put creative videos together featuring players with similar messages.

Coach K is a lifelong Republican who once held political fundraisers at his home. He joined his team imploring everyone to vote for change. Roy Williams, who was weened on politics by his mentor Dean Smith, had members of UNC’s six NCAA championships teams express their own sentiments for equality and justice.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim spoke out against the election push back and lost two season-ticket holders. Greg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs continued his verbal assault on Donald Trump. African-American coaches had to speak carefully, and some of them did.

All for a good cause.

Then this week, an unknown assistant football coach at mid-major Chattanooga became a national name. What was this guy thinking, as today he is thinking about his next job?

Defensive line coach Chris Malone took to his personal Twitter account after the Democrats won the two runoffs in Georgia to gain control of the U.S. Senate, one a black minister and another a Jewish journalist. Malone, apparently, couldn’t take the result.

So he made a personal attack on Stacey Abrams, the brain-woman of the Georgia Democratic party who developed a winning coalition in the Peach State and will likely make another run at the Governors office she barely lost in 2018. In his tweet, Malone referred to Abrams as Fat Albert, said she showed America how to cheat in another election and ended the message by saying Enjoy the buffet Big Girl.

When they saw the tweet, Chattanooga’s athletic director and head football coach put out their own messages, firing Malone. Good luck getting another job, coach. At least where you apply, they will certainly know you name.

 

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