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Posted: 3/25/2006 3:35:08 PM EDT
It sounds like it was an accident but I never heard the tape

www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/23/djfired.rice.ap/index.html

Host, praising Rice, utters slur; fired

Thursday, March 23, 2006; Posted: 9:20 a.m. EST (14:20 GMT)

 
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AP) -- A St. Louis radio station quickly fired a talk show host for uttering a racial epithet as he talked about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on his morning show Wednesday.

Dave Lenihan apologized on the air immediately after making what he said was a slip of the tongue. KTRS president and general manager Tim Dorsey agreed the remark was accidental but said it was nonetheless "unacceptable, reprehensible and unforgivable."

Lenihan had been heaping praise on Rice, who has frequently said she aspires to run the NFL one day but has more recently ruled out seeking to replace retiring Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

"She's been chancellor of Stanford," Lenihan said on the air. "She's got the patent resume of somebody that has serious skill. 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."

He said he had meant to say "coup" instead of the racial slur.

KTRS listeners soon began calling the station to complain. Twenty minutes after the utterance, Dorsey went on the air to apologize to Rice and KTRS listeners.

"There can be no excuse for what was said," Dorsey said. "Dave Lenihan has been let go. ... There is enough hate. We certainly are not going to fan those flames."

NAACP chapter president Harold Crumpton commended Dorsey for his swift action.

Reached at home, Lenihan said he was still trying to figure out what happened and was drafting a letter of apology to Rice. He said he never uses the slur he uttered and thinks Rice is "a fantastic woman."

Lenihan, formerly a drive-time host at WGNU radio in St. Louis, had been at KTRS for less than two weeks.

"It was my dream job," he said. "Ratings were going well. It kind of stinks."

Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:37:23 PM EDT
[#1]
Words of warning, "If you make a living with your voice, don't do what this guy did!"
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:38:07 PM EDT
[#2]
Eh, shit happens.

Sorta like unemployment... it happens.  
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:38:57 PM EDT
[#3]
Coon?
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:39:44 PM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
Coon?



Slang derogatory term for Blacks
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:39:46 PM EDT
[#5]
A media personality complimenting Condoleeza Rice got fired?  But of course!

Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:41:14 PM EDT
[#6]

Quoted:
A media personality complimenting Condoleeza Rice got fired?  But of course!




Nice avatar!  
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:42:01 PM EDT
[#7]
What a crock of shit. Geez the whole world is so PC these days it makes me sick.

And the NAACP hates Condi. They could give a rats ass less.

Give the guy his job back.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:43:45 PM EDT
[#8]
I guess he learned his lesson
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:46:47 PM EDT
[#9]
He didn't mean it, it was an accident, he realized an apologized in under a second.  I think the station was way way way too hard on him.  This is almost as bad as Mayor Bloomberg firing some office flunky for seeing him play solitaire on his computer on the clock.  What a crock that was.

But I thought there was a delay to catch this sort of thing.  If it is only only in place for callers now, after this incident I bet a lot of hosts will want it for themselves.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:50:13 PM EDT
[#10]
Where is that link to Shepard Smith (still employed BTW) talking about the J-Lo blow job?
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:52:02 PM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:
He didn't mean it, it was an accident, he realized an apologized in under a second.  I think the station was way way way too hard on him.




If  they hadn't, you know damned well that Jesse and the bunch would have been camped outside their door.

Only they are allowed to discuss Dr. Rice, and they call her an Uncle Tom.

Rediculous. The manager is a coward.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:52:34 PM EDT
[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Coon?



Slang derogatory term for Blacks



It is?

Damn I never knew what that meant...
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:52:47 PM EDT
[#13]
I sure am suprised he was fired.
I'm sure he meant it negatively.
He was complimenting her for pete's sake!
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 3:53:28 PM EDT
[#14]
shwoops
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 4:10:43 PM EDT
[#15]


It was an even more understandable slip when you take the whole sentence.

The next word was "in" as in " coup in the NFL".  




Link Posted: 3/25/2006 4:21:10 PM EDT
[#16]
Seems like a just punishment for using a frog word.

I just hate folks that have to throw french into their everyday speech.

Link Posted: 3/25/2006 4:29:18 PM EDT
[#17]
The more I think about it.

The more it seems so stupid he was fired.

He was praising her.


Link Posted: 3/25/2006 4:43:59 PM EDT
[#18]
I listened to the gent speaking. ABSOLUTELY a slip of the tongue, as he had been speaking very highly of her. Station manager is an asshole. [NOT a slip of the tongue]

Many other LIBS have been caught in a lip-slip and got a pass. Some were not slips by any means. L farakan gets passes every time the SOB opens his mouth. Same as J jackson.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 6:22:21 PM EDT
[#19]
If he hadn't have back tracked and would have finished the sentence nobody would have even caught it.  "..... a big coup in the NFL"   "......a big coon the NFL"  

He just realized what his choice of words could be misconstrued to be and got flustered and didn't keep his sentence going.

rj
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 6:25:54 PM EDT
[#20]

Quoted:
A media personality complimenting Condoleeza Rice got fired?  But of course!




I didn't know white people"uncle toms" could be coons.  This is too much irony.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 6:28:07 PM EDT
[#21]
man, that sucks
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 6:29:03 PM EDT
[#22]
Freudian Slip?
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 6:32:05 PM EDT
[#23]

Quoted:
NAACP chapter president Harold Crumpton commended Dorsey for his swift action.



Oh, good, the NAACP, the same moronic jackasses who have called CR an "Uncle Tom". Sure, nothing wrong with that.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 6:35:30 PM EDT
[#24]

Quoted:
man, that sucks

Oops
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 6:45:28 PM EDT
[#25]
I think this guy should be hired by ABC news, where another guy emailed his co-workers, "Are you watching this? Bush makes me sick. If he uses the 'mixed messages' line one more time, I'm going to puke."  They should have to share a desk.  The guy (at ABC) didn't get fired AFAIK.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 7:13:08 PM EDT
[#26]
Coons? when coons come on our porch momma sweeps them away with a broom. (Forrest Gump)
Roy
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 7:17:29 PM EDT
[#27]

Quoted:
A media personality complimenting Condoleeza Rice got fired?  But of course!




What's your avatar and why does Nationwide like it?

It sounds like it was a slipup... firing him is a little harsh.

What the fuck do they have the 7-second delay and technicians for if not to catch this shit!
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 7:27:54 PM EDT
[#28]

Quoted:

Quoted:
A media personality complimenting Condoleeza Rice got fired?  But of course!




What's your avatar and why does Nationwide like it?
It sounds like it was a slipup... firing him is a little harsh.

What the fuck do they have the 7-second delay and technicians for if not to catch this shit!



Its the artist rendition of SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg falling asleep in court (as she actually did!) a few weeks ago.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 7:38:01 PM EDT
[#29]
Someone should have fired the Hildabeast when she made the Plantation speach.

They claim we were brought forth from the muck and slime and life is really meaningless, what do you want , perfection ?
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 7:57:30 PM EDT
[#30]
This is not the first time something like this has happened, I remember Howard Cosell (sp) getting fired from Monday Night Football when a running back ran in a kick-off for a touch down while saying "Watch that little monkey run!!!!"

And that was the end of  'ol Howard's career.....
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 8:00:28 PM EDT
[#31]
That's just unprofessional.

Max
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 8:04:18 PM EDT
[#32]
I heard it replayed the other day. Total slip up. He should sue.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 8:44:52 PM EDT
[#33]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
Coon?



Slang derogatory term for Blacks



It is?

Damn I never knew what that meant...



I seriously doubt anybody under the age of 35 knew what it meant.....but now they will....
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 8:57:01 PM EDT
[#34]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Coon?



Slang derogatory term for Blacks



I worked with a guy who never heard it before. One day at work we were talking about all the stupid ebonics. "You whats up dog" was repeated alot and then we got silly with even dumber things like" Yo what up giraffe" an other dumb things.  After a bit one of the black girls on our team comes in and he says "Yo what up coon"  I knew he meant racoon and he thought he meant racoon but that look on that girls face was priceless.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:00:26 PM EDT
[#35]
I heard the tape of it either yesterday or a couple of days ago.  It was a total slip and he instantly apologized.  This guy praises her all of the time, and sent her a letter of apology.

I don't think he should have been fired.  It's not like he falsified documents about the POTUS during an election year...
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:02:36 PM EDT
[#36]
That is ridiculous he got fired. Make a small and obvious slip of the tongue and get fired? I bet Dr. Rice would recommend that he get his job back.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:22:35 PM EDT
[#37]


What the fuck do they have the 7-second delay and technicians for if not to catch this shit!



Bucket delay is used for call in shows, or where they think they might have to dump a comment, not 24/7 in any I have been in.  With the possible exception of a big city union station, I doubt you find a technician.  If something breaks it waits until the next visit by the contract engineer or the tech that is working for the six stations owned by the same company in the area.



Where is that link to Shepard Smith (still employed BTW) talking about the J-Lo blow job?


That was great....I heard that live and thought "Nah, he'd never say that."  Laughed my ass off.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:28:32 PM EDT
[#38]
blown way out of proportion.
Jimmy Norton went on a rant on O&A about this
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:33:38 PM EDT
[#39]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
Coon?



Slang derogatory term for Blacks



It is?

Damn I never knew what that meant...



Now you probably have a better understanding of that racoon pic in the ice and bling thread...
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:37:05 PM EDT
[#40]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
A media personality complimenting Condoleeza Rice got fired?  But of course!




What's your avatar and why does Nationwide like it?
It sounds like it was a slipup... firing him is a little harsh.

What the fuck do they have the 7-second delay and technicians for if not to catch this shit!



Its the artist rendition of SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg falling asleep in court (as she actually did!) a few weeks ago.



Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:41:25 PM EDT
[#41]

Quoted:

Quoted:
NAACP chapter president Harold Crumpton commended Dorsey for his swift action.



Oh, good, the NAACP, the same moronic jackasses who have called CR an "Uncle Tom". Sure, nothing wrong with that.



We don't agree on everything...but we are clearly on the same page here.

Rice should have simply replied "Thanks Honkey" and gone on with the show.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:42:43 PM EDT
[#42]

Quoted:
This is not the first time something like this has happened, I remember Howard Cosell (sp) getting fired from Monday Night Football when a running back ran in a kick-off for a touch down while saying "Watch that little monkey run!!!!"

And that was the end of  'ol Howard's career.....



I don't think that was a harmless slip though.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:49:03 PM EDT
[#43]
You want to know what I think...and I'm sure this will be backed by some ARFCOM members,  mods and or owners. I think anyone that doesn't love and support the illegal invasion of our country from Mexico should be imprisoned indefinetly.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:53:16 PM EDT
[#44]

Quoted:

Quoted:
This is not the first time something like this has happened, I remember Howard Cosell (sp) getting fired from Monday Night Football when a running back ran in a kick-off for a touch down while saying "Watch that little monkey run!!!!"

And that was the end of  'ol Howard's career.....



I don't think that was a harmless slip though.



Good lord, two things we agree on, and on the same thread.
"Watch that little monkey run." That still kills me.
Link Posted: 3/25/2006 9:55:19 PM EDT
[#45]

Quoted:
I worked with a guy who never heard it before. One day at work we were talking about all the stupid ebonics. "You whats up dog" was repeated alot and then we got silly with even dumber things like" Yo what up giraffe" an other dumb things.  After a bit one of the black girls on our team comes in and he says "Yo what up coon"  I knew he meant racoon and he thought he meant racoon but that look on that girls face was priceless.



That is hilarious.
Link Posted: 3/26/2006 6:07:18 AM EDT
[#46]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
NAACP chapter president Harold Crumpton commended Dorsey for his swift action.



Oh, good, the NAACP, the same moronic jackasses who have called CR an "Uncle Tom". Sure, nothing wrong with that.



We don't agree on everything...but we are clearly on the same page here.

Rice should have simply replied "Thanks Honkey" and gone on with the show.



Just to be clear..Sec. Rice wasn't actually there
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