Bob Huggins Should Not Be Fired For Homophobic Slur On Radio Show: Clay Travis

Are we upholding a fair precedent if we ask for Bob Huggins' job after voicing a homophobic slur? Of course not; they're just words.

Bob Huggins, a Hall of Fame coach currently at West Virginia, insulted fans of Xavier, calling them Catholic gay slurs. He did it a couple of times during the interview. And immediately, people were like, "Oh my God, you have to fire Bob Huggins."

I disagree.

Don't Cancel Bob Huggins For Words, That's Insanity

Bob Huggins apologized. I am anti-firing anybody pretty much for anything that they say. We wildly, in this country, over-punish words and under-punish actions.

Many people out there right now are taking qualms, saying Bob Huggins represents West Virginia University. Most married men don't even represent their own home, so why should Huggins suddenly be the face of West Virginia now that he's done a bad thing?

Related: BOB HUGGINS ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY AFTER USING HOMOPHOBIC SLUR DURING RADIO SHOW WHILE REFERRING TO CATHOLIC XAVIER FANS

No longer being able to coach a basketball team because he used a slur in a radio interview — regarding a rival school — just sounds insane.

Would those same people be making the same argument if Bob Huggins had gotten a DUI?

Our Society Needs To Adjust Punishment for Words Vs. Actions

If Bob Huggins had gotten super drunk, gotten behind the wheel and driven, would those same people be demanding that he be fired? Probably not.

Keep in mind that Bob Huggins came out and apologized, which should be sufficient for a "crime" simply involving words. Aside from taking a jab at a rival in Xavier, there were no ill intents. If you had to choose between your kid using a gay slur or getting drunk and getting behind the wheel of a car, would anybody say, "Yeah, the gay slur is way worse"? Of course not.

Note that Huggins called the Xavier students "Catholic f*gs" because they were throwing dildos on the court during the game. Which is really weird. But why would that be a fireable offense for Huggins?

Why is our society so broken that actual words get people fired and actual actions do not? If you're a successful head coach in college athletics or the pros and you get a DUI, you're not going to get fired. But if you say a gay slur, on a joking radio interview, you're going to get fired. Does that seem right?

Does it seem like we're balancing the equities well here?

Because I don't think we are.

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Written by
Clay Travis is the founder of the fastest growing national multimedia platform, OutKick, that produces and distributes engaging content across sports and pop culture to millions of fans across the country. OutKick was created by Travis in 2011 and sold to the Fox Corporation in 2021. One of the most electrifying and outspoken personalities in the industry, Travis hosts OutKick The Show where he provides his unfiltered opinion on the most compelling headlines throughout sports, culture, and politics. He also makes regular appearances on FOX News Media as a contributor providing analysis on a variety of subjects ranging from sports news to the cultural landscape. Throughout the college football season, Travis is on Big Noon Kickoff for Fox Sports breaking down the game and the latest storylines. Additionally, Travis serves as a co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, a three-hour conservative radio talk program syndicated across Premiere Networks radio stations nationwide. Previously, he launched OutKick The Coverage on Fox Sports Radio that included interviews and listener interactions and was on Fox Sports Bet for four years. Additionally, Travis started an iHeartRadio Original Podcast called Wins & Losses that featured in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports. Travis is a graduate of George Washington University as well as Vanderbilt Law School. Based in Nashville, he is the author of Dixieland Delight, On Rocky Top, and Republicans Buy Sneakers Too.