Lou Holtz Stuffs His Sorry in a Sack Again, Apologizes for His Hitler

A questionable choice of words on air again for Lou Holtz. I didn't see Holtz compare the leadership skills of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez to those of Hitler on College Gameday, and I didn't see him apologize at halftime of today's Clemson/Georgia Tech game either (I blame DirecTV for the latter -- apparently they felt like showing up on the back half of their four-day service call window.)

But that doesn't matter, because I didn't need to. I was informed of what he said and I know what he referenced:

"Ya know, Hitler was a great leader too."

Having heard Holtz egg the discussion and then subsequently have to apologize on national television, I think we need to realize there are two important issues at hand here.

First, everyone involved in sports: stop making Adolf Hitler analogies/comparisons/metaphors. Please. Unless you are a Holocaust survivor, this is something you do not want to discuss. (Nor do you have any business discussing it.) It is an important part of history but it has nothing to do with sports. At all. So stop.

And secondly, Dr. Lou ... I realize ESPN wants you to be edgy, but please don't be. It doesn't fit your personality, and it's making you look really bad. (Although it's happened off camera recently too, so maybe it actually does.)

The greater point though, is that invoking the leader of the Nazi regime in any sense of sports-related discussion is just stupid, dumb and off-color. It isn't dignified to those that suffered several decades ago and it undermines the entire notion of historical brevity that's given to such a horrible event.

Sports Broadcasting Slip-Ups

"Ya know, Hitler was a great leader too."
ESPN College Gameday personality Lou Holtz compared the leadership skills of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez to Adolf Hitler. Click through to see more slip-ups from the sports broadcasting world.

Joe Raymond, AP

"Please Pick Up My Dry Cleaning Tomorrow"
ESPN personality and Monday Night Football commentator Tony Kornheiser responds to a play broadcast in Spanish with an attempt at a joke translation. He ends up apologizing for his comment.

Paul Sakuma, AP

"You Always Fag Out"
College hoops announcer Billy Packer has upset many with abrasive remarks over the years. For example, he went on the Charlie Rose Show in March 2007 and complained to the host, "you always fag out."

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Bernstein's Palestinian Connection
ESPN reporter Bonnie Bernstein issued a public apology after appearing on a radio broadcast and saying "People in Palestine are taught to think that dying in the name of God is a good thing ... They grow up wanting to be suicide bombers."

Brian Ach, WireImage.com

"... Looks Like the Guy Who Cleans Tiger's Swimming Pool"
NBC Sports golf analyst drew the ire of U.S. Open watchers in June when he said contender Rocco Mediate "looks like the guy who cleans Tiger's swimming pool." Miller apologized for his description, saying it had "absolutely nothing to do with his ethnicity."

John Shearer, WireImage.com

"We've Gotta Do This ----ing Thing Over"
The ever-salty Bert Blyleven, pictured here after winning the 1987 World Series, cursed up a storm on live television during a Minnesota Twins pregame show in September 2006.

Getty Images

"Lynch Him in a Back Alley"
Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman gained notoriety during a 2008 PGA Tour telecast when she suggested young golfers might want to take Tiger Woods and "lynch him in a back alley."

Getty Images

Finding Romo's Roots
ESPN analyst On an ESPN radio show in 2006, Michael Irvin said the athletic ability of Cowboys QB Tony Romo is due to his black ancestry, stating, "I don't know who saw what or where, his great-great-great-great-grandma ran over in the 'hood or something went down."

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Broadway Joe Gets Fresh
Jets' legendary quarterback Joe Namath talked about how he is more interested in ESPN sideline reporter Suzy Kolber than his struggling Jets during a 2003 game. During a live interview, Namath says (twice) "I want to kiss you" to Kolber.

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

"That's Some Nappy-Headed Hos There ..."
Broadcasting legend Don Imus' show was canceled by CBS Radio in April 2007 because of the firestorm that followed his comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images