For those that don't know, Facebook status updates are broadcast to everyone you know. So, if you're going to post something that sounds racist or bigoted, well, don't. Texas Longhorn lineman Buck Burnette learned this the hard way. See, here was Buck's Facebook status following Barack Obama's win the presidential election:
"all the hunters gather up, we have a #$%&er in the whitehouse"Geez, Buck. Even if you actually feel that way -- which is sad -- why not just keep it to yourself? You know, instead of telling five million people. But he didn't, and naturally, he is now paying the price; he's been kicked off the UT football team.
On the very tiny bright side, Burnette at least claims to be somewhat remorseful and not racist, issuing the following apology:
Clearly I have made a mistake and apologized for it and will pay for it. I received it as a text message from an acquaintance and immaturely put it up on facebook in the light of the election. Im not racist and apologize for offending you. I grew up on a ranch in a small town where that was a real thing and I need to grow up. I sincerely am sorry for being ignorant in thinking that it would be ok to write that publicly and apologize to you in particular. I have to be more mature than to put the reputation of my team at stake and to spread that kind of hate which I dont even believe in. Once again, I sincerely apologize.
Yeah, that's all fine and dandy, but it doesn't really help the whole situation.
What Were They Thinking?
Buck Burnette, C Texas: The backup lineman has been dismissed from the team after he posted a racially-charged facebook update about Barack Obama's election win. Burnette claimed poor judgment in an apology, but it was too little, too late. Check out other athletes who got in trouble for boneheaded mistakes.
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Former Florida State star Peter Warrick was charged with grand theft in 1999 after he reportedly attempted to fleece a department store in a pricing scam with then-teammate Laveranues Coles. Warrick received a two-game suspension from the Seminoles and Coles was kicked off the team.
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Ex-MLB outfielder Ruben Rivera was voted off the Yankees by his teammates following a spring training game in 2002. Rivera took Derek Jeter's glove and bat and sold them to a sports memorabilia dealer, reportedly for $2,500.
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Florida safety Jamar Hornsby was kicked off the team in May after being charged with using a credit card issued to Ashley Slonina, a student who died in an October 2007 motorcycle accident. Hornsby was accused of using the dead woman's credit card 70 times for a total of $3,000 in charges.
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In July 2007, tennis player Anastasia Rodionova became the second player on the WTA Tour to be disqualified from a match when she smacked a ball toward fans rooting for her opponent at the Cincinnati Women's Open.
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And maybe Buck doesn't feel that way -- but I also, sadly, believe that there is a significant amount of this type of hatred still hanging around our country. After all, if there wasn't, Obama being the first African-American president wouldn't even be a big deal (or, at least, he might not be the first).
But to close out on a somewhat good note, this situation was resolved in a positive manner -- a young man acted in a totally unacceptable way, he immediately paid the price for it, and appears to recognize that it is completely of his own accord. It won't stop the hate, but at least visible consequences can maybe serve to curb some of those feelings.
World of Isaac via Deadspin
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