On February 25, 2017, after winning her 500th game with the Baylor University Bears, women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey made the following impassioned statement to fans and spectators in attendance: “If somebody [indistinct] around you and they ever say ‘I will never send my daughter to Baylor,’ you knock them right in the face.” Mulkey’s aggressive declaration was apparently in response to the torrent of public criticism rising against Baylor in light of a sexual assault scandal involving the university’s football team. Mulkey’s remark quickly drew equally harsh criticism, leading the coach to issue multiple apologies (including during a March 3rd press conference) for her “very poor choice of words.”
Key Apologia Strategies:
Mortification, Differentiation, Bolstering
Video
Transcript
March 3rd Press Conference Apology:
“I’m sorry for the choice of words. The timing wasn’t good. Poor analogy, maybe, as well. Those of you who know me, I’m an emotional person. I coach with emotion. I, uh, played with emotion. And it was an emotional moment. Um, I guess you’d say it got the best of me because I really do love this place. You know, awful things happened here, guys. Uh, we failed victims here. But I’m encouraged every day because I see what’s taking place to fix it. And I just think we’ve responded the way we can aggressively”¦financially. Um, we’ve admitted our mistakes. My heart goes out to victims. How could it not? I’m a woman. I have a daughter. I’m responsible for how many in that locker room.In fact, I’m angry that we’ve failed those women. But I’m also encouraged because I see that we’re trying to do better.”
Sources
Baylor’s Kim Mulkey apologizes for remarks about assault scandal. (2017, March 3). Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-kim-mulkey-baylor-sexual-assault-scandal-20170303-story.html
Clements, R. (2017, March 2). Baylor women’s coach Kim Mulkey gives tearful apology over ‘choice of words.’ Sporting News. Retrieved from http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/news/baylor-womens-coach-kim-mulkey-gives-tearful-apology-over-choice-of-words/1boekl1wm294r12o8hdl8r9d8s
Mandell, N. (2017, March 3). Baylor women’s basketball coach apologizes: ‘You know awful things happened here, guys.’ USA Today. Retrieved from http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/kim-mulkey-baylor-apology
Voepel, M. (2017, February 27). Baylor’s Kim Mulkey: Felt horrible for ‘knock them in the face’ remarks. ESPN. Retrieved from http://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/18774890/kim-mulkey-baylor-bears-expresses-regret-comment
Wells, A. (2017, March 2). Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey apologizes for sexual assault remarks. Bleacher Report. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2695898-baylor-womens-basketball-coach-kim-mulkey-apologizes-for-sexual-assault-remarks
