Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis Accepts Hawaii Coach's Apology -- Sort Of

No one could ever accuse Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis with being exactly gracious when it comes to accepting an apology.

A day after Hawaii coach Greg McMackin made a derogatory comment toward the Irish and their tradition and apparently minutes after the Hawaii coach called to personally apologize, Weis issued a statement about the whole flap on Friday. Weis, a naturally surly guy, said he accepted the apology and pretended to let bygones be bygones.

Weis said the comments were in poor taste but that he had moved on, but clearly he wasn't about to just let it go at that.

"Yesterday, Coach McMackin demonstrated poor judgment when, while making comments critical of our football program, he used a derogatory word," Weis said via a released statement Friday. "Speaking only for our program, we were offended by the remarks."

By now we all know that McMackin made a remark that is insensitive and a slur often targeted at gays. That was deplorable, and everyone from the Hawaii AD to WAC Commissioner Karl Benson to even McMackin has said as much.

Honestly, McMackin hasn't stopped apologizing since making the ill-advised remark during the WAC Media Day session Thursday in Salt Lake City. Late Friday night, McMackin was suspended for 30 days and has voluntarily taken a pay cut as a result of his actions with the 2009 football season just around the corner.

But it wasn't enough for Weis, who is usually incognito during the summer until his football team's media day in early August, as he took the time Friday to issue an official statement. But what was very interesting is that he took the time to somehow inject his young daughter Hannah, who suffers from an illness, into the equation.

"As a parent of a daughter with global developmental delays, I am especially sensitive to offensive characterizations like the one at issue here," Weis said. "But in no way do I believe Coach McMackin's comments were intended to be offensive."

Huh? Now correct me, I thought that is why Weis broke from his busy schedule and normal routine to issue a statement. McMackin also realized he made an offensive statement directed at the football program and Notre Dame and immediately began to apologize and then followed his statements up with a personal call to Weis on Friday.

"This afternoon I received a phone call from Coach McMackin and he apologized to me and asked I pass that along to my players and coaches," said Weis, whose Irish spanked McMackin and his Warriors, 49-21, in last season's Hawaii Bowl for ND's first bowl win in ages. "We accept his apology and we will move on.

"It is now time to put this incident behind us and return focus to the 2009 season."