Former Washington Redskins defensive end Dexter Manley apologized Monday for calling former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Fox NFL announcer Troy Aikman “a queer.”
Manley had made the remark about Aikman on Washington, D.C. radio station WTOP and tried to walk it back immediately.
HOST: Was it a big jinx that Troy Aikman was doing the game, the former Cowboy?
MANLEY: I think Troy is a queer.
HOST: Uh-oh. We don’t want to go there.
MANLEY: OK, I’m sorry about that.
HOST: Do you want to apologize to him?
MANLEY: No.
HOST: You don’t.
MANLEY: I’ll just say, I take that back.
Listen:
Later in the day, WTOP issued a statement about Manley’s remarks, stating that he would not be returning on the station, where he was a regular:
This morning in a live interview former Redskins player Dexter Manley made an offensive and derogatory comment. He was immediately challenged by WTOP news anchors Mike Moss and Bruce Alan. We were shocked and stunned and we apologize to our listeners that this happened on WTOP. WTOP has contacted a representative for Manley and informed her that he will not be returning.
Manley also issued an apology in an email to The Washington Post later on Monday afternoon:
In an interview with WTOP radio Monday, while intending to be funny, I used a slur to refer to Troy Aikman. It was wrong and insensitive. Anyone that knows me knows that’s not who I am in my heart or mind. I want to apologize to Troy, but I mostly want to apologize to anyone else I offended. Like a lot of people in these times, I have to realize that what I thought was funny years ago doesn’t work now. I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t happen again and hope you will accept my apology.