Chief Under Fire After Labeling Steelers' Tomlin With Slur
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pittsburgh-area volunteer fire chief is apologizing after using a racial slur to describe Steelers coach Mike Tomlin for instructing his team to stay in a stadium tunnel instead of standing on the field for the national anthem ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.
KDKA-TV reports Muse, Pennsylvania, fire chief Paul Smith wrote on Facebook that he had added Tomlin to a list of "no-good" people he described using the N-word, adding "yes I said it" to the post.
Does Paul Smith regret his comment? Or, does he regret that others now know his foul thoughts & core of who he is? https://t.co/o4Z3Bme85s
— mma (@MRodAviles) September 26, 2017
Smith now says he's embarrassed and wants to apologize. He says he "was frustrated and angry at the Steelers not standing the anthem" and regrets the comment.
The Cecil Township Board of Supervisors says in a statement it's "deeply disturbed" by Smith's remark.
A message left with the department's president wasn't immediately returned Tuesday.
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