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Machock apologizes for outburst
Machock apologizes for outburst
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Chuck Machock
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By Jason Williams
Cincinnati Post staff reporter
Chuck Machock took the first step toward mending his reputation as the radio color analyst for the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team Monday.
He apologized.
Machock began head coach Bob Huggins' final weekly call-in radio show of the season by expressing his regret for being ejected during the second half of UC's loss to Gonzaga in an NCAA Tournament first-round game last Thursday in Salt Lake City.
"I want to make an apology to Bearcat Boosters, to the university and the athletic department and (athletic director) Bob Goin," Machock told the WLW-AM listening audience. "It wasn't called for. I shouldn't have done it. ... It's behind me. I'm going to be with you for a long, long time."
Machock also publicly apologized to Huggins, to whom Machock referred as a "blood brother," but did not apologize to the referee who ejected him.
Machock, a former UC volunteer assistant coach who has been a part of the Bearcats' radio broadcasts since the 1992-93 season, also informed the audience of a punishable agreement he and Goin reached while meeting last week.
Machock's talent fee from the Gonzaga game and from two games next season will be donated to C-Paws, an on-campus charitable organization.
"And he's never going to take his headset off again," Goin told The Post earlier Monday. "That's the agreement."
After speaking, Machock left the show to Huggins and host Andy Furman. Machock usually stays on the air for the duration of the hour-long show.
"He's the best," Huggins said of Machock.
Official Mike Kitts ejected Machock with 15:56 remaining in the game because he had pulled off his headphones to express his dismay with Kitts' decision to eject Huggins 21 game seconds earlier. NCAA officials and several people sitting around Machock said the radio analyst used profanity and called Kitts a derogatory name.
Machock has denied that and did not discuss specifics of the incident Monday.
Machock has a long-standing relationship with Huggins and UC, from which he graduated in 1959. Machock spent three seasons on Huggins' staff at UC before moving to his current position. Machock recruited Huggins to West Virginia in the 1970s, and they were together on the staffs at Ohio State (1978-80) and Central Florida (1983-84), where Machock was the head coach.
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