Collingwood boss Eddie McGuire appeared on Today this morning, defending his comments referring to a Victorian MP as a "soccer loving Turkish born Mussie."
The comments, referring to Victorian sports minister John Eren, were first reported over the weekend. But a day later, McGuire insists he has nothing to apologise for.
The Collingwood boss and media personality described the media outrage as a "rubbish story" and accused his enemies within the AFL of leaking against him and attempting to undermine him.
"We are trying to do things that are good in the community," he said. "Trying to warn the AFL that we need to get into these [Muslim] communities. In the biggest Muslim area in the community, my home town of Broadmeadows, we are working there on a daily basis ... There are people out there trying to discredit me."
McGuire insisted he has nothing to apologise for, and says calling a Muslim person a "mussie" is a friendly term.
"I spoke to my Muslim friends and they see it as a term of endearment. I checked with them again after the story came out to make sure I wasn't barking up the wrong tree and they laughed. Certainly John [Eren] has got no issue with it."
It's not McGuire's first brush with race-related comments. In 2013 he came under fire for suggesting Indigenous star Adam Goodes should audition for King Kong, and in 2011 he referred to multicultural western Sydney as the "land of the felafel."
Despite Eddie's protests, most people seem to be in agreement; you probably shouldn't call Muslim people "mussies."
Eddie McGuire very Alan Partridge on TODAY this morning. 'I use Mussie as a term of an endearment...my Muslim friends laugh at it!!! AHA!!!'
I'm getting sick of this Eddie bloke. First he thinks the swans are cheats then he calls John Eren a 'Mussie' http://t.co/F5akAP6tCI
The Eddie McGuire Defence, and also last refuge of the bigot -> "I'm not a bigot because some of my closest friends are [insert minority]"
Go home Eddie McGuire, you're racist
@BuzzFeedOzPol @fedupofpollys everywhere Eddie's an idiot , he should be treated as such ..
@BuzzFeedOzPol @SallyRMelb About time Eddie the bigot was called to account. He has previous form for racism & sexism