sport news LA Times writer issues apology over controversial LSU op-ed that called team ... trends now By Jake Nisse Published: 00:04 BST, 2 April 2024 | Updated: 00:18 BST, 2 April 2024 Viewcomments LA Times columnist Ben Bolch has issued an apology for his op-ed which referred to LSU's women's basketball team as 'dirty debutantes' - comments that were slammed as 'sexist' by Tigers coach Kim Mulkey In previewing LSU's Sweet 16 matchup vs. UCLA (who Bolch regularly covers), he pitted the contest as a matchup between 'good versus evil,' while referring to LSU as 'villains' and calling UCLA 'milk and cookies.' On Monday - just before the Tigers' Elite 8 matchup vs. Iowa - Bolch said he had 'terribly missed the mark and 'failed miserably in my choice of words.' It has taken me two days to write this apology because I wanted to be as thoughtful as possible in my response to the situation I have created,' Bolch wrote. 'These are words I have not been asked to write by anyone at my paper, but they need to be expressed so that I can own up to my mistake. 'Words matter. As a journalist, no one should know this more than me. Yet I have failed miserably in my choice of words. In my column previewing the LSU-UCLA women’s basketball game, I tried to be clever in my phrasing about one team’s attitude, using alliteration while not understanding the deeply offensive connotation or associations. KIm Mulkey also called the LA Times' column sexist after the team's victory over UCLA 'I also used metaphors that were not appropriate. Our society has had to deal with so many layers of misogyny, racism and negativity that I can now see why the words I used were wrong. It was not my intent to be hurtful, but I now understand that I terribly missed the mark. 'I sincerely apologize to the LSU and UCLA basketball teams and to our readers. UCLA, a school I have covered for nearly a decade, champions diversity and is known as a leader in inclusivity. However, I have not upheld that standard in what I wrote and I will do much better. I am deeply sorry.' MORE TO FOLLOW Read more: Share or comment on this article: LA Times writer issues apology over controversial LSU op-ed that called team 'dirty debutantes'... after head coach Kim Mulkey hit out at 'sexist' wording: 'I terribly missed the mark' All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility