I agree with the sentiment, there's never an appropriate time to use that language.

However, it's not always so cut and dry legally.

For example, what if Morgan used this phrase in a reply to another coach who had already used the term — and introduced it to the conversation?

Is Morgan still firable in that situation? If so, then the other coach should be too. Right?

But what if the second coach was African American? Can a university admin, predominantly white, fire a coach for using a slur against his own race?

If the answer is no, don't you open a lawsuit from Morgan if you fire him — but leave the other coach in place? That's a double standard.

I'm not exactly saying that's the story here, but it's more complicated than just what the headlines say.