George Allen apologizes for assuming African-American reporter played sports

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Former Virginia governor and former senator George Allen (R) is already getting himself into trouble during his attempt to reclaim his Senate seat.

Allen apparently assumed that a tall African-American reporter from NBC 4 played sports.

“For the 2nd time in 5 months, fmr. gov. and sen candidate George Allen asks me,’what position did you play?’ I did not a play a sport,” NBC 4′s Craig Melvin tweeted Tuesday.

Two days later, Allen apologized.

“[S]orry if I offended, ask people a lot if they played sports Grew up in fball family found sports banter good way to connect,” Allen said, according to Melvin.

Allen’s father worked various football teams, including as a coach for the Los Angeles Rams.

The former senator lost re-election in 2006, after referring to an Indian-American as “macaca,” a term often used as a slur by colonialists in central Africa’s Belgian Congo for the native population.

He also came under fire in 2006, Salon reported that Allen’s former college football teammates said that he often used the word “nigger.”

Allen is currently running for Senate against former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D).