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Move over Daunte Culpepper Brandon Marshall, Kevin Smith, Asante Samuel and George O’Leary. We have a new most significant byproduct of the UCF Knights football program (as you can already probably tell in the video below). Playboy Playmate Miss July Shanna Marie McLaughlin recently did a cover shoot for Orlando-based local magazine aXis – in the Knights’ locker room. Apparently, head coach George O’Leary approved the shoot, though I guess the head coach does not have authority to grant access to his own locker room.
Probably because he was not permitted to be in the room for the shoot, athletic director Joe Hornstein felt the need to issue this response to the video and pictures):
“An employee without proper authorization allowed access to our football locker room. By the time the video of the shoot was brought to our attention, it had already made its rounds via the Internet. Let me make this clear, UCF does not condone the photos and the video. We have spoken to the employee in question and we will speak to our entire staff to make sure that this does not happen again. To any fans who were offended by this, we sincerely apologize.” Let’s be honest. Nobody loses here. Shanna, Playboy, aXis UCF and the UCF football program all gain national attention. A bunch of guys will check out the video and we’ll all move on.
No need to apologize. This is one of the best things that’s happened to the school. Despite the great players I mentioned earlier, UCF has never really been relevant and now its football program is in the spotlight – and not because the coach lied on his resume or any of its current or former players assaulted anyone. We’re talking about UCF because one of its famous alumni happens to really, really like the football team. No harm in that. Playboy Playmate Shanna McLaughlin joined Into the Night with Tony Bruno to discuss doing the racy photo shoot in the UCF locker room, the school’s reaction to the shoot, how she got into Playboy and if anyone should have to apologize for the pictures or video.
On if there is outrage over the photo shoot:
“Apparently. This is kind of come about really, really suddenly. I am surprised that it’s getting so much attention. It’s really bizarre… I would think that whoever approved it would have done a little bit of research with aXis Magazine. For August, they always do a feature on UCF incorporating some kind of football theme. It’s kind of given what it’s all about since all of their covers are pretty much the same. I’m kind of just surprised with the administrations reaction to everything.”
On seeking permission to do the photo shoot in the locker room:
“I mentioned to them, the aXis guys that it would be really cool to if we were really able to utilize UCF or the locker room because they have not done anything like that before. They went to get the approval or whatever. I was taken out of that situation. We were in the locker room for a good couple of hours. I mean the photos were very tastefully done. I don’t think it was anything crazy by any means. I don’t know where the miss connect for communication was, but apparently there is one.”
On if the school should have to apologize for the pictures:
“I think it’s really ridiculous. With my experience in Playboy and everything like that, I just wanted to kind of go back to my local aXis magazine which I did a cover shoot for them before Playboy. I just wanted to show some school spirit. They were really supportive with my whole thing with Playboy. So it was just something fun that we were going to do and I had no idea that it was going to get this much attention. For them to really apologize like there was something terribly wrong, I’m just dumbfounded by the whole thing. I am just so surprised that it’s getting this much attention.”
And on if the outrage has anything to do with being in Playboy:
“I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I was in Playboy. I mentioned that I was a Playboy Playmate and that we’re here in the UCF locker room. The two were definitely in the same sentence. I think that the parents at least of some of the UCF students are concerned that their school is being represented this way. I think it’s a really positive thing. It was not done poorly in any shape or form. Everyone is over reacting with this thing. I’m not saying that I know anything, but I’m sure that’s not the worst that that locker room has seen.”
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