Oregon middle school coach: Hooters a 'fine venue' for football party

CORBETT, Ore., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- A middle school football coach in Oregon brushed aside criticism of his choice of Hooters for an end-of-season party, calling the eatery "a fine venue."

Randall Burbach, the seventh- and eighth-grade football coach at the Corbett Middle School in Corbett, said he will not change the location of the planned season-ending party despite criticism from some parents and J.P. Soulagnet, athletics director for the Corbett School District, The (Portland) Oregonian reported Tuesday.

The choice drew fire due to Hooters' reputation as a restaurant best known for the tight tank tops worn by its waitresses.

"I believe this is a fine venue," Burbach said. "It's not a strip club. If you have a dirty mind, you'll find dirt."

Soulagnet sent a letter to the players' families saying he had attempted to change Burbach's mind about the restaurant choice so "families could attend and feel comfortable." However, the official wrote Burbach was "unyielding and emphatically said no."

The athletics director said the party is not officially affiliated with the school. He said the coach and his staff have also lost his backing, as he "cannot further support them in coaching roles here at Corbett based on the unwillingness to change the location of this event to a more appropriate spot."