March 6, 2006

George Mason senior guard Tony Skinn apologized on Monday for his actions late in Sunday's CAA Tournament semifinal game against Hofstra that led to head coach Jim Larranaga suspending him for one game. Skinn extended his apologies to Loren Stokes, Hofstra University, his George Mason teammates and the Patriot fans. Here is a text of Skinn's apology.

"I am very sorry and I deeply regret my actions on Sunday. In the heat of a tense game, I lost my head and made a bad decision. I'm not making excuses for my actions and I take full responsibility for what I did. I want to take this opportunity to apologize to Loren Stokes, who I have great respect for. I also want to say I'm sorry to Hofstra University's players, coaches and fans. They played a terrific game and that should not be overshadowed by what I did. Finally, I want to apologize to my teammates, coaches and the George Mason fans. We've had a terrific season and I hope we can bring the focus back on our team and away from my mistake. I look forward to once again putting on a George Mason jersey after serving my one-game suspension." - Tony Skinn