From the position of a white Englishman, it is really simple for me to adopt the same approach as baz, AOG and (surprisingly!) NewJudge oin this - it is a fuss about nothing.
But we do not live in America, as a mixed race sportsman, where casual racism is rife, and people should be entitiled to expect appropriate respect from senior members of a sporting fraternity.
America's history of slavery and racism is still recently subject to education and change, and incidents like this do not help that process at all.
But simply poo-poohing it as so much playground banter is to miss the wider picture. If casual racism is allowed to flourish, then deep-seated racism is waiting in the wings. One is not OK, to ensure that the other is not OK either.
Respect is universal - and throaway remarks based on a dubsious cultural history annd previous unacceptable attitudes and behaviour that is known and understood by the recipient is disrespectful, and should be dealt with as such.
The word 'coloured' is not acceptable these days - but some people puff out their cheeks and claim it is semanticcs, and nit-picking. But this is an ongoing process of change in langauge that has seen words like 'ni**er' outlawed in common usage.
To simply pretend to be proud of an ignorance that purports not to know the 'latest' terminonlogy is jut that - ignorance. It just takes a degree of awareness and sensitivity to make these adjustments, and deliberate failure so to do is boorish and arrogant.