OCTOBER 22, 2014 Football Coach Fired Because Eating Watermelon Is Racist Parents from other schools felt smashing a watermelon and eating it after games was inappropriate. By Katherine Timpf A winning high-school football coach was fired after the teams tradition of eating watermelon after games was deemed inappropriate and racist. Bud Walpole had been coaching Academic Magnet Raptors football team, and was in the middle of a very successful season, according to CBS Charlotte.