McGuirk played a role in an on-air incident on April 4, 2007 that caused a nationwide controversy and ultimately led to both him and Imus being fired. During a discussion of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, Imus characterized the players as "rough girls with tattoos." McGuirk responded in his familiar "urban-speak" vernacular by referring to them as "hardcore hos". The ensuing "urban-speak" conversation involved Imus describing the girls as "nappy-headed hos" and McGuirk wondering if Imus meant to imply that the two teams looked like something out of Spike Lee's film "School Daze", the "jigaboos versus the wannabes"; apparently referring to the two teams' differing appearances. Imus said "Yeah."