Katherine Webb, parents tell world: Cut Brent Musburger some slack
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ESPN apologized on Tuesday for BCS championship announcer Brent Musburger's on-air fawning over Katherine Webb, the beauty queen girlfriend of the University of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron.
"You quarterbacks, you get all the good looking women," Musburger said, referring to Webb. "What a beautiful woman."
But Webb told "Today" she welcomed the compliment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't think i[the apology] was needed, honestly. Of course I appreciate it, but at the same time I don't think I needed an apology," she said. "I think the media has been really unfair to [Musburger] ... the fact that he said that we were beautiful and gorgeous, I don't see why any woman wouldn't be flattered by that."
Webb's dad also says critics should cut Musburger some slack.
"On one hand, you can look at it as being kind of like the dirty old man, but I'm used to this and I think if you really look into what that he was trying to say, he was trying to be complimentary, and I think they need to give Brent a break," Alan Webb told FOX 5 Atlanta.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Webb's mother Leslie also told FOX 5 her daughter has been shocked by the attention she has received following the telecast.
Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5
"She didn't even know that they had the camera on her," said Katherine's mom, Leslie. "She didn't see it."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Webb's parents said their daughter was once an ugly duckling, bullied both for the skin condition Vitiglio and her height.
"That's actually what the Miss USA pageant did for Katherine is to help develop a better self-esteem to finally love herself. Her self confidence grew dramatically because of that," her mom said.
Her parents said Katherine is very involved in her church, and only met McCarron in November at the Miss USA pageant.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I have been very impressed with him. He's a very good man and I know that she's impressed with him," her dad said. "I think she really likes him."
Following BCS title game, Webb gained more than 100,000 Twitter followers and has since eclipsed McCarron.
“By far the best part of the #BCS game and my MVP is KatherineWebb!,” one user tweeted. “WOW! Roll Tide indeed! AJ is #blessed!”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Webb, who reportedly had a very modest Twitter following before the game, gained more than 100,000 followers after the Alabama win.
“So extremely blessed...,” she wrote following the game. “Congrats to Alabama and making history! #BCSChamps”