Former NBA Player Tim Hardaway "Hates Gay People"- Page 4

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 12:35am

The most annoying thing about all these, is that they apologize after, like you can really apologize for saying this, once you said it, you said it! There is no turning back!

[Liverpool]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 1:11am

muscle, if you read the apology, he didn't apologize for what he said, he apologized for saying it out loud.

[RadiGal2]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 1:34am

Huge jerk. Knew that guy was a putz.
The whole thing has just made me so angry, but I see it all the time-- using hateful tactics and rhetoric to branding people "other" apparently to foster fear. You know, I love being a radical, feminist, woman. I refuse to assign myself a sexual orientation because I don't fit any of them... I am white-- and Irish...indeed those thing make up my identity...I would not want them taken away...so to say I don't see color, orientation or gender in others would be pure BS....but to use any of that to harm or create division as opposed to celebrate being unique...well I suppose that it is a bit of a slippery slope...

...while I don't understand it personally-- like the Supreme Court defines obscenity "I know it when I see it".

[jimnysf]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 1:41am

Tim Hardaway answered my friend's Craig's List men for men ad. He is a closet case for sure.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 1:42am

Was this AP article already posted? Bravo to Dave Stern and the NBA.

===

Hardaway Banished for Anti-Gay Tirade

By MELISSA MURPHY, AP Sports Writer

Thursday, February 15, 2007 (02-15) 18:10 PST (AP) --

The NBA banished Tim Hardaway from All-Star weekend in Las Vegas because of his anti-gay remarks. Hardaway, who played in five All-Star games during the 1990s, was already in Las Vegas to make a series of public appearances this week on behalf of the league. But after saying, "I hate gay people" during a radio interview, commissioner David Stern stepped in.

"We removed him from representing us because we didn't think his comments were consistent with having anything to do with us," Stern told reporters Thursday at the opening of a fan festival at a Las Vegas casino, part of the NBA's All-Star weekend.

Stern said he had not spoken with Hardaway, who left Las Vegas on Thursday, but he planned to do so.

While Stern said a discussion about openly gay players could be part of future rookie orientation programs, he doesn't see a need to address the league.

"This is an issue overall that has fascinated America. It's not an NBA issue," Stern said, pointing to the ongoing debate over gay marriage at the state and federal levels.

"This is a country that needs to talk about this issue," he said. "And, not surprisingly, they use sports as a catalyst to begin the dialogue."

Hardaway apologized for his comments, which came a week after John Amaechi became the first former NBA player to say he was gay.

"As an African-American, I know all too well the negative thoughts and feelings hatred and bigotry cause," Hardaway said Thursday in a statement issued by his agent. "I regret and apologize for the statements that I made that have certainly caused the same kinds of feelings and reactions.

"I especially apologize to my fans, friends and family in Miami and Chicago. I am committed to examining my feelings and will recognize, appreciate and respect the differences among people in our society," he said. "I regret any embarrassment I have caused the league on the eve of one of their greatest annual events."

The NBA brings in many former players to take part in various All-Star events. Hardaway had already represented the league in Las Vegas earlier this week at a Habitat for Humanity event and a fitness promotion. The former U.S. Olympian was also scheduled to be an assistant coach at a wheelchair game Thursday night and later appear at the fan-oriented Jam Session until Stern told him he was no longer welcome.

"His views are not consistent with ours," Stern said.

Amaechi, who spent five seasons with four teams, came out last week in advance of the release of his autobiography, "Man in the Middle." He is the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major U.S. sports — basketball, baseball, football, hockey — to openly discuss his homosexuality.

Though Stern said last week a player's sexuality wasn't important, Hardaway disagreed Wednesday on a Miami radio show.

"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team," the former Miami Heat star said. "And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room."

When show host Dan Le Batard told Hardaway those comments were "flatly homophobic" and "bigotry," the player continued.

"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people," he said. "I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

Hardaway also said if he did find out that a teammate was gay, he would ask for the player to be removed from the team.

Hardaway apologized later Wednesday night in a telephone interview with WSVN-TV in Miami, but the furor over his remarks continued Thursday.

"I don't need Tim's comments to realize there's a problem," Amaechi told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday. "People said that I should just shut up and go away — now they have to rethink that."

Two major gay and lesbian groups denounced Hardaway's remarks.

"Hardaway's comments are vile, repulsive, and indicative of the climate of ignorance, hostility and prejudice that continues to pervade sports culture," said Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "And by apologizing not for his bigotry, but rather for giving voice to it, he's reminding us that this ugly display is only the tip of a very large iceberg."

Said Matt Foreman, president of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force: "Hardaway is a hero to thousands of young people. And that's what makes his comments so troubling. Sadly, his words simply put the pervasive homophobia in the NBA on the table."

Amaechi, who detailed his life in "Man in the Middle," hoped his coming out would be a catalyst for intelligent discourse.

"His words pollute the atmosphere," Amaechi said. "It creates an atmosphere that allows young gays and lesbians to be harassed in school, creates an atmosphere where in 33 states you can lose your job, and where anti-gay and lesbian issues are used for political gain. It's an atmosphere that hurts all of us, not just gay people."

Amaechi taped a spot Thursday for PBS' gay and lesbian program "In the Life." He said the anti-gay sentiment remains despite Hardaway's apology.

"It's vitriolic, and may be exactly what he feels," he said. "Whether he's honest or not doesn't inoculate us from his words. It's not progress to hear hateful words."

Hardaway Banished for Anti-Gay Tirade

Updated On: 2/16/07 at 01:42 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 1:48am

So Amanda--are you going to apologize for acting like a homophobe?

Again?

Updated On: 2/16/07 at 01:48 AM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 3:09am

Charles Barkley's take is somewhat more refreshing:

"'Hey, nobody cares John Amaechi is gay,' Barkley says. ``I just find it humorous and amazing people think we care if someone is gay or not. It is always fun to hear these reporters say how we'd treat them in the locker room. Trust me, we'd treat reporters a lot worse than we treat a gay guy.'

'You don't think we've all played with gay guys?' Barkley said. ``Of course we have. It has never been an issue. America, the more I live in it, the more I realize how full of it we are. If we're not bombing the wrong country, we're not fixing hurricane-relief areas. America is homophobic. It's so easy for [reporters] to say the other jocks won't like it. America discriminates against gay people, but we've all played with gay people.'


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/16701203.htm

[RadiGal2]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 3:27am

I knew I could on Sir Charles -- he is a good man. Indeed, now I feel good about absolving him for losing the Championship when he played for the Suns. He still lives in town-- at least until his daughter graduates from high then they will move back to Alabama full time....

[NiteOwl]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 8:57am

i agree with papalovesmambos remark that most homophobes are closeted homosexuals themeselves. they hate this about themeselves. i unfortunately dated a married man (long story) who was closeted but i dumped him when i overheard him saying to a group of friends how he hated gay people and had no respect for them.

too make a long story short he regretted the day he uttered those remarks because i outed him to everyone right then and there.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 9:09am

John Amaechi is the keynote speaker at this weekends HRC dinner in Philadelphia. I'm exited to hear what he has to say.

[NiteOwl]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 9:18am

ot: is that eduardo verastegui in your avatar sonofmammamiasam?

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 9:29am

It is indeed NiteOwl!!!!!! SWOON!

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 9:49am

i know many folks here hate the ny post, but ya gotta love headlines like that.

niteowl, while i don't disagree with the premise, give credit where it's due: it was tazber and lildogs who pointed out the tendency for homophobes to be so deep in the closet that they reek of mothballs.

[DG]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 10:13am

Amanda - the fact is, that isn't what he said, so how people would react doesn't matter. He also didn't say that purple elephants make the best hang-gliders, so there's no point discussing how we'd react to that, either.

Here's MY question for YOU - why does the response you're observing bother you so much?

[sidjones09]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 11:38am

"Let me ask you all something here.For example; if he would've just said that he doesn't agree with what they do, and that was all he said, would you all still be making a big deal over it? Be honest."


Amanda, let me just state, that I don't think anyone is overreacting here. Hardaway said everything but exterminate gay people in his comments, so Yeah, it's a "big deal". And if anything, I'm kind of surprised how calm it all has been. There is a nice open dialogue happening throughout this message board, and others I belong to, some of them sports oriented, and all of them have been intelligent and insightful.

To answer your question, yes, if you consider what's going on here a "big deal". The same thing would have occurred had he said he doesn't agree with the lifestyle, because he is a very recognizable public figure in the sports world and beyond, and making personal opinions of this nature public on a hotbed topic sparks a lot of feelings between people on both sides of the issue.

What he said was, in my opinion, dispicable. Especially coming from a BLACK MAN, who you would think would be a little more sensitive to issues of hatred and discrimination. Shame on him. But I do believe it is his right to have these opinions and share them wherever or whenever he wants. I just think it was a bad career move on his part, and had he have known how bad a career move it was I'm sure he would of kept those thoughts to himself, back where they belong.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 11:40am

What happened to your Richard Thomas avatar, RTf--er, Amanda? It was there just a couple days ago.

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 12:00pm

"Let me ask you all something here.For example; if he would've just said that he doesn't agree with what they do, and that was all he said, would you all still be making a big deal over it? Be honest. "

What does that mean? He "doesn't agree" with what we do? So you mean anal sex? He doesn't like anal sex? If that's what he thinks, let him say that. He doesn't think men should have sex together? Why do these thoughts even occupy space in his mind? I spend VERY little time worrying about vaginal sex, so it puzzles me why a hetero man would spend ANY time on the subject of gay sex.

I don't like it when people eat fast food on the subway, but I keep my mouth shut, cause they paid their $2 just like errybody else.

As my grandmother would say, "Tend to your own knittin, kitten."

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 12:07pm

Amanda's a slut.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 12:08pm

Amanda darling, just ignore them. Care for a peanut butter ball?

[Magdalene]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 1:19pm

Can you imagine Hardaway's reaction if someone said the same thing regarding blacks? What an ID10T!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 1:37pm

"Let me ask you all something here.For example; if he would've just said that he doesn't agree with what they do, and that was all he said, would you all still be making a big deal over it? Be honest."

Um, no. Because that is not what he said. He said that he hates gays and they they shouldn't be in America or in this world. That is an entirely different sentiment and EVERYONE should be making a big deal over it. I disagree with hundreds of things people do, but I don't sincerely believe they have no right to exist.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 2:21pm

seriously amanda, If I went on a radio show and said "You know, I hate Black people, so I let it be known. I don't like black people and I don't like to be around black people. I am negrophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." I would get BURNED AT THE STAKE. But it's no different than what hardaway said (literally, i took his quote and replaced gay, with black, and homo with negro).


I mean honestly, if THINK "n*" i could be arrested for a hate crime, but "faggot" is still just looked at as slightly inapropriate, and in some cases, not inappropriate at.

Welcome to the United States of Double Standards.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:15pm

I'm actually surprised that the NBA has basically kicked him to the curb. I thought they would ignore it.
In the end Hardaway basically killed his career , while shining a spotlight on an issue that needs examining.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:41pm

David Stern is VERY image conscious of the League -- which is why there is now a dress code and zero tolerance for any violence whatsoever in the games -- so it actually doesn't surprise me that he banned Hardaway. Also, the NBA owns the WNBA which he knows has a very large lesbian contingent among its fans, players, and coaches (which he has gone out of his way to make feel welcome), so I'm sure that also played a factor in his swift decision.

It's been heartening that so many of the League's major present and former stars -- Barkley, Reggie Miller, Shaquille O'Neal among others -- have made a point of making positive statements about Amaechi and the presence of gay players in the NBA to the press. It's made Hardaway look like the "odd-bigot-out" and that's a hopeful sign for the future.

Updated On: 2/16/07 at 04:41 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 11:01pm

I think George Takei wins for Best Response to this whole debacle. Search YouTube and you shall be rewarded.