Ex-NBA Star admits being Homophobic

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DISCLAIMER: Perhaps this should be in the Colliseum, but given the seriousness of the issue I figured it belonged here.

Wow is all I can say. Here is the quote from Tim Hardaway when asked how he would feel if a gay man played on the same team as him:

This was all sparked by a recent book released by another former NBA player, John Amaechi, in which he admits to being gay.

What I find so surprising is that a fairly famous person (at least fairly famous in the US) would be willing to publicly make such a statement. To me, something like is equivalent to saying you don't like people of a particular race. It's utterly dumbfounding why anyone, especially someone who still has endorsement deals would make comments like this.

Here's the full story.

 

EDIT: I though the thread was about John Amaechi. Tim Hardaway is pretty stupid to say something like that, but I'm pretty sure that there are many players like him in the NBA and other pro sports.

As a basketball fan, I'm glad that someone came out like this. Players shouldn't be judged by their sexual preferences, but by their play. I read an exert from his book (on espn.com) that he got traded from the Utah Jazz just because coach Sloan found out he was gay. That's just wrong in my opinion.

 

Actually I admire his honesty. Its better that people show what they are.

Edit - I thought that most Americans were homophobic, especially as gay marriage is such a taboo.

 

Well, I've always thought that as long as you keep it as your own business, it's okay to be homophobic, racist, or whatever. I'm not saying that it's ok to be any of the above (hating people just because they happen to be different has never struck me as anything sensitive), but that I won't care what people think inside their heads. But these kind of things... well, they're just wrong in my books.

Other note is that Hardaway has just taken much away from his popularity (dunno how popular he is, I'm not much into sports, but it's true no matter how popular or unpopular he was to begin with. Unless all his fans are like-minded as well. I'm in no way saying that anyone who likes Hardaway is homophobic or anything, no offense intended at all to any Hardaway fan, homophobic or not).

 

He may be a moron, but I respect his right to speak his mind. Just like the Dixie Chicks and their Bush bashing he also has to be ready to pay the potential consequences of speaking his mind. Free speech doesn't necessarily mean it is free of consequences.

 

He now has the oppurtunity to become an idol to intolerant rednecks everywhere.

 

Nobody who follows sports or knows athletes is at all surprised at this. Most gay guys never make it that far -- they become targeted and ostracized by the homophobic athletes long before they reach pro level. The only pro athletes that are gay are very much closet gays -- going so far as to have girlfriends to cover the issue.

It is okay to be homophobic in professional sports because it is expected. I doubt Hardaway will have much fallout from this.

The same thing happen when Esera Tuaolo came out with his book 'Alone in the Trenches.' A lot of NFL players basically said they would have ended his career (implying injury) had they known he was gay. No fallout from those comments either.

 

Sickening stuff. Truly.

 

I don't think it is possible for him to be a redneck

 

You can be a black redneck - there's even a serious book written about socio-cultural differences by that very name! Well, technically it's titled: Black Rednecks and White Liberals. It's a good read.

 

Ah, Thomas Sowell. I really enjoy his writings. Aldeth's right, anybody can be a redneck.

Regardless of whether one agrees with his views or not, it's kind of refreshing to hear someone speak his mind and not just spew a bunch of PC crap simply because they are afraid to offend anyone. If people are offended, who cares. Nobody ever died from being offended. It's obvious that this guy's pretty intolerant but hey, that's his problem.

 

Although I find his opinions to be disgusting, wrong and abhorrent not to mention hateful I shall respect his right to hold them. He can say whatever his opinion on whatever topic he wishes, no matter how hateful, spiteful or misguided it may be.

That said, he's a professional athelete. He doesn't get paid to have empathy, social skills or respect and tolerance for other lifestyles. He gets paid to play sport. In a few years time he'll be a nobody who used to be good at sport.

 

Amaechi's response to Hardaway's asinine statement:

Gotta give it to Amaechi, he very nicely twisted the dagger that Hardaway stuck in himself...bravo Mr. Amaechi! (we need an applause graemlin!)

 

Isn't Amaechi British? Legend. You ****ing legend son. Stick it to the homophobic stuck in the 18th century ****ing small minded idiot. Give the prick both barrels. Go on son. I'd shag you just for giving him that Amaechi. Boo ya.

 

Even though it is not necessary to say it, that is not the reason why. He didn't contribute much to the team for his price; that's the reason why. He said something about Sloan using anti-homosexual remarks, but it's not like coaches (generally) are attacking personal preference... it's just become insult in this country by now.

Tim Hardaway is an idiot for saying what he did, in the way he did, and then trying to apologize for it. That's all I really have to say on the matter.

 

My impression is that there are two options for Tim Hardaway.</font>

• He does not 'repent' but will repeat his statement, perhaps making it worse, and will be made an icon of the Christian Right as a 'culture warrior', appear on Bill O'Reilly for a pat on the back, and might be embraced by the GOP and end up running for Senator or Governor soon enough.
• The other variant is that he goes, perhaps to a rehab, to be cured of his 'cultural insensitivity', return a politically correct, sponsor conforming athelete, and formally apologise. Practically that means: He'll still hate them fags but has by then learned to keep his stupid trap shut.

An option (c), saying 'Ah, leave me alone' ain't gonna happen, as he will after that asinine statement not be given the chance. He'll has to 'do' something.

 

Yes indeed. And in the NBA, that in itself is something of a rarity. While the NBA has many European players, apparently, basketball has not caught on in Britain as much as it has in other European countries.

While I support Amaechi, I think I would have to stop short of that. Let's just say that I wouldn't support him in that way.

Well, he has formally apologized. But after the rant he gave, it came off as half-hearted, and lacking sincerity.

 

What's acceptable is that someone has a problem with a gay person in his sex's locker room. Yep. You have every right not be regarded sexually when you are naked or close to that. You have every right not to be a sexual object. Even when you're lawfully married to someone and you will not to be regarded sexually at the moment, you have that right.

On the other hand, hatred is primo evil, secundo nonsense. It's harmful to others and to oneself, as it impoverishes us spiritually, limits us and wastes our energy. Whether you come from a Christian background or from a Kant-based relativist standpoint, hate is wrong. Homosexual people deserve to be loved as our neighbours the same as other people and most probably need it even more, given the special difficult condition in which they are.

 

He obviously has no empahty whatsoever if he thinks that a homosexual will reguard him sexually in a locker room. It's just the same as a male doctor reguarding a female patient sexually while performing some type of procedure that requires her to be naked.

However you actually don't have a lawful right to NOT be reguarded sexually. Enforcing it would be impossible. Just because a girl is fully clothed doesn't mean I can't reguard sexually. It's the exact same as Hardaway's opinion of homosexual people. He's free to think of them as disgusting scum provided he doesn't act on it. A homosexual person is free to look at Hardaway and consider him sexually attractive if the homosexual so wishes. It's impossible to harm somebody with your thoughts despite the "He was undressing me with his eyes" accusations of sexual abuse some women have a habit of trying on.