I'm Not Anti-Gay but This Story Shows We're Off Deep End

[jbg]

I am quite definitely not anti-gay. My late uncle was gay. Many of my wife's close friends are male gays. This article has shown that as a society we're at the lowest common denominator, where minor insults have far-reaching consequences. This is ridiculous. Excerpts below.

Larry Johnson’s latest words add to controversy

(link)

Hours after the Chiefs lost 37-7 to San Diego on Sunday, Johnson made several controversial remarks on Twitter directed toward his coach, Todd Haley, and Haley’s lack of football-playing experience.

A message posted on Johnson’s Twitter profile about 7 p.m. stated: “My father played for the coach from ‘rememeber the titans’. Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefley. Our coach. Nuthn.”

Johnson continued the postings and, in later responses directed toward his Twitter followers, included inflammatory remarks about gays. In a reference to someone’s profile picture, Johnson called it a “fag pic” and called the person a “Christopher street boy,” a reference to a predominantly gay and lesbian area in New York’s Greenwich Village.

Then Monday in the Chiefs locker room, Johnson used another slur after saying he wouldn’t speak to reporters.

Johnson, sitting down, told reporters that “I’m not talking till Thursday,” his usual day of speaking with the media.

Then Johnson turned away and whispered, “Get your faggot ass out of here.”

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Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, reportedly called for National Football League officials to “take action.” The NFL, according to senior vice president of public relations Greg Aiello, is looking into Johnson’s comments as well.

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“He just used a poor choice of words,” Schaffer said, “a politically incorrect choice of words, and he’s going to have to apologize for it. And he should.”

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And Johnson's apology didn't solve the problem (link to later article, excerpts below):

Larry Johnson apologizes; Chiefs ask him to stay away

By KENT BABB

The Kansas City Star

Chiefs running back Larry Johnson issued an apology today but has been asked to stay away from team activities, and he is not at team headquarters as the Chiefs returned to practice during their off week.

It is not a suspension but is similar to the punishment Johnson faced after last year’s bye week, when the Chiefs benched him after a series of arrests.

A team statement stated that the Chiefs are “continuing to investigate the alleged comments made by Larry Johnson. Until that review is complete, the Chiefs have instructed Larry to refrain from practicing with the Chiefs or participating in other team activities.”

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Edited October 28, 2009 by jbg

[PocketRocket]

It's interesting to ponder how he would react if some prominent gay personality came out and said something like "That nigger's bullshit doesn't bother me".

Would be interesting to see.

Until I hear about some such incident, I'll reserve judgment.

He should, after all, be able to take as good as he gives.

[Michael Hardner]

The big leagues basically own you at that level, so he should have known that he's not free to speak his mind.

Hell, the NHL, censured this Ballssilly guy just because he was Canadian...

[Black Dog]

I am quite definitely not anti-gay. My late uncle was gay. Many of my wife's close friends are male gays.

As well as some of your best friends, no doubt.

This article has shown that as a society we're at the lowest common denominator, where minor insults have far-reaching consequences. This is ridiculous.

I'm sure you, being the even handed lefty you are, would have no problem if we were to swap "faggot" for "kike" or some other such disparaging reference to Jews.

[kimmy]

The Chiefs suck.

With several arrests for beating up chicks and waving guns in peoples' faces, Larry Johnson sucks too.

First point:

Larry Johnson is not the first NFL player to make anti-gay remarks. For example: in 2002, Jeremy Shockey was asked by Howard Stern what he'd think if he found out one of his team-mates was gay. Shockey said that he "wouldn't stand for it". Johnson is ridiculing people by calling them homosexuals. Using "faggot" as a put-down is in itself insulting to homosexuals, of course, but to me, Shockey's remarks represent real actual intolerance. I don't recall Shockey receiving any formal discipline for his remarks, and I don't recall there being much of a ruckus in the media over it either.

A few differences: Shockey played for the New York Giants at the time; Johnson plays for the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. Shockey is white; Johnson is black. Shockey was a golden-boy rookie sensation; Johnson is a guy on the tail end of his career with multiple arrests. And, Shockey didn't actually use a slur like "faggot".

Second point:

The NFL is an entertainment business, basically. And, an entertainment business survives entirely on the goodwill of its audience.

So... how much of the NFL's audience is gay? How much of the NFL's audience would actually care enough about this sort of thing to force the NFL to take any sort of action?

My suspicion is: not much. I'm not sure how much of a financial hit gays could actually cause the NFL. Perhaps some advertisers would be concerned enough about this sort of a controversy to steer clear, but I think the NFL is too popular and too successful to be threatened by that sort of thing. They would have no trouble replacing any advertisers who drop them. That's my belief, anyway.

So... if the financial incentive to be respectful just isn't there, does the league have any reason to care? What motivation, other than potential financial damage, might encourage the NFL to be "a good corporate citizen" in this instance?

-k