Don't Comment on Protected Groups Or Else!

[red states rule]

Now if Tim Hardaway would have said he hated Christians or Conservatives, he would have glowing press coverage.

He made the mistake of talking about another protected group and the liberal media and PC Police go into attack mode


Hardaway Banished for Anti-Gay Remarks
By MELISSA MURPHY, AP Sports Writer

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."

http://www.comcast.net/sports/index.jsp?cat=SPORTS&fn=/2007/02/15/588374.html&cvqh=tis_hardaway

 

[Kagom]

He apologized for his comment. Let 'im play I say.

 

[Gurdari]

It is his right to hate anyone, but a political affiliation is not the same as sexual orientation. Did Tim Hardaway CHOOSE to be straight? I'll bet most Republicans chose to vote that way, they weren't born with an internal urge to lower taxes.

 

[Emmett]

It is his right to hate anyone, but a political affiliation is not the same as sexual orientation. Did Tim Hardaway CHOOSE to be straight? I'll bet most Republicans chose to vote that way, they weren't born with an internal urge to lower taxes.

What?

 

[Emmett]

Well buddy, you have pissed off the masses haven't you! That will teach you! You see Tim, here in America it isn't politically correct to state your true feelings. See, that isn't ........well............allowed.

Tim, the term "free speech" is just a term. It dosen't really mean you can say whatever you want in public, ...................well.....................unless you are a member of the press. What I'm trying to say Tim is that your just a soveriegn citizen of the United States of America. That really isn't such a big deal anymore since the beginning of our recent transition to socialism which has been underway for quite some time now. You see, soon, the press and government will be almost one. It isn't savy to hate the lifestyle of fags and lesbians. You see, the law basically says we have to allow this behavior to influence our children, be taught in our third grade classes and accepted as "normal" behavior even though a couple of people here in the US still "hate" it.

Yeah, you better be careful bud, that kind of talk could get you into some serious trouble here in America. So calm down man, it's all good! I mean, hell, you can still publicly hate the president of the United States of America in public. Hell, blame him. Everything else is his fault. You might even get quoted again by the NYT in a positive light next time.

Your Pal,

Emmett

 

[Bry]

I don't really think this is an issue of free speech. Noone is questioning Tim's right to say what he said. Noone is considering throwing him in jail. IMHO, the NBA made the right decision to distance itself from Tim's comments,and most organizations, especially those whose economic interests could be affected, would do the same.

Also, there is a qualitative difference between expressing hatred for an entire demographic and expressing hatred for an individual like the president, though the NBA probably wouldn't have been too happy about Tim's comments going that direction either.

It's anyone's right to do it, but it just isn't smart to express such strong opinions when you are representing an organization that draws from all segments of the society, and Tim should hardly be surprised by the consequences.

 

[Emmett]

I don't really think this is an issue of free speech. Noone is questioning Tim's right to say what he said. Noone is considering throwing him in jail. IMHO, the NBA made the right decision to distance itself from Tim's comments,and most organizations, especially those whose economic interests could be affected, would do the same.

Also, there is a qualitative difference between expressing hatred for an entire demographic and expressing hatred for an individual like the president, though the NBA probably wouldn't have been too happy about Tim's comments going that direction either.

It's anyone's right to do it, but it just isn't smart to express such strong opinions when you are representing an organization that draws from all segments of the society, and Tim should hardly be surprised by the consequences.

Howard Dean direct quote, "I HATE Republicans! Did the Democratic party chastize him for that?

 

[Bry]

Did Howard say that? oh dear... not very appropriate hmmm?

Dean is involved in politics, and a bit of that kind of thing is to be expected (and is taken as much as it is given, I believe...) An analogous situation would be Tim Hardaway saying "I hate the Chicago Bulls, or the Pacific Conference" or something similar.


What if Tim had said he hated all Christians? I honestly believe the end result would have been identical. I get your frustration with PC, believe me. But this doesn't seem to me to be an extreme case of PC.

Cheers!

 

[Annie]

Did Howard say that? oh dear... not very appropriate hmmm?

Dean is involved in politics, and a bit of that kind of thing is to be expected (and is taken as much as it is given, I believe...) An analogous situation would be Tim Hardaway saying "I hate the Chicago Bulls, or the Pacific Conference" or something similar.


What if Tim had said he hated all Christians? I honestly believe the end result would have been identical. I get your frustration with PC, believe me. But this doesn't seem to me to be an extreme case of PC.

Cheers!

Agreed. Just a case of stupidity on display. Cheers!

 

[insein]

Hey tim can have any opinion he wants. But just like the Dixie Chicks, don't expect your employer to stand by you if its going to cost them business. NBA made their choice very quickly.

What annoys me is the half assed apologies people give after making these statements. Kramer, Mel Gibson, and now Hardaway all spoke their minds and then later backed down to PC pressure in order to save their wallets. Speak your mind and stand by it. You're already screwed once you said it so you might as well own up to it.

 

[red states rule]

GMA Uses Interview with Gay Basketball Player to Discuss America’s ‘Secret Prejudice’
Posted by Scott Whitlock on February 16, 2007 - 15:57.
As already reported on NewsBusters, Friday’s "Good Morning America" used the pretext of the 2008 presidential election to wonder just how bigoted America is. In a segment that aired in the 7:30 hour, Diane Sawyer talked to former NBA star John Amaechi about his new book, the revelation that he’s a homosexual, and an anti-gay diatribe delivered by ex-Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway.

This is the second time in five days that the ABC program has promoted Amaechi’s book. And just as with the piece on Senator Obama and his candidacy, Sawyer used isolated incidents to draw conclusions about all of America:

Diane Sawyer: "All right, as we said now, we're going to give you a story that wades right into this country's secret prejudice against gays in America. The former pro basketball player who revealed he is gay is with us. His name is John Amaechi. He has been the target of an anti- gay tirade by a former NBA all-star, Tim Hardaway."

In an apparent conflict of interest, Sawyer failed to mention that Amaechi’s autobiography is being released by ESPN Books, a division of ABC’s parent company. Oddly, on February 11, when GMA ran virtually the same piece on Amaechi, they offer the full disclosure information about the connection.

In the segment, which aired at 7:32am on February 16, Sawyer introduced a report by correspondent John Berman:

ABC Graphic: "NBA Star's Anti-Gay Rant: Does Hardaway Apology Mean Anything?"

Diane Sawyer: "All right, as we said now, we're going to give you a story that wades right into this country's secret prejudice against gays in America. The former pro basketball player who revealed he is gay is with us. His name is John Amaechi. He has been the target of an anti gay tirade by a former NBA all-star, Tim Hardaway. ABC's John Berman launches this tale."

John Berman: "Banished from this weekend's NBA all-star festivities, a chastened Tim Hardaway returned home to Florida last night."


Tim Hardaway: "I've very sorry. That's- That's no doubt about it. I'm very, very sorry about it. But, you know, a lot of people don't think so, but I am."

Berman: "But the former all-star's comments about gays are still sending shock waves through the sports world."

Hardaway: "You know, I hate gay people. I let it be known, I don't like gay people. I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic."

Berman: "The comments were prompted by the release of the new book from former player, John Amaechi, in which he comes out of the closet. Only a small handful of gay athletes in major men's team sports have ever come out of the closet. And then, only after they retired."

Billy Bean: "My dream is to be a major league baseball player. Everything, that I hoped and dreamed that my life would become, none of it had to do with the reality that I’m a gay man."

Berman: "The machismo of male sports might make it hard to come out, but for women, it seems to be different. Athletes like Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and Cheryl Swoops are all openly gay."

Christine Brennan (USA Today Sports columnist): "If you want to play sports, if you wanted to play on the basketball team, or the volleyball team, the softball team, you weren't maybe going to be maybe the most popular girl but you would be accepted. There was a place for you there."

Berman: But Tim Hardaway's initial rant shows that the sports world for men today might not be nearly so accepting. For Good Morning America, John Berman, ABC News."

Sawyer followed that segment with a full interview and the tone of her questions clearly indicated her full support for Amaechi:

Sawyer: "And joining us now is former NBA player John Amaechi who did publicly reveal in his book, 'Man in the Middle,' that he is gay. He is also, by the way, the only British player?"

John Amaechi: "That's correct."

Sawyer: "-Person growing up in England to play for the NBA."

Amaechi: "Indeed, yes."

Sawyer: "It's great to have you here. It's good to see you. All right, Tim Hardaway, you heard his comments. What do you want to say to him this morning?"


Amaechi: "I really want to impress on him, and to people in general that people whose voices can ricochet around the world need to be careful how they wield their words. It's important that they realize that right now there are hundreds of thousands of people who feel less safe, less secure, more anxious, not just gay and lesbian people, but people who are perceived to be gay and lesbian. It pollutes the atmosphere when you hear these words of hate. And not only that, he's emboldened the bigots. He's made people who, perhaps, would keep their hatred, their bigotry inside, perhaps pushed them to a point where they are now feel they are free to say things and do things that will impact other people."

Sawyer: "You have written that you're particularly concerned about kids because it's sports. And when bigotry is incited against kids who have yet to tell people, it's a different kind of thing."


Amaechi: "It is, really. It's so damaging. I mean, everybody knows that the formative years, your teenage years, when you're just kind of understanding, coming to understand yourself, it's so difficult. You add onto that issues with your sexuality and the confusion and then comments like this, it makes life ever more difficult."

A few minutes later, Sawyer seemed to make it clear where she stood on what should happen to Tim Hardaway:

Sawyer: "Let me go back to Tim Hardaway for a moment, because, as you know, he was asked to leave the all-star game in Las Vegas this weekend. Do you think that was appropriate?"

Amaechi: "I think David Stern has made a very clear message. He wants to the NBA to be a meritocracy. I think we should want society to be a meritocracy, not based on these other prejudices and stereotypes. So I'm very pleased that he's-- that David Stern and the league have put their money where their mouth is."

Sawyer: "Another question about Tim Hardaway's apology. He said 'As an African American I know all too well the negative thoughts and feelings hatred and bigotry cause.' So that was his apology."

Amaechi: "Yeah, it seems a little trite, doesn't it? As a black person myself, I know some of those very same issues. But it has changed the way I think. It makes me more open. Where as with him, it seems to have made him less so."

Sawyer: "I want to ask you about something, somebody else said. Shaquille O’Neal. He came out and basically said, 'Anybody who would try to get to a gay player on my team would have to go through me first. And he said, 'If he was on my team, I guess I would have to protect him.' And he said, 'I'm just not the type of person who judges people.'

Amaechi: "You know what, it's enlightening, it's heart-warming. It- Those are the words that inoculate against some of the hatreds that we've heard. You know, I heard that first this morning and it's just been, it's put a smile on my face."

Sawyer: "Well, I know people have been overwhelming you with e-mails, and we wish you the best."

Amaechi: "Thank you very much."

Sawyer: "Thank you so much for coming in. Again, it is 'Man in the Middle,' and it is bringing out into the public a debate, that as David Stern said, maybe sports needs to lead the way sometimes."


Amaechi: "I hope so."

So, Tim Hardaway goes on a rant and is banned from appearing at the NBA all star game? Sawyer’s approving comment about David Stern and sports leading the way appeared to indicate she approves of the commissioner’s action. However, when the Dixie Chicks faced boycotts and fans burning their albums after they attacked President Bush, the GMA anchor was on the other side. On May 23, 2006, she touted how the group had come "roaring back." Sawyer also asked sympathetic questions, including whether the group felt they had "been vindicated and that the American public moved to your position?"

As noted earlier, "Good Morning America covered this exact same topic only five days ago on the Sunday edition of the ABC program. That segment, unlike the Friday interview of Amaechi, did point out that the ex-NBA player’s book is being released by a parent company of the network. It also featured remarkably similar comments by the morning anchors. For a transcript, head over to the posting by the MRC’s Tim Graham.

http://newsbusters.org/node/10876

 

[mattskramer]

I don't really think this is an issue of free speech. Noone is questioning Tim's right to say what he said. Noone is considering throwing him in jail. IMHO, the NBA made the right decision to distance itself from Tim's comments,and most organizations, especially those whose economic interests could be affected, would do the same.

Also, there is a qualitative difference between expressing hatred for an entire demographic and expressing hatred for an individual like the president, though the NBA probably wouldn't have been too happy about Tim's comments going that direction either.

It's anyone's right to do it, but it just isn't smart to express such strong opinions when you are representing an organization that draws from all segments of the society, and Tim should hardly be surprised by the consequences.

Where are the free-market people on this issue? It reminds me of the Dixie Chicks. When they said something critical of Bush, it was as if conservatives wanted them banished. When this sports figure said something against gays the conservatives say to let him play. Anyway I think that people who support the ideals of free market enterprise would have the record industry sports teams, and employers decide for themselves who they will keep and whom they will fire based on employee antics.

If your boss or customers are republican and you say something that republicans don’t like, you will probably get into trouble. If your boss or customers are democrat and you say something that democrats don’t like you will probably get in trouble. It is as simple as that.

 

[red states rule]

Where are the free-market people on this issue? It reminds me of the Dixie Chicks. When they said something critical of Bush, it was as if conservatives wanted them banished. When this sports figure said something against gays the conservatives say to let him play. Anyway I think that people who support the ideals of free market enterprise would have the record industry sports teams, and employers decide for themselves who they will keep and whom they will fire based on employee antics.

If your boss or customers are republican and you say something that republicans don’t like, you will probably get into trouble. If your boss or customers are democrat and you say something that democrats don’t like you will probably get in trouble. It is as simple as that.

Libs love it when celiberties bash Pres Bush, America, or the US military. Libs have a cow when the people speak with their money and refuse to see their movies, buy their music, or go to their shows

Of course libs love to call for boycots of people or companies they disagree with

Libs call that free speech. When conservatives do it, libs call it hate

 

[mattskramer]

Libs love it when celiberties bash Pres Bush, America, or the US military. Libs have a cow when the people speak with their money and refuse to see their movies, buy their music, or go to their shows

Of course libs love to call for boycots of people or companies they disagree with

Libs call that free speech. When conservatives do it, libs call it hate

Each party has its pets and its enemies. Comment negatively about its pets and the party calls it hate speech. I don’t see much of a different in either party. It is supposedly hate speech to criticize Republicans or their interests – you might even be called un-American or a traitor. It is supposedly hate speech to criticize democrats. I don’t see much of a difference in either party on the “free speech” issue.

 

[red states rule]

Each party has its pets and its enemies. Comment negatively about its pets and the party calls it hate speech. I don’t see much of a different in either party. It is supposedly hate speech to criticize Republicans or their interests – you might even be called un-American or a traitor. It is supposedly hate speech to criticize democrats. I don’t see much of a difference in either party on the “free speech” issue.

Who said it is hate speech to criticize Republicans?

I love it when Dems open thier mouths and so their support for the terrosists. 08 will see the Dems on the outside looking in

 

[insein]

Where are the free-market people on this issue? It reminds me of the Dixie Chicks. When they said something critical of Bush, it was as if conservatives wanted them banished. When this sports figure said something against gays the conservatives say to let him play. Anyway I think that people who support the ideals of free market enterprise would have the record industry sports teams, and employers decide for themselves who they will keep and whom they will fire based on employee antics.

If your boss or customers are republican and you say something that republicans don’t like, you will probably get into trouble. If your boss or customers are democrat and you say something that democrats don’t like you will probably get in trouble. It is as simple as that.

See my response above.