NBA Roundtable Discussion

[AboveAverage484 0]

So, according to the last twenty minutes of ESPN Radio that I've been listening to, I guess Tim Hardaway hates gay people.

 

As stupid as what he said was, at least he spoke how he really felt instead of tip-toeing around it.

[Guest]

He played at Golden State and in Miami. I'm sure that playing in those two places did a lot to form his opinion.

[AboveAverage484 0]

He played at Golden State and in Miami. I'm sure that playing in those two places did a lot to form his opinion.

Well, tell me if I'm stepping on any toes, but I've always been under the impression that black guys, especially those from an urban background, just don't like guy dudes.

[Guest Vitamin X]

There is definitely a machismo thing going on there, same as it is with hispanics.

[Guest Smues]

Tim Hardaway says he 'hates gay people'

By Associated Press

Wed Feb 14, 6:22 PM

 

 

LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 13: Former NBA ...

MIAMI - Retired Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway said Wednesday that he hates gay people, but later said he regretted the remarks.

 

``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 while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket. ``I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States.''

 

The discussion was sparked by last week's announcement that retired NBA center John Amaechi is gay. The host asked Hardaway how he would interact with a gay teammate.

 

``First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. 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.''

 

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

 

``Something has to give,'' Hardaway said. ``If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court or whatever, it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate.''

 

He later apologized for the remarks during a telephone interview with Fox affiliate WSVN in Miami.

 

``Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that,'' he said. ``That was my mistake.''

[Guest]

I read that David Stern said that Tim Hardaway will not represent the NBA in appearances for the rest of his life. So essentially, he's blackballed.

[AboveAverage484 0]

I read that David Stern said that Tim Hardaway will not represent the NBA in appearances for the rest of his life. So essentially, he's blackballed.

 

He probably won't make the Hall of Fame anyway, but I suppose that would be included as well wouldn't it?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I used to like Timmy, but what an ignorant fuck.

[Guest]

Probably. He probably couldn't get a job at the coffee machine for the Bobcats.

[Rendclaw 0]

That can also be a byproduct of someone's religious upbringing.. I am not making excuses for Tim Hardaway at all, because what he said was reprehensible, and I have lost respect for him as a person because of his narrow-mindedness. There are some facets of Christianity that basically treat homosexuality as a conscious choice, which isn;t exactly right, and then there are others who think it is a disease that can be cured, which is completely wrong.

 

Someone's sexual orientation should not be a qualifier to gauge someone's ability to play a sport. But as John Amaechi said and I agree with him 100%, professional sports are at the height of the male ego and sense of masculinity, and for all of that machismo and testosterone floating around, most of them are threatened by even the slightest hint of homosexuality to an extreme degree, mainly because they are not secure in that masculinity. They wear it like armor, because they are scared to DEATH that someone might be gay, and in their minds the possibility exists that the gay athlete might "seduce" them.

 

That has always been hilarious to me. To be out there playing a sport at the highest level, making insane amounts of money through their team and endorsements and the like, and to have pretty much any woman you want, all of that is jeopardized somehow by the possibility of a gay teammate. The seeming fragility of it all makes me laugh. Last I heard, if a gay man propositions you, you can still say no.

 

I remember the last time I got propositioned... it was by my first ex-fiancee's ex-boyfriend, who was rampantly bisexual. He would fuck anyone, anytime, any place, and vice versa. Myself and my ex were having problems at the time, and he was visiting, and he asked me one night. I have no attraction for men, so I said no and that was the end of it. I didn;t flip, I didn't freak, and in a way I was flattered.

 

The male American athlete, a rather sad commentary on American society.

[Just John 0]

So, according to the last twenty minutes of ESPN Radio that I've been listening to, I guess Tim Hardaway hates gay people.

 

As stupid as what he said was, at least he spoke how he really felt instead of tip-toeing around it.

 

I agree. To some extent, I do admire his honesty, but he deserves all the backlash he's getting. There's no excuse for that kind of hate-mongering. I imagine it's more of an attention-whoring thing in this case, but it's still a stupid thing to say and/or believe.

[Broward83 0]

Ya'know, I really doubt Timmy was minding homosexuality when he was watching a couple girls fuck each other and slob all over his cock

[alfdogg 0]

This is all over ESPN Radio today, it's amazing. You'd think Barry Bonds was just traded to the Yankees or something.

 

Regarding the "blacks hate gays" comment above, I actually remember hearing a piece a long time ago, I forget where, but it was mentioned that the reason there are more black homophobes is because a gay black person would have to deal with twice the stereotypes. I can't remember the exact wording, but that was the gist of it.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I can't believe there are some people out there defending his comments because he was being honest. I didn't know it was cool to be a hate monger as long as you admit it. Come to think of it, why are were giving the KKK so much flack? At least they're being honest on how they feel about black people.

[Just John 0]

No one's defending his comments at all. It's just rare you actually hear a professional athlete give his real opinion rather than whatever he's "supposed to say." Being a closet hate-mongerer isn't any better than being an open one.

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

Apparently Hardaway was gonna do some All-Star promotion in Vegas this week, but now David Stern won't let him. One of the places Hardaway was going to appear, but now can't, was a YMCA in southern Nevada.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

No one's defending his comments at all. It's just rare you actually hear a professional athlete give his real opinion rather than whatever he's "supposed to say." Being a closet hate-mongerer isn't any better than being an open one.

 

No, he's been defended by serval media outlets today, including ESPN Radio. They weren't advocating his opinion, but lending him support for speaking on the behalf of many other athletes. I don't think you should get a pass just for being honest.

[BruiserKC 0]

Someone's sexual orientation should not be a qualifier to gauge someone's ability to play a sport. But as John Amaechi said and I agree with him 100%, professional sports are at the height of the male ego and sense of masculinity, and for all of that machismo and testosterone floating around, most of them are threatened by even the slightest hint of homosexuality to an extreme degree, mainly because they are not secure in that masculinity. They wear it like armor, because they are scared to DEATH that someone might be gay, and in their minds the possibility exists that the gay athlete might "seduce" them.

 

That has always been hilarious to me. To be out there playing a sport at the highest level, making insane amounts of money through their team and endorsements and the like, and to have pretty much any woman you want, all of that is jeopardized somehow by the possibility of a gay teammate. The seeming fragility of it all makes me laugh. Last I heard, if a gay man propositions you, you can still say no.

 

The male American athlete, a rather sad commentary on American society.

 

Sad but unfortunately true. Hell...going back to high school and college...I played soccer and baseball in HS and college. In the locker room, being called a fag was the norm. It was all about being as macho and manly as possible.

 

However, it will depend on the player that is still actively playing who chooses to come out of the closet. If he's an All-Star, he's going to be supported. If he's a third-string defensive back or 12th man on the basketball team, his career is pretty much over.

[Ripper 0]

Honestly fuck John Amechi and fuck Tim Hardaway. Fuck Tim Hardaway for making this story last longer than it should have, and Fuck John AMechi for that "Finally someone being honest" bullcrap, as if all the players that said they wouldn't give a shit weren't being honest.

 

Here is the truth. When Amechi was in Orlando, everyone knew he was gay. Doc Rivers even said "People would say stuff about it and we would just say so what". In Utah, Amechi admits that Gregg Ostertag and Kirelinko knew he was gay, and if they knew, so did the whole team. And they didn't give a shit.

 

Players call each other 'fag' in the locker room because they don't think the guy is gay. If they knew the guy was gay, they aren't going to call him fag. They are just going to rip on him for something else. Sure, its a lot of macho crap, but at the end of the day, the biggest macho crap is going to war for your teammate and this team is a family. Guys would be just as supportive.

 

You want a bigger truth. Alot of guys figured Magic was gay when he said he had AIDS because AIDS was still the gay disease then. And there were plenty of guys that were still willing to play with him. Some didn't want to because they were scared and uneductated, but for the most part, noone cared about his sexual orientation.

 

No one gives a shit. Noone would really give a shit except for the few Hardaways that are out there and honestly, they would be embarassed because they would be such a huge minority overall. This is simply a big non story. John Amechi didn't come out of anything. He had his partner in the lounge with the rest of the NBA wives for christ sake. Teams knew he was gay when he would sign as a free agent. He was 7 feet tall and frequenting gay bars. I am pretty sure he stood out. People knew. They just didn't give a shit, no one would give a shit now, except the press.

[Guest]

*claps*

[Guest Oedipus Rex]

I think Boers & Bernstein played the "I hate gay people!" drop like 30 times in the hour I heard today. I don't blame 'em. Shit's funny.

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

That was like the only thing they talked about today. Well, that and Big Z.

[Guest Oedipus Rex]

We need more of The Sports Pirate. Yarrgh.

[hyperchord24 0]

Did you hear Hardaway? No, I mean did you hear the way he spoke? It sounded like he was reading a script or something. What he said, he said with such lack of emotion, it makes me wonder . . .

 

Was he paid to bring the Amechi story back to life? After all, Dan Le Batard is on the ESPN payroll and Amechi's book is published by ESPN books. If you Tim Hardaway, you have to know that saying how you felt had to bring on all this hoopla. So why would he say it . . .

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

They don't belong in the world, OR in the United States!

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

Did you hear Hardaway? No, I mean did you hear the way he spoke? It sounded like he was reading a script or something. What he said, he said with such lack of emotion, it makes me wonder . . .

 

Was he paid to bring the Amechi story back to life? After all, Dan Le Batard is on the ESPN payroll and Amechi's book is published by ESPN books. If you Tim Hardaway, you have to know that saying how you felt had to bring on all this hoopla. So why would he say it . . .

 

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

[Ripper 0]

Scottie Pippen is talking a comeback. WHOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!

[Black Lushus 0]

Scottie Pippen is talking a comeback. WHOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!

 

whaaaaaat???? I mean is he even physically capable of it? At least on an NBA level?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Scottie Pippen is talking a comeback. WHOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!

 

You know, for a couple of months in a bench role, Pippen might still have some value. There are a lot of contenders that could use a versatile guy off the bench with a little bit of experience. The fact that he wants a ten day contract to prove he still has it is encouraging. It indicates that he's actually serious about giving this a try.

 

If he does get signed, where does he end up? Off the top of my head, I can think of Miami, Phoenix, Cleveland, LAL and Chicago as being possibile destinations.

[Matt Young 0]

If he comes back, it had better be for the Bulls or Lakers. His old team, with a former teammate as coach, or Phil Jackson. Both contenders.