Tim Hardaway says he hates gays - later puts foot in mouth (Amaechi replys)

[westkoast]

 MIAMI (AP) -- 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."

[msc]

Yeah, I heard the audio recordings of this on a.m. radio this morning.  He really made himself sound like an idiot.  The reality is that most NBA players and probably the majority of the population have these feelings about homosexuality.  Unfortunately, when you open your mouth and say, "I hate all gay people" ... yikes, that's just not cool.  It's especially sad to me that a minority who has no doubt encountered hatred from narrow-minded simpletons throughout his life would spew the same type of hatred toward another minority group.  I've always really liked Timmy Hardaway, and I still do, but he should be smart enough to not open his mouth on public radio and spew such ignorant hatred.  If you have those feelings toward gays, I don't agree with you, but I can certainly understand where you're coming from.  All that said, in this day and age, just keep it to yourself. 

[WayOutWest]

I don't understand the whole "hate" thing, I can understand you viewing it as a bad thing or "sin", just like a drug abuser or alcoholic.  But you don't hate the abuser, you forgive any offense they may have caused and you try to help them break the cycle if possible.

I don't have a problem with gays, much like I don't have a problem with a bunch of my alcoholic friends, I just wouldn't want to expose myself and family to that type of stuff, how do you explain a guy kissing a guy or girl kissing a girl or how do you explain a drunk acting like a fool to your kids?

I wouldn't have a problem working with a gay people or dealing with them in every day life.  I have a couple of neighboors who are sorta of friends that are gay, they're just like everybody else.  They're good guys and chit chat about stuff every now and then and they have the same ups and downs as the rest of us.

I make jokes about gays but it's no different than the racial or sexist humor I enjoy, I don't hate the people I joke about.  You could do alot worse than be gay, you could be a murderor, rapist or even a Spurs fan.

[westkoast]

I don't understand the whole "hate" thing, I can understand you viewing it as a bad thing or "sin", just like a drug abuser or alcoholic.  But you don't hate the abuser, you forgive any offense they may have caused and you try to help them break the cycle if possible.

I don't have a problem with gays, much like I don't have a problem with a bunch of my alcoholic friends, I just wouldn't want to expose myself and family to that type of stuff, how do you explain a guy kissing a guy or girl kissing a girl or how do you explain a drunk acting like a fool to your kids?

I wouldn't have a problem working with a gay people or dealing with them in every day life.  I have a couple of neighboors who are sorta of friends that are gay, they're just like everybody else.  They're good guys and chit chat about stuff every now and then and they have the same ups and downs as the rest of us.

I make jokes about gays but it's no different than the racial or sexist humor I enjoy, I don't hate the people I joke about.  You could do alot worse than be gay, you could be a murderor, rapist or even a Spurs fan.

Exactly how I feel about it.  I personally think it is weird cuz I love women so much.  I don't understand the attraction to another man in that way.  At the same time, they are just people who chose to be with someone of the same sex...yet still just people.   Keyword PEOPLE.   I have friends at work who are gay.  They make fun of me for being a 'breeder' and I make fun of them for being gay.  No hard feelings.  One of them likes video games and the other loves to go to female strip clubs (she is Les) just like me!

msc brings up a good point as far as the whole hating of another minority group.  When you know there are people hate you for such a silly reason (in Tim's case his skin color) why would you turn around and do that to someone else over what they choose to do with their own life?  See the problem with homophobes is they think all gay men want to rape all other men they come in contact with.  If only Tim could stop being so full of himself and realize 'Hay maybe John Amechi wouldn't think I am good looking'  Personally to me, the people who are extremly homophobic always strike me as people who flirt with the idea of being gay or have thought about it.  If you don't agree, you don't agree.  That is our right as American's...but to be that extreme?  I find it weird.  The same way I find racists weird.

I guess the funniest part of his comments as far as having to watch his backside in the lockerroom or being distracted that another man is checking out teammates....hay all super homophobes, now you know how women feel!!!!  Remember that we all do that to women (or most of us who can't help it)

[jn]

It's rather interesting to see who some of the people openly supporting Amaechi are.  Sam Mitchell may be old school in a lot of ways but he was really blunt in his opinions supporting Amaechi and gays in general.  Amaechi also mentioned the support he got from Andrei Kirilenko.  That's interesting because Russia seems to lag far, far behind the Western Europe and the U.S. in it's opinions on gays.

Hardaway certainly sounds like a tool

[westkoast]

Here is John Amaechi's reply btw

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former NBA center John Amaechi, who disclosed last week he's gay, said anti-gay comments by another retired player "demonstrate the need to continue the conversation."

Retired Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway said on a radio show Wednesday that he hates gay people, then later apologized for his remarks.

"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."

Hardaway's comments were sparked by Amaechi's disclosure he's gay.

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

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."

Amaechi also detailed his life, in his autobiography Man in the Middle, which was released Wednesday. He 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."

Hardaway 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."

Hardaway has reportedly been removed from further league-related appearances.

"It is inappropriate for him to be representing us given the disparity between his views and ours," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

"Famously, they're saying in 2007 that homophobia is not an issue," Amaechi said. "While [Hardaway] is not a representative of the NBA or of straight men, there's no point pretending it's not an opinion that is out there."

[SPURSX3]

Where's Kanye when you need him.  "Tim Hardaway hates gay people..."  [whimpering with snot dripping out his nose]

What a jerk.  Ok, so you don't like gay people, so what, keep that thought to yourself.  Don't go on a popular  radio program and announce it to the world.  How do you go from saying that your hate gay people and that your a homophobe to saying your sorry??  I wonder if he was one of the people who called to complain about the Snickers super bowl commercial. Dork.

[spursfan-101]

In a way, I feel bad for Hardaway. He is certainly entitled to his own opinion, and it's just sad that he is getting so much airplay over a silly comment he made over a small radio show. It's how he felt. It's not how I feel, I'm cool with gay people, I'm comfortable in my sexuality, so it dosen't bother me, but that dosent mean I expect him to feel like me.

I'm wondering if he's going to be the next guy in line that has to go "rehab" for saying the wrong thing. This PC thing is crap!

[westkoast]

So they played the actual clips from the radio interview this morning on my way to work...

The interviewer tossed him a life raft and said to him more or less 'Hay this came off the wrong way, dont you think you sound like a bigot?  Maybe you want to explain yourself'

Which Tim replies with what was stated above....

Then a Miami reporter that knows Tim calls him up and asks him straight out 'Wouldn't this be the same as someone hating a black man and saying all those things?'

Which Tim replies with yet another horrible reply about how he hates gay people...

Then his agent issues a statement that was SUPPOSE to be written by Tim saying that he needs to analyze why he feels that way and is going to make strides to accept and appreciate all kinds of people in our society..

As a man who dealt with the mass media for over 15 year one would think he would know how to handle himself and what not to say that will ignite a frenzy.  *SIGH*

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey wk!
   
I heard on the radio yesterday after this flap emerged that the NBA, in order to distance themselves from Hardaway's 'ignant' comments will no longer allow him to be a contributor on any NBA broadcasts.  Hey, it took the NBA a long time to get over the Bias/Tarpley/Woolridge/Richardson/Phoenix Suns-generated negative image from the '80s, we all know that a bad impression is created far more easily than a good one.  PC means $$$, here!
   
As for Hardaway being a 'tool', jn, is that a double entendre?  LOL
   
-RB
Shaq #1

[msc]

I heard the sound bytes replayed on the radio again this a.m. and I realized Timmy was actually misquoted in the press clippings I read.  He actually said, "I hate gay peoples", not people. 

[westkoast]

Hey wk!
   
I heard on the radio yesterday after this flap emerged that the NBA, in order to distance themselves from Hardaway's 'ignant' comments will no longer allow him to be a contributor on any NBA broadcasts.  Hey, it took the NBA a long time to get over the Bias/Tarpley/Woolridge/Richardson/Phoenix Suns-generated negative image from the '80s, we all know that a bad impression is created far more easily than a good one.  PC means $$$, here!
   
As for Hardaway being a 'tool', jn, is that a double entendre?  LOL
   
-RB
Shaq #1

Yup, he was out in Vegas doing the typical retire all-star basketball player thing.  He was suppose to coach a wheelchair basketball team last night and had some other obligations for all-star weekend.  Once this all popped off David Stern called him and said 'go home' to which he had to fly back to Chicago (or Miami).  He has been ripped of anything league related from what I heard.  While he is not hurting money wise, he just took food out of his own mouth.

Hay if he doesn't agree with gay people, fine.  He has every right to do so.  To hate? Little extreme IMO.  There is something else going on behind the scenes with him that no one knows except family (and maybe not even them)

[rickortreat]

In a way, I feel bad for Hardaway. He is certainly entitled to his own opinion, and it's just sad that he is getting so much airplay over a silly comment he made over a small radio show. It's how he felt. It's not how I feel, I'm cool with gay people, I'm comfortable in my sexuality, so it dosen't bother me, but that dosent mean I expect him to feel like me.

I'm wondering if he's going to be the next guy in line that has to go "rehab" for saying the wrong thing. This PC thing is crap!

I generally believe in the principals of free speech, but saying that you hate some group is just plain ignorant.  You can't group people together, and say things about them as a whole, when there are such differences between the individuals in that group.  The only people you can get away with hating are our "enemies".  You're allowed to hate terrorists, as long as they're on the other side.

Is it better for people to go around saying "I hate x's" Getting other people to agree with them and go around bashing all the x's?  Or is it better to prevent them from speaking that way, and preventing them from inciting others to violent behavior.

I don't care about gays one way or the other.  I don't see any reason why they should be picked on for being gay.  It's their choice and their problem.

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey wk!
  
I agree with you that the 'Hater' thing is over the top - however, we don't want to forget that Hardaway is one of the all-time great yappers, right up there with Bird and MJ.  That is probably why it didn't register on him that the interviewers were trying to extricate him from the 'tar pit' he was rolling around in - he was too busy smugly listening to his own 'dis'-course.
  
I just made that up, BTW - 'dis'-course.  Pretty good one that, IMO!
  
-RB
Shaq #1

[SPURSX3]

I heard the sound bytes replayed on the radio again this a.m. and I realized Timmy was actually misquoted in the press clippings I read.  He actually said, "I hate gay peoples", not people. 

LMFAO! @ "peoples"