Tim Hardaway

[OrlandoMike]

So I wake up to find a large note on the kitchen table next to a jar of Peanut Butter telling me DO NOT EAT THIS! OK, I'll just grab a cup of coffee and catch up on the news. Turned on the Today show to find this story..........very nice way to start the day!


Tim Hardaway Says He Hates 'Gay People'
Retired Star Later Regrets Controversial Remarks
AP Sports
MIAMI (Feb. 14) - 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."

 

[Saxton]

Salmonella and homophobia ... interesting way to start the day.

 

[wallyb]

I think he "regrets" saying it ... OUTLOUD!
But he had so much to say - I think that it's his true feelings.

Wounder how he'd feel if we substituted black for gay -
and played it back to him.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

How about substituting another team for his. And NOT playing it back to him.

Yeah. Look out for the peanut butter!

 

[RickinNYC]

The guy is an idiot. Only credit I can give him is that he admits it himself.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Can't wait to see the backlash he receives for those comments!

 

[snowwhite84]

I was so upset when I heard this today. I live in S. Florida and have always been a huge Heat fan. I have especially loved Tim Hardaway. When I was a kid, I always wore his jersey to games. Not anymore. I am a reporter for a local community paper down here, and I was able to write a commentary on the issue. It helped me get the heartbreak off my chest.

 

[lisaviolet]

Well this obviously is a negative outcome of John Amaechi's coming out. Here is a positive one:

Hubie Brown, former coach and current broadcaster, stated after Amaechi's coming out something to the effect that players that are making ridiculous comments (I love Ray Allen's game...and he was one of them... unfortunately) strictly need education. In that in this time in history he simply doesn't have tolerance for their reactions. That this is a business, the NBA, and like any other business that suffers from intolerance for diversity there is an immediate need for education. Yeah Hubie.

Also, for some reason I prefer comments like Tim Hardaways to the alternative. I don't know why. I guess because none of my brain power is wasted on deciphering their comments. I prefer them to say, hmmm, Salley's comments. You know the "I'm okay with it", "I'm hip", "I'm not homophobic", "It's okay..whatever you do in your bedroom", "Just keep it to yourself" "it's none of our business" kind of comments (quotes are not Salley's words..just my sarcasm). These people would never ever see their stance as homophobic. But of course it is. They are okay as long as you don't talk about your life as a whole.

I mean they never talk about their families, their wives, their attractions, their conquests, their sex etc. Of course they do but don't want to hear any gay person's thoughts. I just find it harder to deal with people who are "okay" but don't want to hear about your partner's birthday or the hot guy at the party last night etc. This is called living. And we all just need to keep on living and they will have to deal or not ......like Mr. Hardaway (loved his game too!)

Can't wait to see the first courageous current baller simply live his life, openly and without any pre-thinking, every single day. And that would be NBA as the WNBA has players openly living their lives.

 

[lisaviolet]

Another sports figure who "gets it" Ie. a gay person is just another person simply living his/her life is former NFLer Rodney Peete.

 

[exDS vet]

This story will get some airplay in the more diverse parts of the country. Here in the Bay Area, I have already heard some of it on talk radio and the attitude has been "so what". Meaning as a society we are supposed to be above this kind of talk. I think that attitude was a bit dismissive even (or) especially for here.

Since this is the DIS, let's use our imagination for a moment and say what if the person being interviewed was Larry Bird. Now re-read the article and replace the word "gay" with "black". And when he says "I am a homophobe" change that to "I am a racist". How do you think that would play?

As bad as Hardaway's comments are, they could never generate the news that a racist (especially anti-black) comment would.

My brother is the exact same type of person as Hardaway. He hates gays, and makes no excuses for it. We haven't spoken in over five years and he still can't have a conversation with a friend or a family member without trashing me. Fortunately, he is the only person who I have ever had this experience with. And he also hates everyone else, so I'm not in the minority.

If people want to live thier miserable lives hating others, let them. They are the ones who will die alone and unhappy.

 

[smartestnumber5]

Also, for some reason I prefer comments like Tim Hardaways to the alternative. I don't know why. I guess because none of my brain power is wasted on deciphering their comments. I prefer them to say, hmmm, Salley's comments. You know the "I'm okay with it", "I'm hip", "I'm not homophobic", "It's okay..whatever you do in your bedroom", "Just keep it to yourself" "it's none of our business" kind of comments (quotes are not Salley's words..just my sarcasm). These people would never ever see their stance as homophobic. But of course it is. They are okay as long as you don't talk about your life as a whole.

I mean they never talk about their families, their wives, their attractions, their conquests, their sex etc. Of course they do but don't want to hear any gay person's thoughts. I just find it harder to deal with people who are "okay" but don't want to hear about your partner's birthday or the hot guy at the party last night etc. This is called living. And we all just need to keep on living and they will have to deal or not ......like Mr. Hardaway (loved his game too!)

Yeah I have to agree. I'd rather one just come out and say "I hate gay people" like he did, so no one is confused. When it's anything less than that I feel like people get all "Oh well, it's bad, but it's not that bad." Or with the Micheal Richards thing people tried to suggest maybe he's not actually racist Apparently no matter how hateful one's comments are unless one actually comes out and says "I am racist. I hate black people" one is given the benefit of the doubt. I wonder if something similar happened with the Isaiah Washington thing on Grey's Anatomy.

 

[mickeyfan1]

Well, if he goes to rehab then that will make it all OK.

I read this article this morning, I had seen this thread headline, but didn't get to read it until now. I was shocked, but in a way it was good for him to come out and say it, rather than be passive aggressive about it. No amount of him saying he regrets saying it is gonna change anything. As a previous poster said, he regrets saying it out loud. And nothing is going to change his mind, he is a bigot. I just can't put into words the disgust I felt when I first read it and that I still feel now.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I suppose alerting the world to one's ignorance does have some value, but I really don't want to praise someone for being such a homophobe.

As already stated, replace the word gay with any other ethnic group and it loses it's veneer of "honesty."

I have to reign in my own irritation and not take his comments out on the Heat. Can't blame the team for him, I suppose.

However, the excuse that he had to take that stance because it is required of anyone in big league sports is not acceptable.

Bah. I'm starting to do the dreaded rambling, mutter, stutter on about too many bits and pieces so I'll try to shut up now.

I think he is a self declared bigot. I'm not going to thank him for his position, but I suppose I can grudgingly thank him for alerting the world to his point of view.

 

[cdn ears]

OK someone pinch me did I fall asleep and go back in time or what?? As it was said earlier did someone tick him off that finally got him to explode, or is he scared about possibly "coming out" himself???