Tim Hardaway's Hate Speech: "I Hate Gay People"

"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."

See, being homosexual has become the new whipping post. It's the new "black." So it's kind of ironic that an African-American player would spew such hateful, bigoted speech. Now, let's look at his comments as if he were a white man speaking about a black basketball player in the 50's. My changes will be in bold within brackets:

"You know, I hate [black] people, so I let it be known. I don't like [black] people and I don't like to be around [black] people," Hardaway said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket in Miami. "I'm [racist]. I don't like it. [They] shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." The host asked Hardaway how he would interact with a [black] 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 [black], 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."

When you put it in that context it really makes you think doesn't it? Or at least it should.

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.

GOI: Sure I'm glad that he apologized but he had to. He had no choice. It doesn't change his comments and the strong emotion behind them in using the word "hate." That's a strong, strong word. There is no way that he over-came his homophobia and bigoted views over night and that this apology takes all that venom back as if it never happened.

I would like to see a similar out cry and reaction to his bigoted, hateful tirade as there was for Michael Richard's racist, hateful speech about African-Americans. I'd like to see him address the gay community just as Richards addressed the African-American community and announce that he has a problem and will educate himself.

Hate is hate regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, etc.

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