NBA banishes Hardaway after anti-gay remarks »
Posted by: TechnologyExpert 1 year, 6 months ago565 Comments Report this Story
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 and scheduled 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,
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contrast1 year, 6 months ago
this is a shame. I dont agree with Tim hardaway but he has every right to feel and express himself. Now I dont think Hardaway's thought process is beneficial to society but we cant change his mind for him...that's facism. Everyone is so quick to cater to certain groups that we forget that NOT EVERYONE HAS TO THINK THE SAME THING!!!!
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gfarral1 year, 6 months ago
There seems to be an ugly trend in this nation that is making a mockery of the 1st amendment. If that is how he really feels then that is how he feels. No one reading this likes everyone in the world! That is just life. There has not been any statement that he has harmed a homosexual so what is the NBA up in arms for? Too many people are expressing their feelings then caving in to some outside pressure to recant. Thus one is not sure exactly how they feel. Granted some people may make a rash statement in frustration or anger and it may not be a true reflection of their feelings or actions. That happens....
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Edward76611 year, 6 months ago
Exactly, if nobody hates you, then nobody will ever love you. Ever
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nakedtruth1 year, 6 months ago
David, I wasn't following the Dixie Chick thread, but if you defended country music stations for not playing their music yet you are criticizing the NBA for banning Hardaway then you are not being consistent.
That said Hardaway should have the right to express his opinion off the court without being sanctioned.
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hamy1 year, 6 months ago
Has anyone considered the fact that maybe one of the people who has hiring and firing responsibilities at the NBA was gay? Maybe that person was offended.
Good for them! Equal rights means equal for everyone. Not just people you like or don't like. He had the right to make a fool of himself and the NBA had the right to fire him.
I do love the follow up story where he is asking for respect from the media. He used the media to make his statement, and disrespected a fellow athlete, and now he is demanding respect from them. Ha! Reap what you sow. If you sow hate, you will get it back ten fold.
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fudgie1 year, 6 months ago
If I made those comments under contract at my work, in a corporate environment, I'd get fired, 1st amendment rights or not.... The NBA is his employer and he is representing them publicly on their behalf. The NBA can 86 him on whatever grounds they see fit, when push comes to shove.
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mark-stevens1 year, 6 months ago
Not a maron, a black maron. Let's try walking in someone's shoes. Would Martin Luther King have gone off like that, if he hadn't been killed fighting for Timmy's rights to be black.
In August, 1977 Richard Pryor was paid to entertain a gay festival.
He pulled his pants down and said kiss my a** you racists!!
I have my doubts he got paid.
I saw that on the front page of a San Franscio news paper.
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mark-stevens1 year, 6 months ago
Double crossed!!! I had a black homosexual file false charges against me. I was charged with enough to get at least a couple of years. After being found innocent, I had no anger towards homosexuals or blacks... just him.
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mark-stevens1 year, 6 months ago
That was his religious upbringing that reared its ugly head.
If you asked what's the problem is he would say they are immoral. Unlike guys that brag about having unprotected sex with thousands of women...Magic Johnson.
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gargantubrain1 year, 6 months ago
Prejudice literally means pre-judging. How is judging someone for taking part in what you believe to be perverted sexual activity a prejudice.
JUDGING SOMEONE BASED ON THEIR ACTIONS IS NOT PREJUDICE.
How can so many people not understand the definiton on this word. If you want to say he is wrong that's one thing, but it simply doesn't fit the definiton of prejudice because there is no pre-judgment, how can it be 'pre' if you've already been told someone is a homosexual.
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mesodude1 year, 6 months ago
"How can so many people not understand the definiton on this word"
The question is, why are you so convinced *you* know what prejudice is? The example you gave makes absolutely no sense whatsoever within the context of this story. Consider the following: If I stated that I hate all black basketball players because I had met a couple of black basketball players who were homophobic jerks (or, worse, if I'd simply been TOLD that all black basketball players were homophobic jerks), you'd be justified in labeling me prejudiced against black basketball players. Similarly, when someone states that he hates all gay people and implies that he is so irresistible that he would be subject to sexual advances from any and every gay person he encounters in a locker room setting and this is based on...well, probably nothing (in case you've never seen a pic of Hardaway), then I'd say it's fair to label him prejudiced.
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hamy1 year, 6 months ago
He used the word hate against a group of people who have done nothing to him personally. What do you think? Personally, I think that he should be barred from ever appearing in public as a representative of the NBA and I applaud the commissioner for stepping up to the plate.
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contrast1 year, 6 months ago
how do you know? maybe hardaway was kidnapped and raped repeatedly by a dozen gay men dressed as consruction workers? You dont know what he has seen in his life. He has every right to feel a certain way. It does not help society I agree but saying he isnt ALLOWED to think something is ridiculous. You applaud punishing someone who says something controversial assumingly because you feel he is wrong. I feel he is wrong too but it's only words...get over it.
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Mowens19841 year, 6 months ago
I really wish people would get over this "nothing happened to you/me personally, so it's none of their/your business"
I mean, 9/11 didn't effect me in a personal way. No one I knew died, but does that mean I shouldn't care that other people died? And that people are dying in the war now?
The KKK, Black panthers and Nazis and all other hate groups have never affected me personally, so should I not care about that?
Just because something has no personal effect on your life does not mean that you should not feel obligated to step in and do something about it. Call it facist or not, sometimes interventions and the like just need to happen.
If he is against homosexuality, I believe he has every right in the world to express that and make it known. I don't believe he should do it in a hateful manner, but I still support his decision to opose homosexuality. And I support those who are for homosexuality, as long as it isn't made into a huge unnecessary scene.
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nakedtruth1 year, 6 months ago
Gee. I missed the part of the first ammendment that said "hate" wasn't covered. Hmmmm...I wonder if the abolitionists that said "I hate slavery" would have been in trouble under the new rules? Of course "slavery" was an institution rather than a group of people. Perhaps Hardaway should have said "I have homosexuality but I'm ok with homosexuals". You know, the whole "Hate the sin, love the sinner" paradigm.
All joking aside, hate speech is clearly protected by the first ammendment. But then the first admendment only protects you against sanctions from the government. An employer clearly has the RIGHT to fire someone for speech under certain circumstances although it's not always the RIGHT thing to do.
Hey, is it ok to say "I hate the people who are committing genocide in Darfur"? After all those people haven't done anything to me personally.
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william-sire1 year, 6 months ago
It was both. But there may be an argument in that he was internalizing what he said.
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gatitabonitasen1 year, 6 months ago
My mother used to say it is not what you say but how you say it . I did not like his remarks and his hate words i did not like or belived his appology . And Im so glad he got banned .
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DJKATMA1 year, 6 months ago
CAN HE BE ANY STUPID-ER? I AGREE WITH THE WHOLE NINE YARDS OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH; BUT TO SAY, "I HATE..." IS SUCH A STRONG STATEMENT. ALSO, THE WAY HE SAID IT WAS SUCH A NO NO. IM SURE IF HE PUT IT IN ANOTHER WAY; HENCE WITHOUT THE WORD "HATE" THE OUTCOME WOULDNT HAD COST HIM HIS PAYCHECK. THEN TO LOOK MORE LIKE A FOOL, HE GOES AND APOLOGIZE STATING THAT HE KNEW HOW IT FELT LIKE TO BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST SINCE HES AFRICAN AMERICAN. OH JOY! THAT CHANGE MY MIND; HES EVEN MORE DUMBER THAN I THOUGHT. I HOPE HIS KIDS TURNS OUT GAY.
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tracyruns2621 year, 6 months ago
No African Americans can't possibly be the most racist group when you have idiots like Limbaugh and Coulter still breathing... African Americans (some) just are ultra conservative when it comes to "alternate lifestyle" activities/choices. African Americans tend to be: Anti Abortion; FOR Prayer in Schools; tougher on Crime, etc.
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mesodude1 year, 6 months ago
Judging from your comments, I'd say it means you have a very narrow understanding of the many ways in which racism manifests itself. No race has cornered a market on racism. Some have just been at it longer than others.
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DeltaX1 year, 6 months ago
Yirminator -
"And yet i've noticed that the most racist group in general are african americans"
FYI - when one generalizes about a race, that is racism.
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hamy1 year, 6 months ago
They do have the right to choose who represents them in public. And because of his statement, the NBA chose not to have a bigot represent them in public.
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mcgrievysr1 year, 6 months ago
CharacterCounts----"He is a moron but the NBA had no business doing what they did."
The hell they didn't.
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NotVulgarName1 year, 6 months ago
He expressed himself incorrectly and that SHOULD cost him his paycheck because it is "HATE" speech.
I dislike the word homophobe though.. that is a label that the homosexual agenda uses to apply to anyone who disagrees with their choices..
To call someone a honophobe is also HATE speech..
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injest1 year, 6 months ago
Suppose he said he hated conservatives?
Then he would be on tour with the Dixie Chicks.......he will be given the NBA player of the year award.....Is he still a rep for Jimmy Carters "Habitat for Humanity"??
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NotVulgarName1 year, 6 months ago
I am Indian, and often mistaken for Mexican, Italian, Arabic etc.. And if Hardaway or any other person said loudly/repeatedly that I hate any of those nationalities.. there is an old saying someone taught me growing up.. "Sticks and stones may hurt me, but your words mean less than nothing to me.."
Much as he probably thinks of anyone calling him a homophobe.. I am sure the only reason he is aplogizing is to reconcile with the people writing his paychecks.. I doubt his thoughts on the subject changed overnight like that..
Freedom of Thought is far more important than Freedom of Speech.. We should be free to dislike or even HATE anything we want.. Freedom of Speech is only as important as it does not impose on another person's rights to not be disrespected.. What if a recognized gay/lesbian group member came out and said he/she hates blacks? What would the black people's reaction be?
In the end.. ya'all know his apology is all about getting paid.. Do ya blame him?
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mesodude1 year, 6 months ago
Spoken by someone who clearly has never been the target of hate speech. You know it when you feel it...
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willottica1 year, 6 months ago
The problem isn't that he has these feelings, it's that he wants to impose them on others. He said right out that if he knew a teammate were gay he would ask to have that teammate removed from the team. Why? He's the one that has the problem, not the gay teammate, so the appropriate response would be to ask to have HIMSELF removed from the team if he can't handle it.
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hamy1 year, 6 months ago
That is not true. People should be judged by the content of their character, not who they sleep with. To judge someone based on something such as the color of their skin, sexual orientation, or gender is prejudice. They are the same. That is why the NAACP marches with us at our rallies. That is why NOW supports gay rights. That is why the KKK doesn't.
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