Albany,n.y. Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I've never been a fan of political correctness & now the NFL is all over Larry Johnson for using the word fag. Well take a look at this and other football message boards & you see gay slurs all the time. It's the culture of sports & athletes. Is Larry Johnson being unfairly singled out? He very well could be. I think the NFL is being very hypocritical here. If they're going to persecute Larry Johnson, maybe they should examine their attitudes before they come down on him. It's no coincindence that no active NFL player has ever come out as gay during his career. Why?-they fear physical retaliation on the field, that's why. Coming down on Larry Johnson for using a word, I'm even seeing he might be suspended, is ridiculous. Don't come down on one player for his language, when the culture of the league supports his thinking. How different is Larry Johnson's attitude than what goes on in churches Sunday mornings before the games? The NFL has a long way to go before it will ever be called gay friendly. Paying lip service to some activists does nobody any good, who knows the gay equivalent of Al Sharpton may surface at an NFL stadium if the NFL comes down on Johnson. I'm not saying Larry Johnson is completely correct, but what he said in public goes on in NFL locker rooms every day. The rest of the story is that KC doesn't want to pay Johnson his contract & is looking for a way to recoup money by claiming he breached his contract with his gay slurs. I bet if a high profile player who was producing up to his team's expectations said the same thing, you wouldn't hear any talk of team suspension or trying to terminate his contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan74 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Welcome to corporate america LJ, anything they find they can use against you, they will. Keep your mouth shut if you have a big contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebug Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I've never been a fan of political correctness & now the NFL is all over Larry Johnson for using the word fag. Well take a look at this and other football message boards & you see gay slurs all the time. It's the culture of sports & athletes. Is Larry Johnson being unfairly singled out? He very well could be. I think the NFL is being very hypocritical here. If they're going to persecute Larry Johnson, maybe they should examine their attitudes before they come down on him. It's no coincindence that no active NFL player has ever come out as gay during his career. Why?-they fear physical retaliation on the field, that's why. Coming down on Larry Johnson for using a word, I'm even seeing he might be suspended, is ridiculous. Don't come down on one player for his language, when the culture of the league supports his thinking. How different is Larry Johnson's attitude than what goes on in churches Sunday mornings before the games?The NFL has a long way to go before it will ever be called gay friendly. Paying lip service to some activists does nobody any good, who knows the gay equivalent of Al Sharpton may surface at an NFL stadium if the NFL comes down on Johnson. I'm not saying Larry Johnson is completely correct, but what he said in public goes on in NFL locker rooms every day. The rest of the story is that KC doesn't want to pay Johnson his contract & is looking for a way to recoup money by claiming he breached his contract with his gay slurs. I bet if a high profile player who was producing up to his team's expectations said the same thing, you wouldn't hear any talk of team suspension or trying to terminate his contract. Good post.... I'm not a fan of anyone getting in trouble for anything they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 If Atalanta still had to pay Vick after his dog fighting mess then I don't see any way KC is not going to have to pay him. If KC is trying to use that as a reason to void his contract I think they are shooting themselves in the foot. I can't see too many FA's looking at that favorably. JMO Captain Obvious would like to issue a statement here; Pioli is an ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zazie Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I've never been a fan of political correctness & now the NFL is all over Larry Johnson for using the word fag. Well take a look at this and other football message boards & you see gay slurs all the time. It's the culture of sports & athletes. Is Larry Johnson being unfairly singled out? He very well could be. I think the NFL is being very hypocritical here. If they're going to persecute Larry Johnson, maybe they should examine their attitudes before they come down on him. It's no coincindence that no active NFL player has ever come out as gay during his career. Why?-they fear physical retaliation on the field, that's why. Coming down on Larry Johnson for using a word, I'm even seeing he might be suspended, is ridiculous. Don't come down on one player for his language, when the culture of the league supports his thinking. How different is Larry Johnson's attitude than what goes on in churches Sunday mornings before the games?The NFL has a long way to go before it will ever be called gay friendly. Paying lip service to some activists does nobody any good, who knows the gay equivalent of Al Sharpton may surface at an NFL stadium if the NFL comes down on Johnson. I'm not saying Larry Johnson is completely correct, but what he said in public goes on in NFL locker rooms every day. The rest of the story is that KC doesn't want to pay Johnson his contract & is looking for a way to recoup money by claiming he breached his contract with his gay slurs. I bet if a high profile player who was producing up to his team's expectations said the same thing, you wouldn't hear any talk of team suspension or trying to terminate his contract. And there you have the distinction. Yes, there are gay slurs, and racial slurs, all over the place. But that does not mean we should condone them as spoken by public figures (that kids look up to no less) IN PUBLIC. Johnson is getting paid to run and also to be an ambassador. I use the word fag myself occassionally (not proud of it but as noted by the poster, part of our society at present), but not in front of children. Everything Johnson says in public, is in front of children, and reinforces the next generations intolerance of others. I have to agree with the NFL here. Public figures have to be more careful. They chose this life and they are paid also for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest three3 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Good post.... I'm not a fan of anyone getting in trouble for anything they say. what if someone says they are going to murder you and your family? what if someone threatens to murder the president? what if someone calls in a bomb threat to your kid's school or your place of employment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 And there you have the distinction. Yes, there are gay slurs, and racial slurs, all over the place. But that does not mean we should condone them as spoken by public figures (that kids look up to no less) IN PUBLIC. Johnson is getting paid to run and also to be an ambassador. I use the word fag myself occassionally (not proud of it but as noted by the poster, part of our society at present), but not in front of children. Everything Johnson says in public, is in front of children, and reinforces the next generations intolerance of others. I have to agree with the NFL here. Public figures have to be more careful. They chose this life and they are paid also for that. I agree with you on that. I don't believe it should be a reason to cancel a contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebug Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 what if someone says they are going to murder you and your family? what if someone threatens to murder the president? what if someone calls in a bomb threat to your kid's school or your place of employment? I am talking statements or opinions, not threats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endless Ike Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 He should have said he thought he was gay once, and he was just "reclaiming" the word Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I think it wasn't that he said it once but that he repeated saying it after he was asked about saying it. It was really the repeated offense that was what got him in a bad position. If he said it once it could have been an accident and he could just say sorry and it would be done with but the repeated offense is what got him. Honestly the Chiefs are just going to trade this guy in the offseason for peanuts. Its the age we live in that this **** storm could be aroused by the word fag. BUT the NFL wants to appeal to all audiences so they are going to take some sort of action towards Johnson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zazie Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I think it wasn't that he said it once but that he repeated saying it after he was asked about saying it. It was really the repeated offense that was what got him in a bad position. If he said it once it could have been an accident and he could just say sorry and it would be done with but the repeated offense is what got him. Honestly the Chiefs are just going to trade this guy in the offseason for peanuts. Its the age we live in that this **** storm could be aroused by the word fag. BUT the NFL wants to appeal to all audiences so they are going to take some sort of action towards Johnson. I didn't realize he did it repeatedly. What a moron. Yes, he should get whats coming to him in that case, the dummy. How does he not know better??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kota Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 He talked trash about his coach on twitter. I think that is what he is trouble for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geno Smith's Arm Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Mostly he is playing poorly, if he were tearing it up, this wouldn't have happened. He has always been an immature guy anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan714 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 The gay slurs are just a piece of the suspension. Insulting your boss(head coach), in the media, is not a smart thing to do. I dont think too may bosses would be happy if you said they werent qualified to do their job. I doubt a Belichick or Parcells would tolerate this crap. This is from epsn: One tweet read: "My father got more creditentials than most of these pro coaches." That was followed by: "My father played for the coach from "rememeber the titans". Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefley. Our coach. Nuthn." Haley, hired earlier this year to replace the fired Herm Edwards, did not play high school or college football and attended college on a golf scholarship. He did not enter coaching until he was in his 20s. He was hired as Kansas City's head coach after serving as offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals in their Super Bowl run last year. Add into the mix Johnson recent history, again from ESPN: A two-time Pro Bowler, Johnson was benched for three games by Edwards last year for an unspecified violation of team rules. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for the fourth game for violating the league's player conduct policy in connection with incidents involving two women in bars. Johnson then was sentenced to two years' probation after pleading guilty to two counts of disturbing the peace. One woman accused him of throwing a drink on her and another said he had pushed her head at a Kansas City night spot. Larry Johnson is a malcontent with a poor history, add into that his anemic production and bloated contract, yeah if I was the Chiefs I would be looking to get rid of this cancer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrudginglyPessimistic Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Good post.... I'm not a fan of anyone getting in trouble for anything they say. People do have a right to have any opinion they want and also to say so short of the threats which you already conceded should not be covered by your overly broad statement. Other utterings which may not be direct threats but can clearly lead to harm like shouting fire in a crowded theater are also generally seen as speech subject to sanction. However, in this case there are also arguments I find compelling: 1. Just as Johnson has a right to speak out, so too do those who object to his speech have a right to speak out in protest against it. Both are the American way. Listeners also have a legal right to organize peacefully against his speech if they choose. Thus if someone were to open a website against Johnson's attitude toward the sexual orientation of some or even attempt to organize public protests or boycotts against NFL products, I think they have a perfect right to do so. I would not join in or be a part of such protests as I think Johnson is at worst sophomoric but Johnson has a right to say stuff and folks have a right to protest peacefully. 2. Johnson also has the ability to sell his right to free speech to a third party and that is what he has done. He is paid big bucks and decided to give to the NFL certain autjority to decide whether he is being a good ambassador for the games. The NFL (and its majority partner the NFLPA) make big bucks playing the game and even fostering controversy over the game (who should start, who should get in the HOF etc). I have no problem with the NFL exercising the authority LJ gave to them in exchange for his right to aay what he wants. If LJ instead wants to use his right as an American to say pretty much whatever he wants and wants it so badly he is wiilling to give up his contract that is fine with me (in fact great as I really was impressed that Pat Tillman loved his country so much he was willing to give up the multi-millions and ultimately I was so sad he gave up his life for you and me). Tillman had a real cause and my guess is that LJ does not and if he believes so strongly in his words about this issue that he would forgo millions of bucks he is a fool IMHO. However, overall I also do not feel comfortable when folks are hassled over mere speech, but I think it is clear that if you say it in public you should be person enough to be ready for public comment, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Well, come up with another term then. The Chiefs looked like a bunch of limp-wristed, impact fearing, ballerina prancers Sunday.. What if he said: "I'm glad we wore those god-awful throwbacks today. We looked like a bunch of Texans!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 He talked trash about his coach on twitter. I think that is what he is trouble for. Bingo. As for the fag thing, it doesn't really make much of a difference to the gay community. Do you honestly think that an intelligent gay person is going to take offense because some ignorant moron used the word fag in his twitter page? Obviously not... Just like intelligent black people don't get offended at the "n" word anymore when spoken by some moron redneck. Sure, everyone gets up in arms, but deep down, nobody is really offended, because all that LJ did was prove to the world that he's a grade A retard... oops, i may have offended someone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Ah yes, the "It happens all the time, anyway" argument to justify bigotry and hatred. Nice. I don't care where or when it happens, churches or bars. Denigrating gay people, especially in public or on a public forum is wrong. Free speech is great, and Johnson can and should say whatever he wants. Free speech is a great way of proving your stupidity, especially in Johnson's case. I've never been a fan of political correctness & now the NFL is all over Larry Johnson for using the word fag. Well take a look at this and other football message boards & you see gay slurs all the time. It's the culture of sports & athletes. Is Larry Johnson being unfairly singled out? He very well could be. I think the NFL is being very hypocritical here. If they're going to persecute Larry Johnson, maybe they should examine their attitudes before they come down on him. It's no coincindence that no active NFL player has ever come out as gay during his career. Why?-they fear physical retaliation on the field, that's why. Coming down on Larry Johnson for using a word, I'm even seeing he might be suspended, is ridiculous. Don't come down on one player for his language, when the culture of the league supports his thinking. How different is Larry Johnson's attitude than what goes on in churches Sunday mornings before the games?The NFL has a long way to go before it will ever be called gay friendly. Paying lip service to some activists does nobody any good, who knows the gay equivalent of Al Sharpton may surface at an NFL stadium if the NFL comes down on Johnson. I'm not saying Larry Johnson is completely correct, but what he said in public goes on in NFL locker rooms every day. The rest of the story is that KC doesn't want to pay Johnson his contract & is looking for a way to recoup money by claiming he breached his contract with his gay slurs. I bet if a high profile player who was producing up to his team's expectations said the same thing, you wouldn't hear any talk of team suspension or trying to terminate his contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Yes, he should get whats coming to him in that case, the dummy. How does he not know better??? Bigots don't realize they are bigots. Stupid people are too stupid to realize they are stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAF43 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Bingo. As for the fag thing, it doesn't really make much of a difference to the gay community. Do you honestly think that an intelligent gay person is going to take offense because some ignorant moron used the word fag in his twitter page? Obviously not... Just like intelligent black people don't get offended at the "n" word anymore when spoken by some moron redneck. Sure, everyone gets up in arms, but deep down, nobody is really offended, because all that LJ did was prove to the world that he's a grade A retard... oops, i may have offended someone... Corp, there is really no way you can prove how someone feels when they read what is said, or heard the term used... it affects people in different ways, LJ clearly is a moron and he should be punished for his comments.... people in the business world can be fired or sued for harrassment for it, why does he earn a free pass? Because he is an athlete? or maybe that he is an idiot? There is no justification for it, and he should be punished just like any other person could or would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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