From The Kansas City Star

Bad blood between Lions general manager Matt Millen and Chiefs receiver Johnnie Morton, who spent the first eight years of his career in Detroit, led to a hostile post-game exchange outside Kansas City's locker room Sunday.

“You faggot! Yeah, you heard me. You faggot!” Millen was overheard yelling at Morton by at least two witnesses after the Chiefs' victory.

Patrick Herb, a member of the Chiefs' public-relations staff, and Rhonda Moss, a reporter for radio station 61 Sports, both overheard Millen's comments.

“He said it in front of everybody,” Herb said. “There were plenty of witnesses.”

Morton, who was stepping inside the locker room as Millen shouted, couldn't make out Millen's remarks. Morton, however, did acknowledge that harsh words precipitated Millen's salvo.

“What happened was I was just walking by,” Morton said. “I wasn't going to say anything to him. I walked past him and he said, ‘Hey, Johnnie.' I ignored him. And then he said, ‘Nice talking to you.' And I said, ‘Kiss my ass.' ”

That's when, according to Moss and Herb, Millen yelled at Morton as the receiver walked away. When informed of what Millen said, Morton said he was disappointed by the comments.

“I apologize for what I said, but I never expected anything like that,” Morton said. “What he said is demeaning and bigoted. Jeremy Shockey got in trouble for saying it about a coach (Bill Parcells), and now we have a president of a team making statements like that. It's totally unacceptable. I have gay friends, and I don't even joke around with them like that.”

Shockey, a tight end for the New York Giants, made headlines in August after being quoted in New York magazine as calling Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells “a homo.” Shockey apologized the next day and avoided being fined.

Millen was one of the first people to board the Lions' team bus and was unavailable for comment immediately after the game. Reached in Detroit late Sunday, Millen issued this statement to The Star:

“After the game, I was passing the Chiefs' locker room when I stopped to congratulate some of their players. I was talking with Vonnie Holliday, Trent Green, Tony Gonzalez and one of the coaches, Joe Vitt. I wished all those guys the best and good luck in the playoffs.

“I then saw Johnnie, and I tried to wish him the best and congratulate him as well. When I called out to him, he just kept walking and then made a derogatory remark toward me, which really upset me. Unfortunately, I retaliated with a derogatory term directed toward Johnnie.

“I apologize if I offended anyone. It certainly was not meant to do anything other than express my frustration and disappointment.”

Morton said his feud with Millen began after the Lions released him following the 2001 season.

“(Millen) mailed me an offensive MVP award for the 2001 season,” Morton said, “and then during the off-season, I got a letter saying I was cut for a lack of performance. He could've called me like a man. He tossed me aside like I didn't mean anything.”

Earlier this season, Morton said that one of his goals for 2003 was to get Millen fired. Recently, however, the receiver has said he no longer harbors ill feelings toward the Lions' executive.

Millen, a former NFL linebacker and television broadcaster, is known for his outspoken, sometimes controversial statements. Last season, while appearing as a guest on Mike Ditka's radio show, Millen called one unnamed Lions player “a devout coward.” He later apologized.

“I knew it was a mistake about a nanosecond after the words came out of my mouth,” Millen said at the time. “It was careless, and I've learned a lesson.”

[ December 15, 2003, 07:57 AM: Message edited by: coyoteugly ]

I love this stuff:

No, you should apologize FOR offending nearly everyone.

The e-mail address for the Lions, if anyone cares to send them some feedback: lionsfans@fans.detroitlions.com

An awful, stupid article on the incident in the Detroit News:

Trading Insults

Not to excuse what Morton did, but for the Detroit News to say that the remark was "vulgar, but not racially motivated" ... as if it's somehow better. Whatever the case, you know if it HAD been racially motivated, Millen would be out on his ass this morning.

Ah, Matt Millen - the savior of the Detroit Lions! What's losing 23 straight road games, approaching an NFL record, being a laughingstock of the league, making people rethink a Thanksgivig tradition that's older than you are, finishing the season 4-12... after all, you're a BIG STRAIGHT MAN! Yes you are!!! Did Johnny Morton hurt your feewings?? Way to reclaim your masculinity, stud!

Oh, and Matt? If a "faggot" can beat your team by four touchdowns, what does that say about your men?

I applaud Johnnie Morton, a popular football star player, for saying to the media he has gay friends. Awesome stuff.

[ December 15, 2003, 09:07 AM: Message edited by: amazin12 ]

The e-mail message I sent this a.m. to Detroit:

And I agree with amazin12, I think it's important that Morton said he had gay friends. Not only does it debunk the stereotype of football players as homophobic lunkheads, which is important in its own right, but I imagine those players who aren't out yet feel a sense of relief knowing there is another player in the league who is "out" with his tolerance/acceptance.

Juicy, juicy, juicy! NFLJockGuy, please give us the scoop on how much trouble Millen really is in now. eek!

Here's the letter I wrote to the Lions:

I'm writing to address a story that I read about
comments that Lions team president Matt Millen yelled at Kansas City wide receiver Johnnie Morton.

Millen's comments were exceedingly vituperative,
extremely vulgar, and highly unprofessional,
especially from a president of a PROFESSIONAL football team. If I were working for the Detroit Lions, I'd be embarrassed to walk to the team's headquarters.

Granted, Morton's comments weren't professional
either, but he owned up to his end of the drama.
Millen's apology does not even come close.

As a Redskins fan and as a gay man, I am particularly angered by Millen's so-called apology since Millen was a vital part of the most recent Super Bowl championship Redskins team. I highly doubt Millen would have learned that level of intolerance from Joe Gibbs.

Not only did his apology not address the blatant
homophobia behind the epithet he yelled, it also
intimated an expectation that the media would just
drop the subject because Millen isn't Jeremy Shockey. Well, I don't plan to drop it.

At this point, an apology is hardly appropriate for the extent of the damage Millen has done to my sense of regard for him as a football professional and as a man. I'd rather see some substantive changes in Millen's demeanor toward others.

I find it interesting that the head coach of the Lions is Steve Mariucci (who coached the 49ers when Garrison Hearst said "Hell no! I don't want no faggots on my team.").

Destiny, I totally forgot about the Marriuci connection, too. Hmmmm. Seems like a crisis of leadership at many levels in that org.

I'm just in utter shock over this whole thing. This wasn't a player, this was the PRESIDENT of an organization. I really believe the NFL heirarchy needs to take swift and hefty $$ action here.

Had he used the "N" word instead of the "F" word, he would be out on his ass. But after just hearing him on ESPN News, he apologized again, but I just don't think the guy gets it. "I apologize if I offended anyone." What???

1. Called a player (Chris Claiborne) a coward last year on a Chicag raido station.
2. Skirted the NFL diversity hiring rules when hiring Mariucci last year.
3. Calls a former player a faggot.

It's time for William Clay Ford to fire Matt Millen.

I am both offended and not by this whole tiff. Offended because the guy is the President of the organization, and should have a little class. Not offended that he said "faggot," - hell, if I got upset every time someone used the word faggot, that is all I'd be doing - getting upset. There are far to many narrow-minded idiots in the world for me to get worked up about any one using that terminology.

But I am really offended by his apology, and the Detroit press. First, why can't ANYONE in the NFL admit they have gay and lesbian fans? Why can't the apology be to us and our families?

Second, who is the Detroit press to determine that certain words are off-limit and can't be printed. He called the guy a "faggot" - use the word! This politically correct crap is for the birds. Unless we acknowledge the prejudice and hatred behind the use of the word "faggot," we can never reduce that prejudice or hatred. By not printing the actual word, the paper is implying a societal rejection of the discrimination against homosexuals that has not happened.

But why did Morton call Miller a faggot? Why that word, why not jerk, or ass**** or idiot? Why is that word on his mind? I wonder if there is latent homosexuality somewhere there? Why are straights so preoccupied with 'gayness' in sports, in the locker room? Because it IS a known element in the locker room but everyone is denying it? I enjoyed reading BLOODY SUNDAY's chapter about the gay football player, and really wonder if there are not hundreds of gay men in football and the 'secret' permeates or boils beneath the surface.

Geez...and the end of a Lions season is usually so boring and anticlimatic....that's one thing that has changed with the new regime....

Got the call before leaving Kansas City this morning that this had happened...picked up the KC Star, headed to the airport and upon landing in Detroit the sports airwaves were BUZZING with Millen Mania again...

And "I" thought when Millen bolted from the lockerroom, looking major league pissed off and heading straight to the team bus before the lockerroom opened for post, that he was just miffed about the Lions lame play against the Chiefs...little did "I" know what had just happened moments earlier...Johnnie was cool earlier with all his old Motor City buddies and those of us who had worked with him; there's just lots of bad blood between Matt and Johnnie and neither Johnnie nor Matt have been at a loss for words, sometimes thou controversial....

Not sure where this is gonna go...not apologizing for Millen's behavior, but he comes from an old school player mentality first and a team executive mentality second sometimes, and it gets him in trouble....he sometimes let his emotions speak before his head....

By the way, the comments he made on Ditka's show last year were about Scottie Anderson NOT Chris Claiborne....there have always been rumors about Scottie being gay out there and those comments were attributed by some by Millen as a reflection of those rumors...Scottie kinda put these rumors to rest this year, since a local stripper accused him of raping her at a party in his apartment, when in reality she was trying to set him up after stealing some cash and his used condoms from his having sex with another woman at the party and planning to use them to impregnate herself or plant evidence for a rape kit at the hospital.....

See what I mean...it used to be so boring here in the Motor City in December....no more..no more...
eek!

I want Millen to stay as the Lions president because I don't want him anywhere near an announcing booth ever again.

What a maroon. And, as people here and in the Patrick Kerney thread have mentioned, the apologies are lame, lame, lame. To me, they always translate as "I'm sorry I got caught". At least with people hearing it, he couldn't try the old "I was misquoted" thing.

Joey Harrington is cute though and a heck of a piano player. My friend and I had a mini-debate yesterday while watching the Lions game: Is Joey Harrington a bad QB or is he being punished by not having a very talented supporting cast? We decided it was the latter.

I think you may have misread coyote's post. It was \"Millen\" who called Morton a faggot:

after Morton told Millen to "kiss his ass".

The situation started with Millen's apparently insincere greeting which Morton ignored which caused Millen to make a sarcastic comment.

Sandlot stuff basically.

Interesting that Morton apparently says that he has gay friends and wouldn't use that language even in jest with them.

[ December 16, 2003, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

Actually JA, Joey is a talented quarterback. We watched him play for Oregon and the guy is amazing. I have been watching the Detroit games and have noticed that he doesn't seem to have any playmakers on his team (which must be really frustrating for him). Oh yeah it helps that he is so cute too and he just bought a house in Portland.

i too was encouraged to see papa johnnie tell the world that he has gay friends. i think part of his statement was to rake millen over the coals even more, like "sheesh...i have gay friends...i am so offended..." but putting it in public space is just that so it can't hurt the cause. and nowadays who doesn't have a gay eunuch wingman to give them fashion tips and help them sweet talk girls by using the poetry intended for them on females? go queer eye go!
anyhoo,jonnie does seems a bit sweet to me. but maybe it's the people magazine eligible bachelor and jerry maguire thing. i want millen to call me a faggot to my face. that's all i'm gonna say.

jay o

I agree with everyone here. All the appologies are lame and always "IF" I offended anyone. And it is good to see Johnny Morton say that he has gay friends.

My big beef is the inconsistency of the NFL. You fine Brian Billick for criticizing instant replay but anytime someone bashes gays they don't get fined. Double-standard.

Good column on ESPN.com.
When \"I'm sorry\" just isn't enough

Amusing quote: "When it's not busy losing football games, the Ford family owns Ford Motor Co. Ford Motor Co. has some fairly explicit rules about what is acceptable behavior in the workplace, and one of its officially recognized employee resources is something called Ford GLOBE, which stands for Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Employees.

Alice McKeage, co-founder of Ford GLOBE, politely declined Monday to discuss Millen's remarks. For one, she had no idea who Matt Millen was."

Not to mention an openly gay CFO. :cool:

Yes, I stand corrected in my earlier post about who called whom what--but my point, better stated this evening on PTI, is, as was said there, "If he's saying it, he's thinking it." So why was the GM thinking that about his player? Or is it a thought about himself that is coming out? I believe that we are always stating what we believe, even if we aren't always aware of it. so why did he say it?

Millen is the team PRESIDENT, not the GM. As CPT and others have said, his behavior is totally unacceptable, as was his pathetic non-apology.

Second, Morton is a very handsome, 32-year single actor who has publicly noted that he has 'gay friends." Was Millen aiming for an insult, or was he trying to out Morton?

Third, Millen insulted Craig Claiborne last year, and as others have said, skirted league hiring rules to bring in Mariucci (a good decision ultimately). Should this jerk be in a position of leadership?

Back to Morton--I wonder if fellow KC chief bachelors Tony Gonzalez or Priest Holmes are among his "gay" friends? How does one get to be part of this hot clique?

[ December 16, 2003, 12:38 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

Kudos to Johnnie Morton for his handling of this ugly incident. I noticed also, that unlike Mike Piazza, he didn't feel the need to preface his comments with "I'm not gay, but..." That of course, should not necessarily be interpreted that Morton IS gay, but simply shows that he considers his own sexuality irrelevant in the matter.

And let's not forget Johnnie has a super phyne brother Chad who plays for the Skins. In my eyes Chad is sexier than Johnnie but it's a close call. I wanna know who are the parents that bred these two hotties.

I wrote a recap on what's happened so far.

Although I've had many issue volleys with fantomas on the political board, I have to agree with him here - I think this was a blatant attempt by Millen to either "out" Morton, or at the very least create a suspicion in the minds of fellow players that Morton is gay.

And JA is right as well - the only down side of firing Millen is that he'd probably find his way back into an announcing booth.

It will be interesting to see how the NFL, and the Detroit Lions handle this. I would think Millen's record, as President would be enough to show him the door - and this provocation should seal the deal. If he'd used the "n" word he'd be having drinks with Dan Reeves right now.

I saw Johnnie and Chad's mom and dad earlier this year. Their dad is dark complexioned African American and their mom looks Polynesian (not sure if she is though).

Johnnie did an excellent job of casting the attention on to Mr. Millen with his derogatory comments vs addressing the fact that Millen called him "faggot". The Fords need to distance themselves from Millen quickly.

I hope Johnnie Morton doesn't do anything stupid and end up "engaged" to a female next week.

there is good news with this incident, though. as opposed to other similar uses of the other f word, it has largely been swept under the rug. granted, in most (all?) previous cases it has been a player who has been guilty, and management usually forces some lame ass apology, IF the public hears of the incident at all.

in this case however, it is nearly impossible for any sports fan not to know what happened. it was all over espn, and their treatment of millen was very, very harsh. as club president he should know better, and possibly be held to a higher standard than the players, but this is still football, and i'm sure the nfl would rather not be dealing with this.

but with the media coverage, they're going to have to! and finally, there is public acknowledgment that our f word is as odious as the other one.

this didn't go away with the "if i offended anyone" apology!

For now I'll take Millen on his word and assume he merely wanted to hurt Morton with words as much as possible and had no hidden outing agenda.

It doesn't necessarily influence how he should be treated for his outburst but he shouldn't be hung for the wrong crime.

Guys...there are no hidden agendas on either man's side here...you're looking far beyond what actually happened here....it was more of a "I know you are but what am I" exchange...an emotional jock exchange in the heat of a moment...

Knowing both Millen and Morton myself, there is just a lot of bad blood and hurt feelings between them about what transpired over the past couple years...Millen was NOT try to "out" Morton and Morton was not trying to get Millen fired...this whole exchange occured in less than a minute and happened in the tunnel on the way to the lockerroom immediately following a trouncing of the Lions by the Chiefs...Millen is always pissed after a Lions loss, especially an embarrassing one, and if ya remember from the Jay Leno fiasco the final year that Johnnie was with the Lions, "Kiss my Ass!" is one of Johnnie's favorite and most used exclamations...I've heard him say it a lot of times; he gets miffed, he wants to tell someone off, he says "kiss my ass!"..

If you read the Curt Sylvester column that's linked to Jim's article on Outsports, you'll see that the Triangle Foundation, which is the main mouthpiece for the gay community here in Detroit and takes very strong stands against gay bashing and tracks hate crimes in the state of Michigan, has accepted Millen's apology and is NOT asking for him to be fired; they are quoted as saying that we all say things we don't mean and shouldn't say sometimes and his apology is his recognition that what he said was not appropriate....done deal.....

On the question of Johnnie and Chad's heritage, Johnnie's mother is Japanese and his father is a very dark skinned African American; Johnnie grew up in Torrance and went to a Japanese school while he was young (until he was about 8, I think)...he still maintains his main residence on the West coast...

Thanks NFLguy. I've often heard that the offspring of African-American and Japanese can be quite exotic.

Thanks for quoting my e-mail Jim!

The Triangle Foundation can accept Millen's apology all it wants, that doesn't make it right. An unelaborated apology is, to me, inherently insincere ... just words, floating there, without context ... MATT! Come to terms with WHOM you offended, WHY you offended them, and HOW you might be able to atone. I can think of half a dozen ways, including perhaps personally and publicly attending an antidiscrimination training ... as loathsome as I often find these trainings, they can be very fruitful under certain circumstances.

But you're not really sorry, are you? You're sorry that this may have negatively affected your public image, but that's not the same thing. To you, it would seem, all derogatory remarks are the same, and calling someone a FAGGOT is just another way of asking them to kiss your ass. I have a hunch you're secretly upset that the PC Police are making you sweat this at all. And since you won't talk about it, I have no reason to believe my hunch is wrong.

Matt, as far as I can tell, you are a talentless executive, at least football-wise. Perhaps the new stadium is bringing in gobs of revenue and most likely that's all that matters to your overmasters. However, you have a paucity of class, and you are responsible for three years of misery on the field in Detroit. As far as I am concerned, you, and the Lions, are just a bunch of losers. Literally.

I am counting the moments until your ineptitude finally results in your dismissal. When that day comes, I will dance my faggot ass off.

I think they should make diversity/sensitivity training mandatory in the NFL. You'd think after all of the homophobic comments and the empty apologies, they'd realize that more needs to be done. They need to take more of a preventative approach, rather than a reactionary approach. You'd think by now, they'd realize that there is a rather large GLB&T fan base.

I'm sure I have read that he has since announced that he will be retiring again, this time for keeps. Sorry, no link to that.

Allan Gilmour

Wahhhh!!! listen to you guys moaning and groaning
millen this millen that, hypocrites!!

wheres the griping about morton who was the punk in the first place in disrespecting a guy who had just wished hin luck??

I don't condone the discrimination of gays, and i'm sure a lot of you will say "yeah right", that's pretty typical, the fact of the matter is he disrespected milen so milen disrespected him PERIOD.

Lighten up already I've seengay people cal each other faggot all the time and things like "girlfriend", maybe mortons gay, I sure as hell wouldn't doubt it, So millen called him a fag, Wow what crime

I personally don't run around calling gays faggots and queers, but millen is from another generation, back in his day it wasent a big deal to slur homosexuals, sure he should know better than to do it at his position but the guy lost his cool and called him a faggot in a fit of rage, morton is lucky millen didn't beat him to a pulp.

I agree that if millen is fined than morton should be held accountable for his actions as well, hell what he did was worse he disrespected a team president who was only wishing him well, a team president that's a former pro bowler and multiple world champion, what has morton done??
he's been a mediocre reciever and hasent won a damn thing and tried to score a date on a cable show to hide his obvious homosexuality, this guy should be suspended for mouthing off to a guy who's accomplished more in the league than morton will ever dream about.

[ December 16, 2003, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: Dead Skin Mask ]

Go away. Just go away. Come back when you've grown or rented a brain.

Typical you gripe and bitch and moan about being insulted by straigt people, then just because one has a different opinion than you you resort to insults, look up the word hypocrite in the dictionary pastry lips, then look in the mirror.

Shouldnt someone be playing with matches out in the garage?

or playing in traffic?

You know, the same place all the yuck fans have gone...

Are you sure that you are a writer?

[ December 16, 2003, 12:00 PM: Message edited by: PhillyFan ]

I'll tell you what frillyfan, why don't you try both, record it, and post how your little experiments went, I'd be interested to see how everything panned out, especially with the playing in traffic, I'd actually pay to see that.

Are you sure that you are a writer?
-------------

Are you sure you know how to read?

Do any of you know the meaning of the word hypocrite??

Obviously not because every ones kissing the ass of the guy who started the whole thing while attempting to tear down the guy who retaliated.

Not insulted, slurred. If you don't see the difference between telling someone "kiss my ass" and calling someone a faggot, then you're obviously in need of more help than anyone here can provide. Go to your phone book and look up the number for the local mental health clinic, and give them a call.

If you're a writer, I feel sorry for your editor and/or proofreader.

I"m actually trying to figure out what that "handle" means that you are using there bub..
I thought redskins, then thought no.. no one would admit to that.

However, i dont care what millen says or does.. i hope they keep him as GM or whatever it is he is doing up there... why? Cause he stinks. His real crime isnt his mouth, it's the football team he's put on the field.. or more so.. failed to put on the field.

Explain the difference to me than, Someone tells me to "kiss their ass" it's gonna piss me off, someone calls me a faggot it's gonna do the same.

Then again I'm not gay So it probably wouldn't bother me as much as it did morton.

So what your saying is it's perfectly fine for a gay athlete like morton to tell a team president to kiss his ass(God knows that's not offensive ) but the president is the bad guy for calling someone a faggot??

Hypocricy at it's worst!!

I"m actually trying to figure out what that "handle" means that you are using there bub..
-----------

As if it matters it happens to be a song by slayer.

GOOD GOD MAN! Forget Millen, the real problem is your music choices...

Can i borrow your "Poison" Tshirt?

So now you knock my choice of music

ouch....ohhh that hurts that a guy who probably listens to justin timberlake and ricky martin dosent care for the brutality of slayers music and lyrics.

and please, don't try and put slayer and poison in the same class they couldn't be any more different, and slayers probably only sold 30 million more albums worldwide and are rock legends.

You guys sure as hell don't disapoint, I expected to get the usual hypocrites and "changing of the subject" as soon as you reaalized how wrong you were, and that's exactly what i got

Sorry, i think Quiet Riot is a better comparison..

However, me making that mistake is pretty comparable to you saying that kiss my ass, and faggot are the same sorta words.. but that's just my stupid little opinion...

Then again, this stuff doesnt offend me cause last night i was heard saying.. if this stupid fag doesnt stop standing in front of the tv and blocking my view... i'm gonna...

I was wondering where all the sub-literate breeders who usually invade the board after some stupid jock makes an idiotic comment had gotten to.

Dead Skin Mask provides continuity at least, albeit with the usual poorly thought out arguments.

Sorry, i think Quiet Riot is a better comparison..

---------------

And Jay Z could have filled robert plants shoes

You obviously have no idea who slayer is.

Who said it was fine for Morton to tell Millen to kiss it?

The difference is in relative position. I don't care if Morton bared his ass at Millen and told him to kiss it. Millen is a team president, and as such, is expected to exhibit a greater level of decorum than a player, no matter the instigation. It may be ok for some yahoo to go off on Morton in the same circumstances, but it's not ok for a team president to do so.

Think of it this way: it's one thing for some random married guy to accept a voluntarily offered b.j. in his office. It's entirely different for the president of, oh, let's just say, the President of the U.S. of A. to do the same in the Oval Office.