I was listening to ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown during the segment where they were interviewing Redskin RB Clinton Portis. Since the volume on my TV was down very low I'm not sure what question was posed to Portis, but I am certain about the homophobic content of his reply. It went something like this:

"I'm still a man, I ain't no punk, I ain't no fag..."

The network bleeped out the term "fag" as best they could, but there was NO mistaking what Portis said, nor the meaning behind his words. To be a "fag" is both VERY undesirable, inherently negative, and, apparently, unmanly.

The really pathetic part of this broadcast (outside of Portis himself) was the Countdown crew's apparent sympathy with Portis' remarks; none of them challenged what Portis said. They totally ignored it. And,IMO, their indifference is tantamount to complicity. (Although, considering this is the same crew that let Rush Limbaugh's McNabb comments go unchallenged until others made a flap of it, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised)

This little Sunday morning NFL sociology lesson is quite revealing concerning just how far the league has to go in rehabing its "disease" of homophobia.

[ October 10, 2004, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: Lil J ]

What, is everyone in the message board forum Skins fans or Gibb-ites?... Or does Portis' good looks buy him a pass for his homophobic choice of words with this crowd?

I remember this board ws all over Hearst for similar comments.... Must be a Bay-area thang. Our gay brothers & sisters in Frisco don't play that shi --- err, "stuff".

[ October 11, 2004, 07:45 AM: Message edited by: Lil J ]

Hardly Lil J, on either. I think most people were gettin' ready for some football and not necessarilly watching ESPN. The board is less active on weekends, then during the week. I didn't see your original post, just your first reply today.

On the topic, of course I think Portis' words are wrong, and he should held accountable. Though I admit, I did not see the interview on ESPN. Unfortunately, that one sentence is being drowned out by Portis' criticisms of Joe Gibbs and the Redskins offense from last week. Expect a half-hearted non-apology apology "for anyone who might have been offended" sometime tomorrow or Wednesday should the rest of the media pick up on it.

Lil J, have you expressed your disapproval with Portis' comments to ESPN? And do we know when that promised diversity program for the NFL going to start?

Yes, as a matter of fact I did. I received back some general "thanks for your e-mail" type of response.

Exactly.

And as it happens, I saw the comment itself on Sportscenter. Apparently it was in reply to something Ray Lewis said about him.

True enough... However Lewis' comment was that Portis was "no Priest Holmes". Now, how one extrapolates being a "punk" or "fag" (read -- as everyone else in the known human universe will do -- as being gay)from Ray's trash talk, totally escapes MY understanding...

Sorry, ain't no excusing CP's blatantly homopobic comment. At least not for those with no interest in trying to do so.

[ October 11, 2004, 03:35 PM: Message edited by: Lil J ]

This is the first I've heard of it, of course, I haven't watched sports much this week.

...for obvious reasons :mad:

oh Danny boy.... oh Danny boy... buy me a team...

LOSER 4Skins.

Disgusting, but not surprising, either in terms of Portis's skewed mentality or the silence of the on-air folks. Maybe some closeted player (some "punk" or "fag") on the Chicago Bears will make him pay for his hateful comments this upcoming weekend. Not that FT is urging retribution, but.... (Just avoid the face, Bears!)

Like I always say, he who doth protest too much ....

LOL!... I couldn't help but laugh at this, FT. Because in the same tongue-in-cheek fashion, I totally agree. Despite his homophobic ramblings, the brother (Portis) is PHYNE.

[ October 13, 2004, 11:11 AM: Message edited by: Lil J ]

Well, I also caught another round of homophobia in a taped ESPN piece Monday night, during their countdown to the Monday night game. They had a piece on a player (didn't catch who, or which team, maybe someone else did) who was getting his teammates to try yoga for flexibility and focus. During a taped session with, I believe, team rookies, the yoga instructor described one pose (where the person is kneeling and stretching out their hands on the floor before them) as the "jailhouse shower" pose, and there was a series of "that's [fill in a player's name] favorite pose," "no, that's your favorite." Clearly even in team bonding events the anti-gay crap continues, and I could only imagine what it must be liked for a player in that room who is actually gay.