Did anyone catch commentator Brian Kinchen make the comment "that's kinda gay" during the Iowa - NIU game?

Iowa - NIU Game

Any thoughts on it?

LOL...I'm embarrassed for him but I'm not offended. You could tell in his voice that he didn't want to finish the sentence but couldn't come up with a better word in time. In the dead pause afterwards I could hear him turning red. Hysterical.

lol it was creepy, but I giggled.

You just know some uptight gay activist is demanding an apology as I type.

The whole comment, as quoted by Jason Schneider in the Jacksonville (FL) Times-Union:

"Shoulder pads are hard and stiff. Your hands are, are tender and they can move and caress the ball. That's kind of gay, but hey, close."

- Brian Kinchen, ESPNU commentator, calling the Northern Illinois-Iowa game Saturday. He was chastising a receiver for dropping a pass. An uncomfortable silence followed Kinchen's statement before play-by-play man Clay Matvick resumed. (During the silence you can almost hear Kinchen thinking, "Uh-oh.")

Hey, a little apology wouldn't hurt... I must say I find the "That's so gay" cliché to be quite annoying and, not lose-your-job offensive, but c'mon-you-should-know-better offensive. It's rude, it's intentionally insulting, and it's not something a grownup says on the air or in front of children or homos.

Commentary from Towleroad

I often say, "That's so gay." I'm not offended when a straight person uses it. A (straight) friend and I have argued for years over this phrase. He thinks it's homophobic; I understand why guys say it. I think its cool that straight (or so-called straight) guys can use the phrase and know what they mean by it. It's a compliment, really.

Explain, please, "Why guys say it" and "what they mean by it".

In Touching base and being in complete agreement with W-Dag , Gay Community shouldn't be up in arms over "That's kinda gay".

While some would like to think we live in a politically correct fictional world, the reality is that is a fasad Does this make the comment "that's kinda gay" ok? Not at all. However, the guy who made the comment is not evil nor should he be vilianized.

How many of us gay athletes have participated in the football game "Smear the *ueer" in the backyard with our neighborhood friends growing up? How many times have men been referred to as women/girls when they are are deemed as under performing or acting "soft"? How many other instances or references can we think of? From a young age we are products of our environment. We've been instilled with thoughts and ideas that stay with use forever and sometimes are very difficult to de fragment from our thought process.

Is this announcer a Gay basher? I would venture not at all. Most likely all he is guilty of is lacking the intelligence to communicate or express what was transpiring. He reluctantly surrendered to "That is kinda gay".

I am certain he regrets it.

In the last 20 years gays and lesbians have made tremendous progress. I don't see the need to champion our cause over the slip of a comment of from a sports announcer. That is not the War. Our battles and energy need to be focused on issues of substance ( state and federal). Extreme gay and lesbian group that goes off on this type of comment it actually makes more damage than good. It makes gays and lesbians seem out of touch and overly sensitive.

This particular issue should be By Gones

being called stupid is a compliment?

There is a huge difference between "that's gay" to mean "that's lame" or "that's not masculine enough," which is a total insult and should be taken by all as such, and this commentator's statements. I don't think it was the crowning achievement in his broadcasting career, certainly, but when you talk about "soft" hands "caressing" a football, quite frankly, that is kind of gay.

I think it is non-offensive. That's just like me getting up in arms every time somebody uses the phrase "That's ghetto."

I just thought it was amusing, because everyone in the booth knew what he was going to say and the shocked pause afterward shows that there was really no where to go after that.

He knows it was inapproprate, let's move on people shall we?


(For the record, I think using the phrase "that's so gay" is just moronic. The english language contains much better words to describe something distateful. Although in this case, what he said was pretty homoerotic, so this is one of those times that "that's pretty gay" might be warranted).

What television sports analysis needs is an openly gay commentator in at least one major broadcast booth. It would give more of them to freedom and context to address the issue and even allow players to open up about how they think and feel about homosexuality.

I am not suggesting any kind of "affirmative action" program for sports colorguys. God that one has certainly been a bust for blacks. But I think if they all had a sort of place to go with these things before they go on the air it might help.

Did this guy know any gay people in the profession? Had he ever spoken to anyone gay outside the profession about what they think about sportscasters?

The comment he made would have blown over me personally, but I can see how some would find that it just shows a total lack of knowledge about gay men in general. Only then can you infer generalizations.

I think nuance is everything. Had he said "that's so gay" in a derogatory way, I could see being upset. But he said it in an innocuous way, and was obviously immediately embarrassed. Let it go......

how does one use "that's so gay" in a positive way?

it's either playing on sterotypes or used in a negative way such as that's lame or whatever the translation is

I don't see anything humorous in that guy's comment.

And neither does ESPN:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former NFL receiver Brian Kinchen will not work as an ESPNU commentator this week because of a comment he made during last Saturday's broadcast of the Northern Illinois-Iowa game.

Kinchen was explaining the need for receivers to make catches with their hands because they are "tender" and can "caress" the ball. He then paused and said, "that's kind of gay, but hey ..."

"The comments were inappropriate, and we apologize for them," said ESPN's vice president of public relations Josh Krulewitz.

Kinchen's future with ESPNU is under review, Krulewitz said.

ESPN's decision first was reported in The Des Moines Register.

Kinchen, a former tight end who played at LSU and in the NFL from 1988-00 with Miami, Cleveland and Baltimore, also apologized for his remarks. "They were completely inappropriate and not at all a reflection of who I am or the way I perform my work," Kinchen said in a statement issued by ESPN. "I have learned from my mistake and look forward to continuing my broadcasting career."

I think this is overblown. I can see the apology, since he's a public figure and they want to cover their bases, but I don't think he should have been suspended. Looking at the transcript, I'm not offended. Maybe if I heard that way it was said, I would have a different opinion. I must say, though, it kind of sounds like something that could have come out of my mouth... but then, I can be self deprecating. Hmmmmmm... now that opens up a whole other possible angle.

I was listening to the new 007 soundtrack compilation recently at work and Shirley Bassey is blaring down the hall. My assistant said, "That is uber gay". I have to admit it was pretty gay but I think she meant it as a compliment.

It's the next level of acceptance. Everyone has watched W&G (blech), QAF (more straight people watched than gay) and QIFSG (blech) on television. Very few people in the US are unfamiliar with gay/queer men. I don't take every little "gay" uttered by a "straight" person as a call to war. When my straight friends and colleagues say that something is so gay, I usually agree. Some things are SO gay. But (caveat), I live in San Francisco. So, I am sure my perspective is probably different than many other folks here.

This discussion is SO gay! [joke]

I wasn't offended as a gay male but being a TV personality, gotta be careful of word choice.

Was this guy suspended because there were complaints, or did the network do this on their own?

Not only does this seem overly severe (a suspension without even a warning, for something which is very mild and not offensive), but it may even send a chilling message that one dare not even mention the "G" word ever.

While we don't want people saying bad things about us, we don't want them to not talk about us, either. We're here, we're queer, and we can be mentioned in polite conversation.

Yes, here in California, there's something called the "hyphy movement", where being stupid or retarded is lauded.

As for the video, I am not appalled or offended in any way. It's just nice to know that we have someone on our team playing for ESPN's broadcast team.

A TV announcer saying, "That's so gay," is not talking about us. Do you think people like Matthew Shepard or Michael Sandy were happy to hear, "Take that, f****t," as their final words? Was that talking about us too? How charming, and you're right... at least they're talking about us.

Think of the majority of people sitting at home watching the Iowa-Northern Illinois football game. Do you think the majority are enlightened, thoughtful souls who are supportive of gay issues? Or do you think the majority of people listening to that comment in turn made their own anti-gay jokes after hearing that. I'm guessing it is far more of the latter.

I'm sorry I laughed out loud, and then played it again. I thought it was hysterically funny.

To quote from one of my best friends, whenever I make one my almost hourly Faux Pas... "Alrighty then"

I could hear my buddies saying that or "my God you are so gay" if I had described catching a football in the same manner. I completely think its unjust for the announcer to be removed. Incredibly stupid, but it's no worse than me describing the pork chop with an au poivre, at a friends restaurant last weekend to a table of 70-80 something women as "Our black pecker pork"

here's a little blurb I found on hyphy-it's a music/dance style; not quite sure of your reference to it

Other FSU,

You are going way overboard to even reference Mathew Sheppard and other gay bashing to this paticular issue. This is similar to how GOP'er have been rallying their base by suggesting soemthing is highly offensive when the reality its harmless.

He used poor judgement. That is it. Nothing more nothing less.

I feel sorry for the guy. Not because he said it. But because he has been suspended and people feel a need to play damage control over non-issues just in case they become issues by overly senstitive people that are looking to play victim.

I wonder if we should send a letter to ESPN on Outsports stationary explaining that we appreciate the gesture and appreciate the apology but please don't can Brian's ass on our account. He made a mistake and missed one game but as gay sports fans and as college football fans, we the undersigned feel that that's plenty and let's move on.

Signed,

Maddog (and whoever else agrees)

I would really hate for Brian to lose his job over this.

I think he's kind of cute and sexy. If he wants to caress balls, it's OK with me. Tell you what. If he wants to make out with me for about an hour, I will write a letter to the network asking him to be reinstated.

Well you know if it's gay now, in a few years it will be str8

sigh...so true...so very true...ah, Macarena we miss thee...

What he said did sound gay and it didn't seem that he meant it in a perjorative way.
So I don't think he should be fired. He did apologize and not one of those half assed things that
most people do that is actually a non-apology.

Anyone offended by that little "so gay" needs to stop being so self-involved. Nuance and intention are what's important and this was harmless and certainly not mean spirited.

HE MADE A MISTAKE HE APOLOGIZE AND SLAP HIS HANDS AND MOVE ON
I AM GLAD TO ESPN STEP UP AND NOT TOLERATE IT AND RELIZE THERE ARE GAY AND LESBIAN
SPORTS FANS

This is nothing compared to the fiery rhetoric used by John Rocker, who has been on ESPN many times over. And it certainly pales in comparison to what the late Reggie White used to say. Yet he was never removed from the airwaves of ESPN. Complaining about this one comment would be akin to complaining about one raindrop hitting you in the eye, while walking in the middle of a thunder storm. Come on now....

The comment was funny-because the description was kinda gay.....

Did y'all hear the "man crush" line on ESPN Oakland/Seattle telecast?

It's a gay world!

Why doesn't someone just put their hand on one but cheek and caress it, and tell the poor boy that he can have his job back if he plays team ball?

This reminds me of my first reality check, back in 1993 when I was a freshman in college. Where I grew up it was very popular to say, "That is sooo queer." However, we meant exactly that...queer = strange or weird. I walked into my Latin class and one of my classmates, who was also a friend, was wearing a clown nose (I still don't know why he was doing that but he was always doing silly things). And I said, "You are soooo queer!"

And one class-mate pipes up and said, "What is THAT supposed to mean?"

At first I was confused because I thought, Uh, doesn't he know what queer means?

And then right on the heels of that thought I realized MY faux pas. I was embarrassed by my naivety but played it cool and answered, "Duh...it means weird. Don't you own a dictionary?"

Thankfully, that classmate let it go. But I NEVER forgot that. I haven't used that expression since, either.

And, while using the description of gay to talk about a guy caressing a ball isn't actually inaccurate he could have also said that it was "kinda pornographic, but hey" and probably nothing would have happened to him.

JUST DON'T WIPE OUT THE DOUBLE ENTENDRES!!!! I love those things like chocolate.

Anyway, I just wanted to share.

Signed,

The Straight Chick in Atlanta Who Used to Be Naive but is Now Very Sophisticated in the Her Own Mind

This is one of the best discussions I have read since joining outsports. Still, no one seemed to have caught the "man crush" line on the Sunday night NFL game. Now I feel like a real homebody having watched whatever game it was (I forget) last Sunday. And, I don't even really like NFL games, except when certain quarterbacks happen to be playing (who are also rumored to be gay).

There are no gay NFL quarterbacks. Peyton is not gay, he did not have a boyfriend at UT, and he is not sleeping with Kenny Chesney, who's straight as an arrow, just ask Renee Zellweger. And Jeff Garcia is plugging a Playboy playmate. And Steve Young was just a chaste mormon boy until he got married prior to starting his broadcasting career. And Troy Aikman really loves that Cowboys secretary, it's not at all like Rock Hudson and Phyllis Gates, uh-uh, no sir.

...and my dreamboat Joey...

Some Gay men transform into giddy guys who take entertainment by discussing private lives of others that are A) NOt Gay but seem to be a rumor magnent this is 98 percent of the time Choose to lead a private life while playing sports and hopes to keep the gossipy queens at bay with unfabricted speculation.


As anyone knows there are famous NFL players that are gay. However, what is the point in posting names and threds on these issues. If they come out, then they are an open book. If they don't' let them be. Im certain we have people on this board that have family members and employers that are still in the dark on your sexuality.

What I want to know is where was this swiftness to punish when Jay Mohr was making actual pointed, homophobic comments about WNBA fans on ESPN's behalf? Kinchen's remark was harmless, directed at no one aside from himself, and most importantly actually a correct description of what he'd just said. I'd much prefer to see such measures reserved for when commentators are being hostile to gay people.

I gotta say, the on-air comment didn't offend me, but you're lecturing gay guys on how they SHOULD feel about it is offensive. I absolutely hate some hyper-sensitive queen trying to say what a gay man should think about a subject, as if gay men aren't allowed to think for themselves and have their own opinions about the world. The fact is the manner in which the phrase was said was completely harmless and I have to agree with the guy. Treating a football in that maner IS kinda gay.
What's worse is these same people who critisize people over harmless statesments are likely the same people who consider programs like Will and Grace, QAF and QEFTSG to be groundbreaking positive moments in gay rights when those shows actually perpetuate stereotypes that straight people have about gay people. If you're a straight person who's never met an openly gay person before and you see those shows, you're going to assume all gay people are flaming whores who work as interior designers/cooks/stylists.
I really wish gay people would stop following the ill-fated and misguided mantra of "In GLAAD we trust."

case on slur or not?