Super Bowlers sure have a way with words
Ravens, 49ers both displaying verbal carelessness, writes BRUCE ARTHUR.
It was probably a bad sign when Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was asked early in the week what he thought of a coldweather Super Bowl in New York next year, and his reasoned analysis was that it was “retarded.”
He swiftly apologized, but at this rate, it will go down as a footnote in an eventful week for verbal carelessness.
Wednesday was a day for duelling inanity, with an entry from either team. First, Baltimore’s Ray Lewis was asked again about the sourced reports that indicated he had used a banned substance containing deer antler extract to help recover from a torn triceps this year. Lewis didn’t really reply with evidence on his side.
“(We) don’t let people from the outside ever come and disturb what’s inside,” Lewis said. “That is the trick of the devil. The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That is what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you are trying to do.”
It seems strong to call Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports the devil, but that was an artful bit of wordplay compared to the ignorant inanity spewed out by San Francisco 49ers backup cornerback Chris Culliver in an interview with comedian Artie Lang, who asked him if there were any gay players on the team.
“I don’t do the gay guys, man,” Culliver said. “I don’t do that. No, we don’t got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do ... Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah, nah. Can’t be in the locker-room man, nah.” When asked when they should reveal themselves as gay, Culliver said gay players should “come out 10 years later after that.”
The 49ers, of course, play in a city with one of the strongest LGBT communities in the world, and were the first NFL team to make an It Gets Better video last year. The 49ers — who reportedly
‘The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel ...’ CHRIS CULLIVER 49ers cornerback apologizing about ‘gay’ comments
include strict zero-tolerance clauses regarding any discriminatory public statements into their contracts — issued a quick reply.
“The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made, and have addressed the matter with Chris. There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.”
Shortly afterwards, Culliver released a statement of his own saying, “The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel. It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience.”
It was unclear how his thoughts in his head do not accurately reflect how he feels — is anyone here a doctor? — but Culliver’s public relations representative did at least respond to an email from the You Can Play Foundation, which is dedicated to combating homophobia in sports.
Meanwhile, Ravens linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo spoke eloquently Wednesday on gay equality, which he has championed.
“It’s near and dear to me, and it really affects everybody,” Ayanbadejo said. “Being the product of a biracial family, the issues to me are all the same. They’re all about equality. It’s all about the evolution of our society; it’s all about acceptance and understanding.”
He also said that you are born the way you’re born, and that he would accept his children as they are, however they grow up. Nobody, for the record, asked Ayanbadejo to apologize.