Hard-hitting, long-haired Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu had some choice adjectives to describe the NFL of late after one of his teammates, possible Hall of Fame wide receiver Hines Ward, was slapped with some fines for hits.
It loses so much of its essence, and it really becomes like a pansy game,” the Steelers’ Pro Bowl strong safety said. “I think regarding the evolution of football, it’s becoming more and more flag football, two-hand touch. We’ve really lost the essence of what real American football is about. I think it’s probably all about money. They’re not really concerned about safety.”
Of course, it’s the ‘pansy’ comment that sticks out to me. Is this the case of a “homophobic” remark or not? How gay-centric is the term ‘pansy’? Mirriam-Webster certainly thinks it targets gay men, calling it disparaging and offering this definition: A weak or effeminate man or boy; a male homosexual. Pansy is certainly a term used over and over to demean gay men as weak. I have to wonder how often the word “faggot” flies out of Polamalu’s mouth.
League commish Roger Goodell has responded to Polamalu’s allegation, focusing on his comment about the money and saying nothing (that I could find) about him using the term ‘pansy.’ Shocker.
on Oct 17th, 2008 at 7:28 PM
i really dont think pansy is anywhere near faggot, and most likely not homophobic. A pansy describes some one who is weak or timid, so by writing this it seems only to connect a word with negative connotations to being gay without much reason.
on Oct 18th, 2008 at 3:07 AM
Umm- I use the word pansy to mean womanly or weak (yeah, I know, the feminists are after me now). Actually, I’ll usually call someone a pussy before i call them a pansy. Anyways, I think this is yet another huge over-reach by Outsports.
on Oct 18th, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Over-reach? Where’s the over-reach? I simply asked the questions and pointed out the dictionary’s definition. Why is it every time we point things out and ask questions, some people say we’re overreacting?
on Oct 19th, 2008 at 6:42 AM
Over-reach? I’m a heterosexual female – and when I heard what Polamalu said, I immediately thought about the homophobic undertones of his word-choice. The word may be used in some non-homophobic situations, but how can we be sure he meant it that way – especially when the word seems to be most frequently used as a derisive term for gay men?
Maybe Troy is overcompensating. I’ve heard people making fun of his “Wacko Jacko-like” voice, calling him “soft”…
on Oct 19th, 2008 at 9:14 AM
I think saying something is “(becoming) like a pansy game” is not the same as saying “he is a pansy.” There may be some “fruity” implications, but I don’t think it’s definitive.
on Oct 19th, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Maybe Troy is overcompensating. I’ve heard people making fun of his “Wacko Jacko-like” voice, calling him “soft”…
Not to mention his hairstyle, best described (by me) as one of Diana Ross’ wigs. I mean, how gay is that?
on Oct 21st, 2008 at 4:24 PM
That’s SO gay.
on Oct 22nd, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Only pansies are worried about if it is a slur. Masculine Mo’s could give a shit.
Relax.
on Oct 26th, 2008 at 1:27 PM
on Dec 1st, 2008 at 12:07 PM
WOW this topic of discussion is a little lame i enjoy this site but in this article the author does seem to be blowing this way out of proportion he used the word properly get over it dont make something out of nothing. and boy is troy hot find some more pics of him 4 me.. and any ethnic athlete for that matter
on Jan 20th, 2009 at 2:09 PM
I think Troy should finally come out of the closet. He, Hines Ward, and “BIG” Ben have defined the Steeler’s hard hitting defense and tough offense and shouldn’t be ashamed of being gay!!!
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Troy is one of the best football players around, but I definitely think a lot of his aggression comes from his frustration and inability to accept himself. He will be much happier when he finally does come out. It will be hurtful for his wife and kid (or kids, by the time he gets around to admitting who he is), though. And don’t give me any of that “but he’s MARRIED and has KIDS!” shit. I know a gay couple who got married last year who have 7 kids between them they tried so hard to be “normal”.
on Jul 4th, 2010 at 9:44 AM
There are so many penalties these days the sport is getting softer.. And I highly doubt he meant anything gay by saying Pansy, they are doing so much to protect players now adays that it’s getting hard to get injured.. One of the stupidest ones in my opinion is the facemask to facemask hit.. I can say from experience that it sucks getting hit like that but it is apart of the game but anyway polamalu is an elite safety and he wants to Hurt somebody.. As it should be If you play defense.. Once you penalize for certain hits.. It gets harder to win the battle on D. I agree with polamalu