In the week since NBA player Drew Gooden of the Dallas Mavericks was accused of calling two fans at Staples Center “faggots,” the NBA says it’s investigating the charge and two brothers have come forward with a similar account from earlier this year.
One of the brothers, John Mardoyan of Los Angeles, read the Outsports story that detailed the accusation against Gooden from a game on Halloween in which Clippers fan Chris Wylde said Gooden called him and his friend “faggots.” Gooden did not comment on Wylde’s charge, while a team source told local reporters that it was one of Gooden’s friends who used the slur. Mardoyan posted this comment on the article:
When I heard about this story, I just had to comment on it, because I had a very similar incident with Drew Gooden at the Clippers Vs. Bulls game last year. I was sitting at the section where the visiting team enters the locker room, and Gooden was injured so he wasn’t dressed, he was kind of walking back and forth through the hallway, so I just looked down at him and told him, “You Suck Gooden”, just regular heckling you know. Then he turned to me and said, “You suck dick, you fuckin faggot, you suck that guys dick right there”, pointing at my brother. I am not gay, but it was still very offensive. I know the other guy is not lying because this really happened to me. Please expose this story and DREW GOODEN for what he is, a homophobe.
I spoke with John and his brother Michael, who say their interaction with Gooden occurred around halftime of the Jan. 28, 2009, Bulls vs. Clippers game at Staples Center. The brothers say they are not gay.
They said the incident with Gooden, then with the Bulls, lasted about a minute. While John said he did yell, “Gooden, you suck,” he was angry when the player kept it going.
John says Gooden suggested that John enjoyed male-to-male oral sex and used a closed fist pumping near his mouth to simulate the act.
Michael Mardoyan said he was most bothered by Gooden making it personal. “We were kind of shocked,” Michael said. “Players should be more professional. I guess we really got to this guy.”
The Mardoyan’s story has resonance in light of the denial by an anonymous Dallas Mavericks source that Gooden used the homophobic slur against Wylde and his friend on Halloween. Pinning the blame on an unnamed friend of Gooden could shield the player from an NBA punishment since it comes down to his word vs. Wylde’s. We will be checking next week on the status of the NBA investigation.
What has been most fascinating, in a sad way, are some of the comments on our story where Wylde is the one being blasted by people who themselves have no problem using anti-gay slurs. Two examples:
I can’t believe the USA is becoming full of sissies like this Wylde dude. Really? I’m pretty sure if I called someone a faggot I would admit it, I don’t care. Obviously someone isn’t telling the entire story, (probably the faggot), but it just goes to show that American citizens whine more and more about little shit that does not matter. Faggots!
And…
Do you really think whining like a faggot about a straight man calling another straight man a faggot is going to change *anybody’s* behavior? Hell, it’s encouraging me to call people faggots *more*. You’re telling me gay people don’t ever use derogatory language towards themselves or others?
It’s also interesting that on a gay sports website, about very credible charges of an NBA player calling fans “faggots,” it’s the accuser that’s the one getting attacked in the comments. I expected it on the Dallas Morning News post about the incident, but not here.
on Nov 6th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Quid pro quo: Isn’t saying “Gooden you suck” implying “Gooden you suck dick” which implies “Gooden you’re a not a good player because you’re a cocksucker” which means “Gooden you’re not a good player because you’re a cocksucker which is what women do” which means “Gooden you’re not a good player because you’re a cocksucker and that’s what women do and since we value them less in society saying you are like a woman is a slam”? This rabbit hole is deep. Scully?
on Nov 6th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
I’ve often wondered if Drew Gooden was gay. He certainly seems to be showing signs of it.
He has always reminded me of a cousin who was closeted and who died a couple of decades ago of what I strongly suspect was HIV-AIDS. Homophobia was his first language.
All closeted gay people who espouse homophobia are fortunate that there are drugs now that could shield them from the same fate. And why those sunglasses in the photo; is he in Key West?
on Nov 6th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
“… and used a closed fist pumping near his mouth to simulate the act.”
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
on Nov 7th, 2009 at 1:33 am
Sportinlife; if you look at the picture of him he sure looks gay, I think your right.
on Nov 7th, 2009 at 5:20 am
good work on this story, jim. it seems the site has been infiltrated by the Glenn Beck/Palinstinian crowd lately, their comments certainly don’t represent the “gay jock” view….
on Nov 7th, 2009 at 5:33 am
“I expected it on the Dallas Morning News post about the incident, but not here.”
There is no “here” on the internet. Any website is one click away from any other, these days. And bigots own computers, as anyone who has played an online role-playing game (with audio and video) knows.
on Nov 7th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I’m all for gay rights and I’m against gay bashing but if you talk shit to somebody you can’t be mad when they talk shit back to you. The dude who reported this needs to stop acting like a little bitch and shut the fuck up. I played college basketball and if you’ve ever listened to locker room chatter dudes call each other queers and fags everyday, basketball players talk shit, that’s what they do. If you don’t want Drew Gooden to call you a fag shut the fuck up.
on Nov 7th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
t-bo: It’s not about talking trash. It’s about being paid to be a public figure and being accountable for what you say. We are well past the days that it is ok to use hate speech in a public forum and think it is ok. It’s not. It continues to keep sports an unsafe and unwelcoming place for the LGBT community. Everyone keeps waiting for a pro athlete to come out and that’s not gonna happen until the leagues can stop this kind of alleged behavior.
Can’t say any of it is legit yet, but regardless if this incident is real or fake, we all know there’s a long way to go to get the language of the locker rooms in check.
on Nov 8th, 2009 at 2:07 am
I’m on both sides of this. The fan in me says I certainly feel where t-bo is coming from. If you dish it out, you need to take it. Don’t get your panties in a twist when you act like a bitch and then someone comes back at you harder and now you’re claiming your poor widdle feelings are heart. Save it!! Keep your fucking mouth shut dipshit!!
On the other hand, the professional side of me says Gooden (playing or not) is still on the job and representing his organization. If you are at any other job, you can’t say that and not expect to be fired. Its sports so you think that they should have thicker skin and just keep it moving after hearing things like that. I’m kind of mixed on this. I think the organization should have a chat with Gooden and tell him that if the allegations are true, that he is to not do it again. At the end of the day, its still he said/he said and I’m not going to go all ape shit on Gooden the way others have on this. But if I were management, I would just have a chat with him and tell him that he is to keep it moving if he hears any heckline.
on Nov 8th, 2009 at 2:08 am
*Spelling error: heckline=heckling
on Nov 8th, 2009 at 7:16 am
Not to make this about me, but T-Bo, can I get your email? I’m conducting research on the dating habits of former college basketball players.