Jalen Rose is in hot water over calling Patriots tight end “white boy wasted” this morning on the Mike & Mike Show, but it’s his homophobic comment that has out wrestler Akil Patterson hot under the collar. According to Patterson, Rose (who is an expert on losing championships) said in his tirade against Gronkowski’s post-Super Bowl dancing: “I got a problem when any guy has his shirt off and chest bumps another man.”
Rose quickly took to Twitter to give the middle finger to everyone who might have not liked his racial and homophobic comments:
Notice the all-caps YOU – making it crystal clear he’s not apologizing to anyone else. He gave a half-hearted “apology” on air after he got caught in a whirlwind of reaction, but he laughed it off.
Of course, ESPN has deleted that portion of the interview so we cannot hear it (listen for the edit three seconds in).
While the comment may seem innocuous, Rose made it clear he doesn’t want two men touching one another with their bodies. Where do you think that comes from? He’s perfectly fine with men being naked, showering together. But once they touch? All bets are off. As we saw with ESPN’s Rob Parker earlier this week, his comments reflect the root of homophobia.
Rose knows a thing or two about losing championship games. He lost in the NCAA championship game two years in a row with Michigan; And he lost in the NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacers in 2000. He was also suspended by ESPN last year for a DUI arrest.
on Feb 9th, 2012 at 3:42 PM
I love all the “support” he gets from his twitter followers. It’s always interesting to me when somebody says, “this country is way too sensitive”. I guess they mean, “How I long for the day when I could treat gays like second-class citizens.”
Issues like this are never sensitive when it involves race, but when it involves sexual orientation, it’s “people are too sensitive”.
I love the zero tolerance trend, however. This site, GLAAD, etc. You contribute a lot to gay people, and are very much appreciated it.
on Feb 9th, 2012 at 3:43 PM
Sorry for the typo…”very much appreciated”.
on Feb 9th, 2012 at 5:20 PM
I think these guy’s: Martin, Parker, etc., are closet cases. Martin especially. Straight men are not threatened sexually by other men, that doesn’t involve women. Even guys who are pro-gay yet have thoughts about gay guys in the shower. You shouldn’t have thoughts of any kind that include men, you’re straight. Right? Maybe not. Maybe you have gay tendencies and the gay guy might “force” you to act on these feelings because you can’t control yourself.
These guys freak out by the arousal they experience from other guys.
on Feb 9th, 2012 at 6:32 PM
If I’m understanding your correctly RP then that is the stupidest thing I’ve seen written on this site. Just because someone is straight doesn’t been that can’t have “sexual” thoughts about men. Just like being gay doesn’t been you can’t have sexual thoughts about women. Ignoring the fact that sexuality is a sliding scale full of gray areas, one can not possibly control all of their thoughts, conscious or otherwise. I’m gay, have never had sex with a woman and have no intention of ever doing so, but that hardly precludes me from enjoying heterosexual images, or even having straight sex dreams.
Having these thoughts doesn’t make me a closet heterosexual.
on Feb 9th, 2012 at 7:41 PM
I didn’t take any offense to Jalen Rose’s comments. Him saying that does not automatically mean that he is against gay rights. As for the “white boy wasted” comment, I thought that was a pop culture thing that’s been around for years……it’s even in songs, Jersey Shore, stand up comedy, etc, etc. So does this mean that White Chocolate(the amazing PG) shouldn’t be called White Chocolate anymore.
@John “Issues like this are never sensitive when it involves race, but when it involves sexual orientation, it’s ‘people are too sensitive’.” I call BS on this one because Jalen Rose was involve with a racial issue regarding his old college rivalry. & a lot of people did say “people are too sensitive.”
on Feb 10th, 2012 at 12:58 AM
Chance, RP is correct. Homophobic men are often closeted gay men. Google homophobic men and homosexuality. Science even has found this to be true. You sound like a nice fellow, btw.
Ace, discrimination against gays is never treated with equal footing when it comes to race, especially in the media. But, that’s okay to be wrong Ace. This isn’t the first time for you.
on Feb 10th, 2012 at 1:00 AM
Ace, you might be right. If so, I stand corrected.
on Feb 10th, 2012 at 1:03 AM
Ace, I didn’t your first line of your comment. Of course you didn’t take offense to it. I wouldn’t expect you to.
on Feb 10th, 2012 at 11:13 AM
Sometimes it is not that homophobic men are being hateful but that they are being defensive.
When you are insecure about your own masculinity then the only way to prove it to others and yourself is to try to be whatever you perceive in your culture to be as macho as possible. This causes a tendancy to be what “they think” is “hypermasculine”.
That’s why their behavior is strongly indicative of repressed homosexual feelings. Secure sexuality does not need fake supports.
on Feb 10th, 2012 at 11:22 AM
BTW – this is why this particular type of homophobia is so typical among “straight-acting closeted” black men who are otherwise very intelligent. In their minds being homophobia dissuades others from thinking that their intelligence may be associated with weakness or homosexuality.
Add to that the fear of taking on the status of a second characteristic – in addition to being black – which could subject them to discrimination of lack of self-worth. Ironically “religion” can also be a crutch for insecurity, for homophobes of all ethnicities.
on Feb 10th, 2012 at 11:55 AM
@John, I am right. They tell the LGBT community at times, you’re too sensitive. And they tell minorities that they are too sensitive and should get over it (playing the race card.)
@sportinlife I agree that religion can be a crutch for homophobes. I disagree with the idea that black men who have a certain type of homophobia is because they have a fear of their intelligence being a sign of homosexuality. They get labeled an Uncle….. before gay for their intelligence. Then get accused of thinking that they are better than everybody else.
to quote Jalen Rose on the issue of the gay slur being used in the NBA.
“Jalen Rose, ESPN: When NBA players get really upset at someone, they may call him a name that means he’s less than a man in order to demean him — a female dog, a part of a female’s anatomy, that sort of thing. What Bryant and Noah were thinking when they used that slur had nothing to do with sexual orientation. Parts of our society have framed gay men as being soft. Each race and each sex has generalizations and stereotypes. What they said was wrong, but Bryant and Noah didn’t create that. Unfortunately, they perpetuated it.”
on Feb 10th, 2012 at 2:19 PM
sportinlife, I agree.
Ace, you’re right.
on Feb 14th, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Jalen Rose has just “Outted” himself. Another “man” who shows his Homophobia. Guys like this ALWAYS end up being the same guys who have sex with men in public restrooms, in a dark alley, purchase male prostitutes, etc. Sadly though, guys like this ALSO end up getting HIV, AIDS, etc. “HIV would never happen to me”. Guess again, “Jalena”. : (