The Edmonton Capitals, an Alberta pro baseball team not in MLB, might have a new controversy on its hands following 2006’s infamous dust-up: Manager Brent Bowers went on an on-field tirade against a gay umpire. And yep, in between threats of violence, the F-word was used.
Bowers, whose team plays in the Golden Baseball League, repeatedly called Billy Van Raaphorst “a fucking faggot” after the umpire said a hitter on the opposing Orange County Express was safe on first base; Bowsers disagreed, and started screaming. And, relays the Edmonton Sun, “at one point bent over and grabbed his own ankles.” Awesome!
Van Raaphorst says Bowers was all, “You know what I heard? I heard you are a fucking faggot. The rumor from several managers and people at the league is that you are a fag. … I ought to kick your ass, you faggot.” And it’s like, Bowers, you’re dumb: Van Raaphorst is openly gay. Those rumors you’re hearing are statements of fact, sort of like the “rumors” I heard that you’re a piece of shit.
Bowers has a history of general douchebaggery: “Earlier this season he was tossed out of a game for performing a ‘stinkfoot’ — holding up a shoe to an umpire and pinching his nose.” In another incident, Bowers was “thrown out of the game in the 7th inning for arguing with the umpire. He started by tossing his cap, then he dumped the bag of balls on home plate, and he then went to center field to demonstrate the the finner points of making a diving catch.”
So what punishment did he face for railing against the gay ump?
Sources say that when the league suspended Bowers for two games, other umpires were so outraged over the slap on the wrist that they refused to officiate GBL games. “If this sort of incident had happened in any other workplace,” said one baseball official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, “the (perpetrator) would not be working there any more.” By Friday, the official said, the league convinced the umpires to call off the boycott after promising to address their concerns. However, they were ordered not to talk to anyone about the incident or risk losing their jobs.
But Van Raaphorst’s lawyer said Friday that his client is still waiting to see what measures the league — and the Capitals organization — will take. “If (Bowers) had run up on an African-American umpire and started using the n-word in a similar derogatory derivation, there’d be a lot of controversy around it. It’s a serious matter,” said Ebby Bakhtiar. “Something needs to be done.”
For what it’s worth, Bowers’ Capitals lost all three games to the Express. Fitting.
L.
Actually, had he used *any* other -word – like the k-word talking to a Jewish umpire, ch-word talking to an Asian one, or any other, take your pick – there would have been more trouble. But hey, *we* are fair game. Moron.
nikko
He’s a vile hateroshit I’d like to humble if he spoke to me that way.
jason
Bowers is an immature turd. I hope his sons turn out gay.
Greg
Looks like the piece of shit just resigned.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Edmonton+baseball+manager+resigns+after+homophobic+outburst/3374351/story.html
Good riddance. Hope he falls into a depression and drinks himself to death.
L.
@Greg: From the linked article – am I the only one who feels it’s weird that they would “bleep” out “fcuking” but leave in “fagg*t” in full?
One f-word synonymous with what everybody does is unacceptable, but another f-word insulting and demeaning is?
Show of hands anyone who thinks both words would have been “bleeped” if he has said “f-word n-word”.
L.
Oh, and another hidden gem: “Asked why the club didn’t summarily terminate Bowers, LaForge said: ‘I think he got it (resignation) out of his mouth before we could say it.'”
You mean you couldn’t find the time to fire his a*ss in the eight days it took him to resign? What is it, “Edmonton Slow Week”?
Greg
Yeah, L, both of those things caught my eye. I guess they were waiting to see if it would just blow over. How courageous.
L.
@Greg: And I guess you’re right. How telling we live in a world where people can actually hope a homophobic slur can blow over, while no-one would believe a racial one could (and thankfully so, to be sure.)
JAW
The guy is a jerk… The Ump seemed to be a real man and let the manager get it off his chest and burry himself at the same time…
I found this article that looks like the team did the right thing…
It was so shocking, because from everything anybody knew about Brent Bowers, it seemed so out of character.
Yet when details of the profanity-laced, homophobic tirade against an openly gay umpire came to light, the Edmonton Capitals had little choice but to dismiss their field manager.
At least they would have dismissed him, had Bowers not beaten them to the punch.
“He got it out of his mouth before we had a chance to ask him to resign,” said Capitals governor Patrick LaForge.
“We were going through the process of reviewing the league’s decision on a suspension and its implications on us as an organization. Having spoken to Brent, he took it upon himself to resign.”
Looks like the team let him resign… but was open and made sure that we all knew that they were going to fire him CONGRATS to the Team!! and I hope that the the exmanager bowers is out of Baseball for Life
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Almost every one up above hit the nail right on the head………
We are the only accepted punching bag left to hurl epitaths at……..If he had called a black umpire a “fcuking nigger” he would not have lasted 24 hours. And most certainly the team was hoping the matter would die before it hit cyberspace began to gain attention and only because of that, they were forced to act.
Hopefully he has made himself un-hireable to any other team and will be some sort of example for other asshates to consider we are not always fair game………
Queer Supremacist
Canada has hate speech laws.
Why are they not being enforced here? Why is this douchebreeder not in jail?
Wilbur Snapp
If you disagree with an umpire’s call there are better and much classier ways to show it.
Jeffree
@ QSupremacist: From what I read, the penalties for hate speech don’t necessarily involve jail time, but rather fines. Either way, youre right that it’s a Canadian no-no.
I’ve performed a little standup in Canada many times & they actually send us Americans a very polite letter stating what’s acceptable & what’s not in terms of their rules. A Canadian could better spelll out the law than me..& what may be provincial versus national law.
Please remember a prior thread here where that Ms./Mr? Coulter got a similar letter prior to a speech & expressed great “umbrage” at limitations on her “free speech”!
Queer Supremacist
@Jeffree: A fine? That’s all?
I don’t support hate speech laws, but while they are on the books they should at least have some teeth to them.
Jeffree
@ QSupremacist: Let’s wait for the Canadians to weigh in. The letters I’ve received only mentioned fines but that may be yet another case of the Canadians being so darn polite. I may have spoken out of turn.
They are, in that letter, very clear that any violation of the rules means you won’t be invited back to that venue and that’s all I needed to hear to toe the line!
(I personally never needed to modify my sets, but some others I know had to—but hey, we’re just glad to work in front of such good audiences.)
Canadians: please chime in!
p.s. Thanks for explaining your screen-name. As a POC, the supremacist word sorta put me off before you said what you did.
Michael
As if being a total douche bag is any better than being a homosexual.
Lucas
The incident in question happened in California (it was an away game), so the Canadian hate speech laws obviously wouldn’t come into play.
Outsports has more on this story, including more of what Bowers said to the umpire. Juicy stuff.
prohomo
@Michael: I know. But I, we, gays, are waaaaay better than most people.
prohomo
@Wilbur Snapp: Yeah, but he is typical of homophobic straight male trash:he is the problem, the enemy in society, embraced by many. Yech.
Queer Supremacist
@Lucas: If it was in CA, then the whole argument over hate speech laws is moot.
But I shed no tears over this douchebreeder’s firing. Hopefully this crap sack in cleats will end up homeless within the next few years.
CONVERSATION CHAMBER
Hmmm. Here we have an example of a blatantly homophobic white man, and oddly enough I see *no* self-righteous indignation over his race…or anyone trying to stereotype/scapegoat white people in general because of this single bigot. Oh, he’s being called out for his own actions…yet his demographic isn’t being arbitrarily painted with the same brush. Must be nice.
If this had been some black NBA player, we’d be treated to all sorts of random, prejudiced comments about “homophobia in the black community” and how “over 70%” of black people supposedly supported Prop 8, etc., etc.
Wilbur Snapp
@prohomo: ITA with you. However, google “Wilbur Snapp.” *wink*
prohomo
So true,CONVERSATION CHAMBER. Perfectly said, and for the record, Bowers IS straight white homophobic trash!!!
Sidewinder
As a Black gay male, I am somehow uneasy that every time something such as this occurs, people are so quick to equate it with the struggle Blacks had for equality in this country. That patent statement of “Well, if so-and-so were Black and he or she called so-and-so the N-word, then there would be hell to pay” always seems to rear its ugly head time and again. Discrimination is discrimination, and as someone who lives with a double minority, I can see it from both ends. However, you cannot hide skin color in a closet. You cannot deny what race you are while around friends or co-workers just to “fit in.” It’s futile to try to even categorize one type of bigotry with another just to prove a point. Let’s stop saying “If he were a Black umpire…” and just look at it for what it is…a complete a-hole putting his foot in his mouth. Fortunately, this Bowers creep got what he deserved. Bravo to Van Raaphorst for taking the high road.
james
put someone in jail for calling a someone a fag??? your out of your fucking mind!!
Queer Supremacist
@james: I’m not for censorship or hate speech laws at all. But if countries are going to violate people’s natural rights to free speech then they might as well go Hammurabi on their asses.