Well, it was inevitable. The same morning Jason Collins made history as the first current NBA player to come out publicly as gay, another professional athlete has tweeted a derisive message about it. Miami Dolphins wide receiver (nudge, nudge) Mike Wallace just doesn’t get it.
As TMZ reports, Wallace tweeted “All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys SMH (shakin’ my head) …”
Wallace quickly deleted the tweet and apologized to any followers who were offended.
He wrote: “Never said anything was right or wrong. I just said I don’t understand!! Deeply sorry if anyone was offended.”
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SaveDade, a Florida-based organization that protects LGBTs against discrimination, was unimpressed and issued the following statement:
It is a sad moment and a huge disappointment for Miami-Dade residents and fans that Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace makes such a homophobic statement on the day a fellow professional athlete, NBA player Jason Collins, shows such inspiration and strength with his personal story. It’s time for the hateful speech and bigotry to stop — and we hope that the Miami Dolphins issue an apology to our residents and the broader South Florida community.
Do you believe his apology or do you think he’s just fearful of a backlash?
UPDATE:
A spokesman for the Miami Dolphins has released the following statement in response:
“Mike Wallace has apologized for his comments, and we have addressed the matter with him. Mike’s comments do not reflect the views of the Miami Dolphins. We believe in a culture of inclusiveness and respect, and any statements to the contrary are in no way acceptable to our organization. We will address the entire team about our policy of inclusion and make sure they all understand the importance of respecting individual choices.”
EdWoody
That’s only homophobic in the sense of desperately hunting for something to take offence at. People need a get a thicker skin if they’re offended by that.
Alan down in Florida
Mr. Wallace I can assure you that in South Florida there are probably 250,000 to 500,000 LGBT individuals many of who, like myself, are huge Miami Dolphin fans. You are new to our team and new to our community. This incident is not a good way to start a relationship with us.
litper
I smell the gay
gaymaniac
To that I say:
All these beautiful men in the world and guys wanna mess with girls-SMH.
tardis
Unfortunately, these are real sentiments that a lot of people have. Some people just don’t understand how complex sexuality can be for some. These people are part of the status quo. Of course, it’s going to be “hard to understand.” It was in poor taste to share these thoughts on a day where an athlete comes out. Perhaps, Wallace deserves the “Douche of the Week” label.
viveutvivas
It’s not really homophobic. I understand the sentiment very well – I can’t understand how a man can possibly be attracted to a woman; it’s utterly alien to my brain.
Ken
That was not a homophobic tweet. All he did was confess that he didn’t understand it.
cooper12
@edwoody as I may agree that we like all to sensitive these days but if I stated that there are so many beautiful white people out there why would you sleep with someone who is black? Does that sound bigoted, it should it is and so it this fools comment.
MK Ultra
Typical ignorance.
” I’m a slave for pussy, so everyone must be”.
I know, it’s just so hard to understand, so inexplicable that other people have different prefrences and desires!
I like apples. My friend likes oranges. …I don’t understand, man! The world is so complicated!
Studcubmike
His comment was not homophobic, just not educated. Of course he as a str8t guy sexually can not understand a gay man. Just his experience. I do think that he needs to educate himself on human sexuality. I don’t get the attraction to women personally, but know that is just how he feels, no bias.
Thomathy
Jeremy Kinser, you have a photo of the bloody tweet, you could even just copy and past the thing, but you’ve managed to botch that quote of Mike Wallace.
The accuracy of that quote is actually important, considering the content. I don’t want to accuse Wallace of having a strong grasp of the subtleties of English or of the actually meaning of anything he might write, but that ‘apology’ (scare quotes because, well, it’s double-speak to call that an apology) stinks worse than most of the same.
Wallace wrote:
If he’s not a complete idiot (and I don’t want to be very generous), then that is a rather calculated way of admitting that he’s aware his comment was offensive without being sorry at all. He’s expressing his sorrow (a selfish sorrow) for those that he offended, implying that the he does not share the offence, which means that he isn’t at all sorry. I’m sure, however, that he’s being honest about being sorry for himself at the fact that people are offended.
I don’t think he’s fooling anyone, unless everyone has forgotten that a sincere apology means that the person has understood that they were wrong and why. Mike Wallace hasn’t shown that at all and, worse (and not subtly), he hasn’t even apologized.
He’s a bigoted, craven tool and his remarks are a glimpse at the culture in which Jason Collins works. Sports in North America have far to go in terms of acceptance and understanding and mitigating homophobia.
B Damion
I really don’t think he meant any harm. It’s just another bone head thing that str8 guys say.God if we continue to be this senative the gneral public will find something else to despise us for.
B Damion
sorry i’m alittle tipsy lol..
DOFEK
Jason, tell all the mother fucker in NBA & NFL who have any shit to say about you to get fucked!. AdamHomo
yaoming
I don’t think the original tweet was too homophobic, but the response from the team wasn’t great, either. “Respecting individual choices”? Seriously? They chose to be straight the same time Collins chose to be gay.
Daniel
My bigger issue is with the Miami Dolphin’s statement: “We will address the entire team about our policy of inclusion and make sure they all understand the importance of respecting individual choices.” The statement says that being gay is a CHOICE. Somebody needs to tell them that being gay is NOT a choice. You are born that way.
Yiannis
When I came out to my brother a few years ago (I was 18 and he was 16), he responded: “I won’t pretend that I understand, but you’re the same brother that you were before and I love and respect you as I did and will continue to support you.” That’s how a non-homophobic “I don’t understand” is supposed to sound.
Dakotahgeo
I’m not sure the Doltphin player is intelligent to even realize he made a boo-boo. Such is the intelligence of the minority of sports people!
balehead
I think he was just razzing him…grow some skin hypocrites…
Dakotahgeo
@balehead: Mehhhhhhhh…. One doesn’t apologize for ‘razzing’ another person! Shirley you just (sic)! LOLOL.
fredo777
Idiot.
This isn’t about a simple ‘misunderstanding’ of what it means to be gay or of being overly-sensitive. If he had just said that he doesn’t quite understand, that wouldn’t have been a problem, but he clearly phrased it with a tone of judgment/disapproval (hence, the “shaking my head” bit). If you are willing to give him a pass for that, that’s your own problem.
LadyL
Relax guys, it will get better. Clearly some people were hoping this day would never arrive and now it has they’re making a complete hash of how to respond. Wallace’s bonehead tweet, his half-assed not-quite-apology, and the Miami Dolphin’s tone deaf statement all represent the industry’s growing pains.
Caleb in SC
@LadyL: Exactly!
Dustolio
I feel for the guy. I think he made a bad joke and now he’s in hot water. We’ve all been there.
Cee
People who make comments like that are usually battling an internal struggle with their own sexuality.