White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech says he’s deleted a string of racist and homophobic tweets after screenshots of them began circulating online.
The tweets where written five years ago, when Kopech was 17, and included the words “f*g” and “n*gga”, plus no shortage of disparaging remarks about Mexicans, and using the word “gay” as a pejorative.
Speaking to the Chicago Sun-Times, 22-year-old Kopech confirmed he deleted the tweets:
“Yeah, I had to delete some stuff,” he said. “Things I said that were immature and inappropriate. I used some poor language in there.”
He continued, “Obviously, I’m trying to be looked at as a role model, and the last thing I want to do is have some kid look at what I’m saying and take it the wrong way.”
Kopech went on to say those tweets are “not who I am now” and saying it was just “something I did in high school”.
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is sticking by Kopech, saying team leadership accepts his apology.
“He has taken responsibility and apologized for his offensive and inappropriate word choices at the time, but has stressed that those careless words do not reflect who he is today,” Hahn said.
“It is certainly true they don’t reflect the young man we know as a maturing, growing and developing member of our organization.”
Related: There’s no statute of limitations on teenage homophobia and racism
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Pretty boy, pretty closeted
bowlingbutch
I wasn’t mature at 17 and my views changed between 17 and 22. I don’t think anyone can say their growth didn’t change during that age span. Thankfully he grew and sees how he was hurtful
TomG
Sorry but most people’s opinions are learned by age 17 and it’s doubtful they would change at his age. Maybe when he’s 50 or 60 he’ll think differently.
dwes09
Actually, most people at 17 are still under the strong influence of peers, have little or no impulse control and are still trying to learn to present themselves as individuals. Are you saying that you are still that way? A consistently mature and thoughtful 17 year old is rare.
Most of us didn’t come into our own for several years…at least until we were in collage. If you have not changed in opinion, attitude and behavior since 17 (or didn’t until you were 50-60) I really pity you!
russdog
I was already in college at 17, graduated at 21. I had a very well-developed moral compass. I knew right from wrong, had empathy, and had no desire to hurt or demean people. I did dumb things, yes, but I was the one who suffered, not anyone else. Granted, there was no social media. Still, even joking with friends didn’t involve racist, homophobic, or the belief that someone was of less value in order to sustain humor.
russdog
*racism, homophobia
JK 1984
I’m with bowlingbutch & dwes09.
My opinions @ 17 around race, sexuality and gender are very different to what I thought at age 22 and some of those opinions horrify me now when I look back on them now.
Yes some people form their opinions early and keep them, but many people can and do change.
Based on that I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, for now.
barkomatic
I’m willing to give childhood indiscretions a pass.
Kieran
MSNBC forgave Joy Reid for her disgusting homophobia. So why not Michael?
bodie425
It’s not just about what was said and done in the past, it’s also about who you’ve become. tRump did awful things in the past and has shown absolutely no inclination he’s trying to improve himself. Joy is a great advocate for LGBTQ people now, so I’ll forgive her her transgressions from the past.
jjose712
He was a teenager, people do a lot of silly things when they are young. There’s no reason to not believe him when he says he changed
TomG
Sorry but most people’s opinions are learned by age 17 and it’s doubtful they would change at his age. Maybe when he’s 50 or 60 he’ll think differently.
OrchidIslander
@TomG, I disagree. The opinions I had at 17 got changed big time when I began college at 19. My world broadened. There’ can be a lot of growth after 17. However, it sure seems like this guy Kopech is going to learn the hard way. He was suspended for 50 games testing positive for performance enhancing substances, and he broke his hand during a fight with a teammate. He is a phenomenal pitching talent, but his maturity needs work.
gjg64
I’ll give the Sox a pass, but not the Cubs…..they took on a real homophone in Murphy.
Heywood Jablowme
That’s a very good point. Murphy is well over 30 (b. 1985 I see) and has been saying anti-gay stuff for years as a supposed grown-up. He does seem to be coming around, maybe, finally, & maybe the Cubs will be a good influence on him.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-daniel-murphy-sullivan-20180823-story.html
(Although it’s homoPHOBE, not homophone. But I do like to call my phone a homo-phone!)
shanfrina
… Closet Case!?!
Heywood Jablowme
Yeah, that’s an important factor in a 17 year old’s homophobia; it’s rooted in fear of one’s own same-sex suppressed impulses. Maybe “closet case” is too extreme in most cases, but some of them DO end up being openly gay several years later. We see this happen over and over.
I had thought this was scientifically well-established. Queerty and other gay sites have been saying this for years. Now “we” seem to be suddenly throwing all of that stuff out the window in “our” pompous zeal to punish adolescent tweets. A mistake, I think.
Black Pegasus
This news is pretty old. But once a homophobe, always a homophobe. So I don’t forgive him.
I’m talking to you too Joy Reid.
Thad
Time to turn out in force…the White Sox are having their first Pride Night on Aug. 31. Somehow the homophobes in sports turn it down when they find how many of their fans are LGBT.
Kopech did apologize. I can accept that. Murphy, on the other hand, has done…nothing.
MaxTaste
I don’t know if he’s a racist and/or homophobe, but at 17 he was old enough to discern what was trashy behavior and he apparently embraced it. Has he stopped being a trashy person? Only time will tell.