Atlanta Falcons’ Roddy White Under Fire After Tweet Asking About Homosexuality & Football
- Posted on April 13, 2012 at 7:38am by
Billy Hallowell
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Public figures often learn the hard way that Twitter holds the potential to get them into trouble — at least from a PR perspective. This is specifically true, it seems, when addressing the issue of homosexuality. Not long ago, CNN’s Roland Martin was suspended — then reinstated — following tweets that were perceived to be anti-gay. Now, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White is also under fire over social media messages surrounding homosexuality.
The trouble started, The Huffington Post reports, when White was asked by a fan on Twitter whether he’d rather lead the league in receiving stats or wining a Super Bowl. His response, which HuffPo dubbed “bizarre,” drew a comparison to being gay or straight, has landed him in hot water with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
He responded, saying, “Would u rather be gay or straight come on u know that answer.” Here’s the tweet that started the controversy:
Once people began responding to his analogy, White doubled down and defended himself. Here is one of the subsequent tweets he sent following the original:
One Twitter user, named “ChanceEncounter,” responded, saying, “Obviously you have freedom of speech, but we have the freedom to be mad about what you say and call you on your hateful words.” White responded two hours later with a message that read, “get off my timeline.”
By Thursday evening, he was striking a more apologetic tone, but still seemed ready and willing to defend himself amid the controversy:
After his initial apology, though, he re-tweeted (shared) the following message:
On the blog OutSports, Jim Buzinski summarized the apology and the follow-up messages as follows:
So, those who criticized him were “haters” whom he was giving the middle finger to. In addition, he retweeted a lame joke about how apologizing is itself gay. White reaffirmed he is a jackass and would have been better off not trying to fake apologize.
This obviously isn’t the first Twitter controversy surrounding the controversial social issue (i.e. homosexuality) and it certainly won’t be the last. As of Friday morning, White has been relatively quiet about the online scuffle.
(H/T: The Huffington Post)
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Comments (46)
thegreatcarnac
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 3:44pmThe gay community needs to stay with their own. You don’t see heterosexuals marrying women and then marching through town yelling they are straight.They try to be as obnoxious as they can most of the time. They should not be permitted to marry or walk in daylight…..lol
Report Post »Joelo
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:58pmHOMESEXUALS are HOMESEXUALS !! there’s nothing “gay” about it !! say what you mean and mean what you say and don’t apopogize !!
Report Post »Bill Wallace
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:40pmHateful words?
When I tell someone to Go F Themselves, I am doing it out of love, not hate.
Report Post »thibx
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 12:58pmask any emergency room nurse.
Report Post »thibx
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 12:56pmit aint normal to take it where you do. ask any emergency room nurse what they have seen.
Report Post »kadster01
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:28amI would say he shouldn‘t have apologized to begin with if he wasn’t really sorry for expressing his opinions. The apology came off as disingenuous anyway because he didn’t really mean it, and I would argue that he didn’t need to. I reserve the right to hurt feelings. People need to grow a spine and get over themselves. We have much bigger problems poised to hurt much more than our feelings.
Report Post »imsteph
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:27amdouble face palm…
don’t really care what roddy white says about gays…
he has no power over me or any effect on my every day life.
real issues please.
Report Post »BigRighty
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:24amI’m so sick and tired of GAY **** everywhere. Every tv show, every political event, after every innocent comment. Get the hell over it gay people, even people who pretend to tolerate you, don’t really want anything to do with you and your perversions. It is, and always will be a joke, to be gay.
Report Post »Chuckji
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:02amYour a despicable Human Being, Stop Hating. You will be a better person for it.
Report Post »Dhamael
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 11:19amThis is true. I am so tired of not being able to disagree with Homosexuality in public. Do you think GLENN is really OK with this crap? I don’t, but I think he knows that if it allows him to be sidetracked he will miss the bigger issues. Or I may be wrong. Either way it is time for those of us who disagree to be vocal about it. Our mistake is allowing the conversation to get to the point where we let it become a CIVIL RIGHTS issue instead of a DEVIANCE issue. If you don‘t think it’s deviant just google a few images of a gay pride parades. Once you clean up your vomit come back and tell me it’s a viable alternate lifestyle. The traditional family unit is the moral center if this country and it is under complete bombardment. We had better wake up. Teach your kids the truth while you are free to do it.
Report Post »lodgerat
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:48pmI agree. Remember my rule number one: No stool on the tool…I’ve posted that here several times and have had no blow back..no pun intended.
Report Post »Joelo
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 1:55pmhate to brake it to you CHUCKJI but people arn’t born HOMOSEXUALS !! you’v been listening to to much Lady Ga Ga music…if you don‘t think there’s something wrong with two men messing with each other then your “Your a despicable Human Being” CHUCHJI !!
Report Post »Mapache
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:15amI couldn’t even understand the point he was making in the first tweet. I just found the whole thing confusing.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:58amThis whole kerfuffle is gay.
At one point in our history, we realized and understood what the word “deviant” meant.
deviant (adj) –
de·vi·ant [ dee-vee ənt ] 1. different from traditional norm: diverging sharply from a customary, traditional, or generally accepted standard, or displaying such divergent behavior
2. offensive term: an offensive term for somebody whose behavior is different from a customary, traditional, or generally accepted standard
Synonyms: different, divergent, nonstandard, aberrant, irregular, out of the ordinary, unusual, unexpected
By definition, being gay is being sexually deviant. You’re different from the traditional norm in that only 2-10% of the population, according to Masters and Johnson. By definition, the behaviors (not words, behaviors) of the 90% determine what the generally acepted standard is, and gays sharphy diverge from that. Now, if that’s offensive to you, you should take it up with the English language. I’m just applying dictionary definitions and calling a spade a spade.
As to Masters & Johnson, yes, they‘re criticized for the theory that they could reorient gays’ sexuality, in that they claimed they reoriented 70% of their gay patients when in fact, the number was closer to 40%. This ignores the fact that they proved some gays can be reoriented, making it a choice. For those who aren’t making the conscious decision to be gay, you’re still deciding to act on the urge.
No matter what way you cut it,
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:08am“… perceived to be anti-gay.”
What is wrong with being perceived to be anti-gay? Being anti-gay is normal. The crazy’s are in control of our speech.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:10amThat would be the crazies.
Report Post »Chuckji
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:09amBut it is based on behavior of people, Being born Gay, would make this the Natural behavior for them.
Report Post »So that would make it 2 different Normals for 2 different sets of people. Now the fact of you not agreeing with there actions is a problem for you not for them to deal with.
The_Jerk
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:25amNo Chuckji. Sexual predators are also born with developmental defects resulting in predilections for deviant social behavior that is considered socially repulsive and rejected. Homosexuality is no different in principle. Thus, the problem is with those accepting abnormal behavior as normal, or with those pretending that abnormal behavior is normal.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:45amWhy can NO ONE disagree with a homosexual lifestyle? They can do what they want, but I DON’T HAVE TO LIKE IT or PRETEND I do. He has the RIGHT to his opinion and his disgust. I am repulsed by some of the things I see and hear. I’m really sorry and the liberals can say we are OLD FASHIONED, but I cannot stand the visual of two guys doing it in the butt. EWWW TV is filled will gay storylines and it is shoved down our kids throats 24/7 along with TOLERANCE. (acceptance) IMO and I’m entitled to one, too.
Report Post »MrGeek
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:43amThere is no such thing as a “right” to your opinion. Once you make your opinion public it can then be upheld or disproved by the public. Rights imply duties on the rest of us, what duties does the right to your opinion imply? Do I have to agree? NO. Do I have to listen? NO. Do I have to change my belief system so as not to offend you? NO. The only time you have a RIGHT to your opinion is when you keep it to yourself.
Report Post »ShyMan
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:42amThere’s no such thing as gay people.
They are perverts.
You become a pervert. You’re not born a pervert.
Report Post »techengineer11
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:47amAmen! However, to this Apartheid ruling in America murderers are treated better than anyone that challenges their perverted tendencies!
The ZOG must be destroyed and the US Constitution reinstated.
Report Post »Mr. Oshawott
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:34amAlright, I don’t deny that Roddy had the right to say what he said – he was well within his First Amendment right to type up provocative statements involving homosexuality. However, that also means that he has to live with the potential repercussions that may come with it. The homosexuals were justified in expressing their outrage towards his statements since they suggested prejudice towards them. Had Roddy just ended his self-induced mishap with his apology and left it at that, he wouldn’t be on the receiving end of the extra controversy that followed after typing up those statements justifying his unjustifiable initial comment.
Report Post »Crazyotto
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:51amSeriously? Our country is in danger of going off the economic cliff, our borders are being overrun by Mexican Drug lords we have our soldiers are dying in Afghanistan.. Our Children are receiving a substandard education.. I could keep going on but what is the point?
Report Post »The Gay mafia has to be worried about this?… This passes for hate speech? Gays need to get a life .. they have no problem spewing all sorts of hate filled rhetoric when it comes to Christians or anyone who disagrees with their lifestyle but get all worked when an overpaid athlete makes a silly statement..
lancestevens
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:30amIts not so much that our FREEDOM OF SPEECH is being denied, its being systematically eliminated. In Roddy White’s case, I can bet you that once his tweet hit, the Atlanta Falcons/NFL public relations people went into overdrive. The NFL, as all major corporations, don‘t want to offend anyone so I’m sure Roddy White started getting calls and texts from them telling him to backtrack on his comments to avoid negative publicity for the league. The gays, who were the offending parties, lobbied the league and the Falcons that they were going to boycott this and that and they even go as far as to target advertisers. As someone said above, there’s a certain group of people, that are PAID, that sit around and police and monitor tweets just like the one Roddy White sent. Actually, I bet on any celebrities tweet list, there are probably 20 to 30 people monitoring what they’re sending out. Sad and pathetic. We are very close to having the word GAY being completely eliminated from the English language in official wordspeak. Be careful what you say…as it can and will be held against you. Where’s George Carlin when you really need him???
Report Post »poster
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:26am“an athlete of my stature”??? This guy has a real high opinion of himself. Very Keith Olberman-like.
Report Post »BigRighty
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:19amDo you know what percentage of football athletes are actually good enough to play in the NFL?
Report Post »lgccac
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:25amAny normal person would think being in “hot water with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community” would be a good thing.
Report Post »dannyo
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:25amnext….
Report Post »Blazen420
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:25amThis report is total non-sense. Anyone associated with LGBT is non-existant my world and does not matter.
Report Post »noproblems
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:27amI would agree.
Report Post »jmc610
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:15amIt’s unbelievable how many people just sit home and police twitter and facebook LOOKING for this crap…
Report Post »It’s turned into a business in itself! You can’t say anything anymore… What I don’t understand is why people even use this form of media when you are censored for every little comment… We all say Freedom Of Speech, 1st Amendment…blah blah blah but the reality is, it’s our free speech is fading faster now that social media is expanding… What do we cherish more, We have to make a choice here…
Mr.Fitnah
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:12amAs if there were any question about homos and football or wrestling ?
More chance of finding a straight guy in beauty school .
Report Post »Sol Invictus
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 10:22amYour innocence does you credit. Just don’t turn your back on any wrestlers or bodybuilders. Also – why have we allowed these people to steal the word Gay? It’s original meaning was cheerful and joyous. Most of those who claim it now seem permanently miserable. Just saying.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:11amOK Roddy, you said you were sorry (not that you needed to IMHO), now just be quiet and find something more productive than Twitter to occupy your off season.
Report Post »REDNECK CALIPHATE
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:08amYou’re damn right Spank. I’m sick of this crap too. Now we have to be sensitive and be respectful to the gays and accept there deviant lifestyle. SORRY. Not me. I don‘t like gay people and I don’t care about being PC. You see it on every damn tv show now shoving down our throats. I don‘t have to accept anyone’s lifestyle. KEEP YOUR SEXUALITY IN THE BEDROOM. I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
Report Post »Locked
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:00amGays watch football?!?
Gosh, next they’ll be doing “straight” things like working out, or buying expensive cars, or asking to get married!
Report Post »StonyBurk
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:14amI -for one find the player posted nothing to be angry about. Unless one is a flaming ***. The controversy over what he posted is what I find STUPID! And uncivil.There is something dreadfully wrong in America when such controversy is given weight. Since Old Testament times Men have known that same sex behavior ought not be promoted as any norm –nor superior to what God hath made.I am considering buying this Falcons poster to display in the entry way of my house.If for no other reason just to irritate the “progressives” .
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 7:57am..
I don‘t know about the rest of ya’ll, but I’m so sick and tired of Gay This & Gay That I’m bout to loose my mind…….
God said don’t put that in your mouth in the first place! It’s a No No. And I‘ll be damned if I’m gonna except you as normal……….
So Please you and your Gay Pride Self. Sit Down and Shut-Up!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:15amGot a coach yet? :-)
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:40amI hear Bobby Petrino may be interested…LOL :-)
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 8:52am.
Report Post »We don’t need no has been Hog LOL……
Cosmos102
Posted on April 13, 2012 at 7:42amI’m sorry. I don’t see what all the fuss is about. The gay community hereby has the right to Tweet, “would you rather be straight or gay”, as a rhetorical response to a perceived dumb question. Issue is now solved. NEXT.
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