Braves Coach ‘Deeply Sorry’ For Calling Giants Fans Homos, Making Crude Sexual Gestures
- Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:31pm by
Emily Esfahani Smith
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Atlanta pitching coach Roger McDowell issued an apology on Wednesday in response to a fan’s complaint that McDowell spewed homophobic comments, made crude sexual gestures and threatened to knock out his teeth with a bat before the Braves played the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.
“I am deeply sorry that I responded to the heckling fans in San Francisco on Saturday. I apologize to everyone for my actions,” McDowell said in a statement.
Justin Quinn, 33, of Fresno said he was in the stands at AT&T Park in San Francisco during pregame batting practice with his wife and 9-year-old twin daughters when he noticed McDowell hectoring three men and asking them, “Are you guys a homo couple or a threesome?” Quinn said he proceeded to make crude sexual gestures with his hips and a bat.
Quinn, who was down in front of the field, then shouted, “Hey there are kids out here,” he said during a news conference at the Los Angeles office of noted attorney Gloria Allred.
Quinn alleged that the coach replied that kids don’t belong at a baseball park, picked up a bat, walked up to Quinn and asked him, “How much are your teeth worth?”
Quinn said he felt threatened and was unsure whether McDowell intended to hit him.
“My kids are in panic mode … they’re like grabbing onto me,” Quinn said. “I’m talking to him, trying to calm him down and the kids are screaming.”
Some parents who were in the stands with their children began to boo at McDowell and came down to retrieve their children. Quinn said that eventually McDowell walked away.
Quinn said he filed a complaint with Giants personnel and also with police but missed most of the game, although his wife and daughters stayed to see it.
Allred sent a letter Wednesday to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig asking that he launch an investigation and take “appropriate disciplinary action.” She also demanded that McDowell take sensitivity training.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also demanded an inquiry.
“As more and more sports teams refuse to allow this sort of behavior, we urge the Atlanta Braves and Major League Baseball to investigate this matter immediately and work towards ensuring the safety of all fans and players,” the alliance’s president, Jarrett Barrios, said.
Selig said the Braves assured his office that they will immediately investigate the allegations and report the results to him.
“Although I do not yet have all the facts regarding this incident, the allegations are very troubling to me,” Selig said in a statement. He said he will decide how to proceed after he gets all the facts.
Quinn’s children, Taylor and Kaylyn, said they were upset by McDowell’s remarks and actions.
“Kids should be allowed to be at baseball games without a coach yelling at them or other people,” Kaylyn said.
Taylor said she was upset to hear McDowell say that kids don’t belong in baseball parks.
“Children should not have to hear disgusting things they don’t want to hear,” she said.
Quinn said his family has not heard from the Braves or McDowell.
McDowell, who pitched for 12 years in the major leagues, issued his apology after the Braves beat the San Diego Padres 7-0 Wednesday afternoon.
McDowell was a star reliever with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the late `80s and early `90s, and was a member of New York’s 1986 World Series-winning club. He was named Atlanta’s pitching coach in 2005.
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Comments (86)
idrathermisstotheright
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 12:42amRight, wrong, or indifferent this whole tolerance scripture preached sure has pushed intolerance to the forefront. No longer sticks and stones we must be tolerant which is code word for complain you are offended. Next thing you know they will arrest someone for singing Kung foo fighting infront of Chinese people, oops already happened. Tolerant is a word but not the action taken.
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 12:35amGod help us all when they begin to use those Thunder Sticks incorrectly….
Report Post »Wickedclownpz
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 12:18amThe coach was right, leave your damn kids at home, or expect them to hear and see crude things. Im sick of the PC mentality at pro sports stadiums now a days, cant swear or yell or make off color comments, cant be drunk. The stadium is a place for men to be men, and watch other grown men PLAY WITH A BALL!!! Its not serious, its not church, if I want to drink a dozen beers, tell your mom to F off and call the other teams QB a queer for no reason, thats my right. LOL
Report Post »Hungry_i
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:57pmGlenn, are you proud?
Report Post »the iceman
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:47pmGLAAD can go to hell!
Report Post »the hawk
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:38pmThat picture’s with the beard is in the closet!
Report Post »JohnnyJT South Philly
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:37pmIf I was the Commissioner Bud Selig, I would say “He’s Outta Here”
Report Post »the hawk
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:36pmThat was Giant fans ****!
Report Post »the hawk
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:35pmat least 1/3 of giants are homos ! that’s why I live in Texas!
Report Post »Hungry_i
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:55pmAnd the Giants beat you in five. LOL
Report Post »229Mick
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:26pm“McDowell spewed homophobic comments”
Making fun of them isn‘t ’homophobic’, homophobic means a fear of homosexuals. This is just stupid.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:55pmhomophobic…lol
Report Post »Chicago Ray
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:15pm“Are you guys a **** couple or a threesome?” Quinn said he proceeded to make crude sexual gestures with his hips and a bat.” Made me chuckle
They’re athletes not priests number one, and I love how Gloria HatesAllmen gets on top of this like a women’s sex toy. She’s like the female ? Jesse Jackson.
Both her and her daughter are a royal ambulance chasing pain in the azzz in my world.
Report Post »UnPlugged Ed
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:07pmWhat if he sang the Village People’s song… W.M.C.A.?
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:12pmWhat if he sang kung fu fighting
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:06pmHe shouldn’t have apologized.
Report Post »UnPlugged Ed
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:02pmHey, at least he didn’t sing “Kung Fu Fighting”, within ear shot of Chinatown, now THAT would have been a crime.
Report Post »WeRunDCnotThem
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:59pmThey will fire him and the whole story will not be known. I betcha the Giants fans have Subaru bumpers adorning faded Obama bumper stickers. I would be scared to ask for a foot long within 100 miles of San Fran. Whats wrong with a liberal guy? He is probably married to another liberal guy.
Report Post »stinkybisquit
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:59pmIf he wanted to be insulting, his apology should have been to homosexuals. (No offense, Giants fans; just looking for the best zinger insult)
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:56pmImagine “Family Day” in San Fransisco. What a zoo THAT must look like.
Report Post »UnPlugged Ed
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:00pmThe Bar scene in Star Wars
Report Post »Chicago Ray
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:18pmNo kidding!! I bet you see men doing all kinds of sick crud in CandleDick park nowadays, and they’re offended by this? But don‘t care we don’t want our kids seeing three men sanding each others’ lumber during the 7th inning stretch.
Hypocritical leftist Gay Gestapo.
Report Post »smak
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 5:26amYeah, San Francisco is a horrible city that just doesn’t work at all.
Report Post »UnPlugged Ed
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:56pmI think they are singling him out because he is white. The coach, or the fan… SOMEONE was singled out dammit, because they are WHITE!…I want a full NAAWP investigation!
Report Post »not-a-lib
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:49pmI wasn’t aware MLB has a DADT policy…
Report Post »Hungry_i
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:49pmI‘ve been a Giants fan since ’58, and I’m neither a pansy nor a homosexual.
Report Post »concealled9mms
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:04pmno but your probably not to bright
Report Post »TSUNAMI-22
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:13pm@ concealled9mms
Maybe you should check your grammar before you talk smack.
Just sayin’….
Report Post »Hungry_i
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:31pm“no but your probably not to bright”
Wow, just wow.
Report Post »mcFirst
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:45pmroger should know better. he is on the stage out there, you don’t talk to the audience.
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:43pmoh im sure he was just having a bad day…
Report Post »SlimnRanger
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 7:36amMakes no difference if he was having a bad day,folks should watch their mouths around children
Report Post »jordy2010
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:42pmGiants fans are just big giant a-holes……..
Report Post »Islesfordian
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:38pmI’m sorry, as soon as I saw this fan was connected to Gloria Allred I immediately discounted everything he had to say. His “witness” is for ever tainted by association with that charlatan lawyer.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:53pmBut wasn’t he just GLAD to see those fans?
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:36pmGiants fans are just well behaved pansies.
Report Post »theonefromabove
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:40pmI agree they are pansies so who cares.
http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos
Report Post »Revere1
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 10:41pmDoesn’t he know liberals have declared no more anti-gay sentiment? It’s worse than being against traditional values apparently. http://www.battlefield315.com/2011/04/gay-marriage-explained.html
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:00pmHey DARMOK you just made a big mistake. I have always liked your point of veiw. To lump all Giants fans in one bunch makes me feel you really don’t get it.
From a longtime Giants fan and I am talking long time.
Report Post »thetreyman
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:05pmmaybe they are homos, have they been asked.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:10pm@GBMBulletsSKNRD
Report Post »I’m sorry……you are not a pansy, just the others.
Stoic one
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:10pmthis is part of the entertainment industry. like Charlie Sheen who cares…………
vote with your dollars –or your remote.
Report Post »thetreyman
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:12pmme love you long time
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:15pmBy the way, I was being sarcastic when I said all Giants fans are pansies, they aren’t.
Besides, there is no crying in Baseball.
Report Post »thetreyman
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:16pmi vote for mayor mccheese
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:25pmDarmok
Been up and down since I turned seventeen.
Been on top and then it seems I lost a dream.
But I leading this game one step ahead of you.
You will not hear me cry cause I do not sing the blues.
GimmieBack
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:28pmP.S.
And I have drank enough Whiskey to turn a Battleship around. GB GBMBulletsSKNRD.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:30pmSkynard ROCKS.
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:43pmDarmok,
I was around when the plane went down. Where you?
Report Post »Wayner
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:56pmI thought they enjoyed being ****’s.
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 11:59pmDarmok,
I am also a Star Trek fan from the very beginning.
Report Post »TheCoach
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:11amDid anyone ever determine if they were a couple or threesome?
Report Post »ManThong
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:27amLet me get this straight.. They want to teach little kids **** history out there but somebody from the epicenter of that behavior takes offense to a little back and forth banter at a baseball game?
Just make it a teaching moment or just take the little rug rats to the ballet and you won’t have any problems.
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:36amRight park.Wrong century.
Report Post »JoeBtfsplk
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 9:09amIsn’t being GAY what San Francisco is ALL about nowadays?
Why would anyone be offended. NO need to apologize!
Report Post »southerngal
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:18pmFirst the coach should have been removed from the game, Second, he should have been fined, third, he should have been fired for agressively confronting a patron using foul language and a threatening behavior. but then again what would one expect these days from “un-professional ” millionaire spoiled brats playing a stupidly repetitive and unimaginative game.
Report Post »CultureWarriors
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 3:27pmWell, If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck …
This story is so stupid I can’t make a serious comment on it…
Remember, they don‘t call them queer because they’re normal.
A little humor …
Report Post »A Cuban, a Russian, a Mexican and an American are on a boat. The Cuban lights a cigar and takes a couple puffs and throws it in the water. The American says why did you do that? The Cuban replies, don’t worry we have plenty more in Cuba. The Russian opens a bottle of vodka, takes one swig and throws it in the ocean. He looks at the American and says in Russia we have plenty more. So the American picks up the Mexican and throws him in the water …
@the_WEDGE
Posted on April 28, 2011 at 5:59pml’m a Dodger fan and everybody knows that giant fans are HOMOS!
Report Post »Michael
Posted on April 29, 2011 at 1:22pmSo this is why the Braves swept the series? Imagine me thinking that they just played better baseball. John Smoltz once said (tongue firmly implnted in cheek) that AT&T Park was the windiest stadums in MLB because of all the Giant Fans in the seats.
Report Post »