Atlanta Braves Ptiching Coach Hating on Homosexuals

From the research I did a few weeks ago, I assumed the sporting industry was taking serious steps to prevent further anti-homosexual slander during sporting events, as well as keep their respective stadiums "clean," so to speak. Unfortunately, my assumption may prove to be incorrect before long. On April 26, Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell issued a statement of apology to the public for rude behavior he displayed against a group of male fans watching a game in San Francisco.

According to this TMZ report, McDowell did quite a bit more than the "heckling" he apologized for. He approached the three male fans, asking them questions like, "Are you a homo couple or a threesome," and "Are you three giving it to each other in the ass?" As if this lovely response wasn't enough for anyone to take, he simulated gay sex with a bat, shown in this picture. To make matters even more awesome, McDowell did this in front of a family of four, including two 9-year-old girls. The father of the two girls tried to step in and stop McDowell, who then heckled the man, saying "Kids don't fucking belong at the baseball park," and threatening to knock his teeth out with the same baseball bat he used to simulate gay sex. The family demanded an apology, which McDowell later gave.

To me, simply apologizing for his vile behavior is not enough for Roger McDowell. He needs to be punished some more. This is not me being bloodthirsty, but rather me wanting McDowell to learn that he can't get away with making homophobic slurs, threatening to physically harm someone, and doing said actions in front of children. Sometimes people in highly respected positions like McDowell's think they can somehow get away with saying and doing anything they want, because they're famous. This is not so.

Fortunately, the Atlanta Braves agree with me. Roger McDowell was placed on what they call "administrative leave." Fredi Gonzales, manager of the Braves, says he hopes McDowell won't lose his job over this. He fully admits that McDowell will have to do some serious apologizing and hoop-jumping, but that he should retain his job in the end.

GLAAD reached out to the Braves Administration in an effort to express the gay community's outrage against the slurs McDowell spouted off last Tuesday, but I think it was largely unnecessary. The minute the story hit the press, I'm sure the Braves were trying to do damage control. It doesn't take a genius to see that what McDowell did and said put him and the Braves in a tight spot. This isn't the '50s, where someone can heckle a homosexual person and expect no repercussions. The gay community across the United States now has a voice, and it's growing larger every day. Frank Wren, general manager of the Atlanta Braves, made the comment that the Braves ave reputation to uphold, and that the actions of one member of the Braves staff does not reflect the opinion of  the Braves administration as a whole. I find it interesting that the first thinking Wren says is that the Braves will uphold their reputation. Shouldn't he be worried about the things McDowell said, as opposed to the potential damages his words will cause the team? Is the real problem being addressed, or will this turn into another incident of someone trying to sweep embarrassing behavior under the rug and hoping people will forget about it? I won't forget about it, that's for sure. I hoped that the strides being taken in major league sports to prevent homosexual hate would take effect everywhere. Apparently, I have a while to wait.