Quote :

Slinging homophobic slurs in professional sports is the new steroids: everyone seems to be doing it. Following on the heels of Lakers star Kobe Bryant's anti-gay tirade, Braves pitching coach and ex-New York Met Roger McDowell is facing intense pressure to step down after unloading on some fans at San Francisco's AT and T Park this week.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, McDowell unloaded on 33-year-old fan Justin Quinn before a Giants/Braves game, asking the dad and his pals, "Are you guys a homo couple or a threesome?"

McDowell allegedly asked the fans, capping off his freak-out by using a bat to simulate a sex act while thrusting his hips back and forth in a suggestive manner.

When Quinn objected and pointed out that there were children around, McDowell reportedly shot back, "Kids don't f---king belong at a baseball park," and then approached the dad and his twin 9-year-old daughters while still wielding the bat.

"How much are your teeth worth?" McDowell asked the stunned fan.

Quinn told the paper he was able to calm McDowell down, but his daughters and other fans in the area were upset by the incident and he demanded an apology from McDowell.

A pigtailed Kylynn Quinn said, "Kids should be allowed to be at baseball games without a coach yelling at them or other people," to which McDowell did what any self-respecting professional athlete would do after losing his s--- on paying customers: he apologized.

"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.

The Braves said they're looking into the incident, but Quinn has filed a complaint with the Giants staff and police and has apparently retained celebrity civil rights attorney Gloria Allred to represent him. In a letter to baseball commissioner Bud Selig, Allred demanded an immediate investigation and asked for the former World Series pitching ace to be fined and undergo sensitivity training.

Should McDowell be fired for homophobic slurs?

His bullshit apology only happened because he was told he had to do it. What he did is inexcusable. So yes. Can his ass.

Everything about this is just wrong.

I think the apology was enough. It wasn't worth losing his job over.

Can it!

An individual has freedom of speech. He also does have an obligation to the organization he works for. If the league and/or the team state they do not allow that type of speech and he violates it, it serves him well.

He is a public figure under the auspices of the league and as such he needs to keep his personal views so they do not affect the league rules and immage they want to present.

You have a great day.
Friendly Veteran

Oh, this ass should deff have been fired and no apology will suffice for these reported actions.

I am not a celebrity and I would have been fired for such language and actions at my work.

and this:

"McDowell allegedly asked the fans, capping off his freak-out by using a bat to simulate a sex act while thrusting his hips back and forth in a suggestive manner.

When Quinn objected and pointed out that there were children around, McDowell reportedly shot back, "Kids don't f---king belong at a baseball park," and then approached the dad and his twin 9-year-old daughters while still wielding the bat.

"How much are your teeth worth?" McDowell asked the stunned fan.

That is illegal verbal assault by most criminal law. Add to that assault on a child. He shoulda been arrested and explain his actions to a judge.