Millen Apologizes for Derogatory Term -wont lose job for bad coaching, might for calling Morton gay

LARRY LAGE ^ | Monday, December 15, 2003 | LARRY LAGE

[presidio9]

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions president Matt Millen apologized Monday for using a derogatory term for gays in a heated exchange with Kansas City receiver Johnnie Morton.

Millen was talking with Kansas City players and coaches outside their locker room after the Chiefs' 45-17 victory Sunday when he ran into Morton, cut by Millen after the 2001 season.

Millen, also the Lions' general manager, said he congratulated Morton but was greeted with an insult from the player.

"Unfortunately, I retaliated with a derogatory term directed toward Johnnie," Millen said in a statement. "I apologize if I offended anyone. It was certainly not meant to do anything other than express my frustration and disappointment."

Morton apologized for his part in the exchange, but was disappointed by Millen's choice of words.

"What he said is demeaning and bigoted," Morton told The Kansas City Star. "Jeremy Shockey got in trouble for saying it about a coach (Bill Parcells), and now we have a president of a team making statements like that. It's totally unacceptable. I have gay friends, and I don't even joke around with them like that."

Last summer, Shockey called Parcells a "homo" in a New York magazine article.

Millen has been the focus of several controversies in his three years heading the Lions, who are 4-10 this season.

He was fined $200,000 this summer by the NFL because he didn't follow the league's minority hiring policy when he hired coach Steve Mariucci.

During the 2002 season, Millen called an unidentified player a "devout coward." Millen later apologized.

[King Black Robe]

According to ESPN, the term he used was "faggot".

Okay, a little worse, but come on. They're football players. So they have a little verbal skirmish. So what? He could have said, "What are you, a girl." Same thing. Or sissy. These guys smash each other to the ground for a living. Do we need to turn them in to a bunch of touchy-feely women?

What is the world coming to?

[Dont Mention the War]

[Indie]

I sure got called a lot of names in elementary school by the kids and they never lost their jobs as students. If I was gay, I'd have replied "A homo? Yes I am and proud of it you big brute."

[Texas Federalist]

Homer Simpson on gays: They're embarrassing me. They're embarrassing America. They turned the Navy into a floating joke. They ruined all our best names like Bruce, and Lance, and Julian. Those were the toughest names we had! Now they're just, uh...
John: Queer?
Homer: Yeah, and that's another thing! I resent you people using that word. That's our word for making fun of you! We need it!!

[WOSG]

"I have graphs and pie charts proving my point."

LOL.

Is it derogatory to laugh at your comment?

[presidio9]

What is the world coming to?

The thing that really makes my PC head spin is that the athlete who was so offended by the "demeaning and biggoted" term is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

[dfwgator]

Most of these modern-day players never would have made it back in the 50s. If anyone had tried to pull a stunt like Joe Horn did, they'd end up with their legs broken the next time they went out on the field.

[King Black Robe]

"I sure got called a lot of names in elementary school.."

You should have called the newspaper. Apparently, name calling is BIG NEWS. Hahahaha! Slow news day or major liberal agenda. You choose.

[KC_Conspirator]

Is Morton a pillow biter?

[King Black Robe]

LOL! Excellent point. I guess Native Americans (or whatever we are supposed to call them now) have to have thicker skin than homos.

[Texas Federalist]

Please have some sensitivity. It's "homo-AMERICANS".

[King Black Robe]

LOL!

[Dolphy]

Matt Millen is a first class jerk and nobody here should waste their time defending him. Morton was treated poorly by Millen despite having been a stand up guy for the organization. I am happy that Morton told him off, Millen had it coming to him.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Well, this is the season: "Don we now our gay apparel!"

[fiscally_right]

The popular opinion is that 'faggot' is used for gays because the nazis burned them like 'faggots.' That probably isn't where it actually came from, but I've heard that from multiple people.

[presidio9]

That can not be correct. Webster's cites its common usage as early as 1914:


Main Entry: fag·got
Pronunciation: 'fa-g&t
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1914
usually disparaging : a male homosexual
- fag·got·ry /-g&-trE/ noun, usually disparaging
- fag·goty /-g&-tE/ adjective, usually disparaging

[Skooz]

Why is it that every time someone commits some real or imagined slight to homosexuals/lesbians that their next press release must be some grovelling endorsement of the "gay lifestyle" coupled with a tearful and self-abasing apology?

It is quite reminiscent of the Stalinist show trials.

[xsmommy]

hey, you faggots see this thread? it is hilarious. xshub just told me about the faggot comment tonight at dinner. We were recalling that great comment by the Former Skin QB, Doug Williams, "we ain't no buncha faggots..."

[Dan from Michigan]

According to one of the Detroit papers, Morton said that he wanted to get Millen fired since the Lions released him.

As for Johnnie's whine, shuddup. This is football.