Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, who used a homophobic epithet on two occasions in the wake of Sunday’s 37-7 loss to the Chargers, has issued an apology.
“First of all, I want to apologize to the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and the rest of the NFL, Commissioner Goodell, the Chiefs organization, Coach Todd Haley, his staff, and my teammates for the words I used yesterday,” Johnson said in a statement issued by agent Peter Schaffer. ”I regret my actions. The words were used by me in frustration, and they were not appropriate. I did not intend to offend anyone, but that is no excuse for what I said.
“I also want to apologize to all the kids who view athletes as role models. I was not a good role model yesterday and hopefully I can become a better role model. We all make mistakes, and the challenge is to learn from them. I will do my best to learn from this one as I move toward becoming a better person, teammate, and member of the Kansas City chiefs team and community.”
Johnson used the term “fag” in direction of one on his Twitter followers, and then told reporters on Monday to “get your faggot asses out of here.” The league office has said that it is exploring the situation, and discipline could be imposed by the Chiefs, the NFL, or both.
…this guy had 1 good year then held his stupid GM hostage for a ridiculous contract he didn’t deserve…I would cut him loose and end the relationship with the punk…
Ok. Ok. I’m sorry I ate your fish, OK????
Okay. Simple solution for the Chefs. Have the water boy (not me) go to Johnson’s locker during the 1st quarter of each game and take his Blackberry. Then on Wednesday, it mysteriously shows up back in his locker. “Cheat” the “tweet”. The practice might keep this from happening again until Thanksgiving time.
kappa08 says:
October 27, 2009 1:44 PM
…this guy had 1 good year then held his stupid GM hostage for a ridiculous contract he didn’t deserve…I would cut him loose and end the relationship with the punk…
YA, AND GIVE HIM ALL THAT GUARENTEED MONEY????? GOOD CALL NUMB NUTS!
Why is this news. so sites like this and sportsbybrooks can seem legitimate sites.
good thing he didn’t call them Pu&%ies or he really would have had big trouble with NOW. I’m still in counseling from all those days of playing smear the queer as a youth. It’s high time NFL step in and stop these Jocks from making so many insensitive comments. Opp’s I’m sorry I’ll issue another post with an official apology for using the term Jock.
Who cares! Although LJ has to be the role model for what coaches son’s should not be. Especially one from the hallowed grounds of Penn State.
Florio, I’m surprised you didn’t mention this tiny little omission by Johnson, but he seems to have forgotten to apologize to homosexuals.
The sincerity of apologies like this would be alot easier to accept if the apology were not read off a script provided by the agent.
Anyone who’s heard a Larry Johnson interview (or even read his twitter remarks) knows he’s incapable of issuing an apology like this on his own. And since he didn’t issue it on his own, his sincerity is suspect. Rather, he’s just going through the motions that all NFL players must go through after saying or doing something that reflects poorly upon them or their team.
Uh btw Larry, think you forgot to apologize to fags everywhere.
hey Mayomofo…money isn’t worth his disease. Besides if he’s so good.. hahahahaha. He’ll get picked up right? pppffftttt.
All I know is, as a LEADER of a team trying to get to another level the last thing I want is a Judas running smack with his little narcissistic tweets…. eat the jack lose the pu55y who can’t run the ball anyway.
Well, the NFL is bound to take swift and decisive action with LJ and kick him out of the league. After all, they have no room for divisive comments like these, real or manufactured. Where is DeMaurice Smith, Al Sharpton and Roman Oben on this pressing issue?
Why does everyone think they are a comedian here? The one liners, the missing drum rolls! Bunch of fluff no substance…..
All these Viking fans are whining about getting screwed by the refs (like do with every loss) so was it the refs who ran two interceptions in for scores? Just wondering…
“Never thought I’d see the day when the politically correct police would start handing out dresses to NFL pros. ”
For a moment, let’s pretend it’s 1992 and “politically correct” isn’t yet one of the most overused and tired phrases in contemporary English.
It’s not “politically correct” for a private employer to admonish an employee for making an idiot of himself in public; it’s a demonstration of common decency and business sense.
I don’t buy his apology one bit, for two reasons:
1- The grammar is perfect.
2- He doesn’t apologize to the people who deserve it; the gay community.
If he’s ever going to find the desire to improve himself a hefty suspension would certainly help. Failure to suspend him would reinforce his current beliefs.
Who is anybody kidding with this “apology”?
Thanks for nothing, Shirley.
Considering that normally LJ is barely able to speak what I suppose you could call english, him reading a scripted response prepared by his agent that doesn’t even apologize to the people he should have doesn’t really cut it.
easy rodstiffington…its 2009 and we are all brothers here,
but LJ does need some therapy and a new team.
Chiefs shoulda traded him for any draft pix being offered
“The Breeze says:
October 27, 2009 1:58 PM
The sincerity of apologies like this would be alot easier to accept if the apology were not read off a script provided by the agent.
Anyone who’s heard a Larry Johnson interview (or even read his twitter remarks) knows he’s incapable of issuing an apology like this on his own. And since he didn’t issue it on his own, his sincerity is suspect. Rather, he’s just going through the motions that all NFL players must go through after saying or doing something that reflects poorly upon them or their team.”
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ding ding ding! i guarantee you these words were not written by LJ, but rather by his agent. the fact that the agent issues this apology just further proves this. if you’ve ever heard him speak or read his tweets, you’d know he doesn’t speak like this. this is all regurgitated text he was told to say.
when he comes on tv and gives a heartfelt apology to everyone in person without reading from cards, i’ll believe it.
then again, i wasn’t offended by the comment. but i don’t think this “apology” is nothing more than a failed attempt at damage control. don’t half-ass the apology. either do it yourself, or don’t do it at all. this is no different than not apologizing, IMO.
First of all, gay people are not an ethnicity, color, or whatever. What they do is a behavior.
Secondly, the word Larry Johnson used was inappropriate. However, you can’t compare that word to the n word or any other racially “divisive” word.
Thirdly, I’d love to hear rodstiffington say that stuff he said to my face.
Over the last couple of weeks, the Rush Limbaugh supporters basically said racism no longer exists. We see that’s a lie…
Can we get an honest apology from ANYONE in the NFL? “I didn’t mean to offend anyone.” Well, that is an outright lie. If he hadn’t meant to offend anyone he shouldn’t have used the words he chose. he chose them with the specific intention of offending someone. He should simply apologize for posting out of frustration and offending in doing so. Saying that he never meant to offend is an outright lie, and a bad one.
just once I wish someone would stand by what they said without issuing the stupid apologies.personaly I am offended by everyone being offended by everything!seriously you can’t say good morning anymore without someone not liking how you said it.people are smart enough to figure out what is right and wrong without the thought police pointing it out to us.no amount of reprograming,sorry I mean sensativity training is going to change anybody’s beliefs.has anyone ever had to sit thru one of those?I have and it was 3hrs. of pure hell!basicly the white man is the cause of all evil in society is what it boiled down to,this was not even for something racisit.I made the mistake of laughing at dirty joke when someone walked in the room at the end of it and complained.joke is still dammed funny and I laugh every time so the deprgraming did not work for me!
“Just because its not an ethnicity doesn’t make it less racist.”
Logically correct; it’s not “racist” in the first place to use a homosexual slur any more than it’s racist to call a woman a c–t. Study the term “racist” very closely, letter by letter, and see if you can figure out why.
disgrace to Penn State football
Damn, why did he apologize.
I love it when athletes put these peon fans in their place.
I sometimes wish athletes had the green light to knock out a couple of fans a year!
If LJ had said “What I said was soooo gay, my bad” I could live with that. Peace out.