Chris Culliver reportedly made anti-gay comments in interview

[Bay 2,003]

NEW ORLEANS -- Chris Culliver, a second-year cornerback for the 49ers, reportedly made disparaging comments about homosexuality in football during an interview with a radio-show host Tuesday at the Super Bowl's media day.

Culliver told Artie Lange that gay teammates would not be welcome in the locker room, according to quotes posted by Yahoo! Sports.

 

"I don't do the gay guys man," Culliver said. "I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do.

 

"Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah ... can't be ... in the locker room man. Nah."

 

Culliver suggested that homosexual athletes keep their sexuality private until 10 years after they retire. A 49ers spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.

Culliver has played an instrumental role in the 49ers' defensive success the past two seasons, serving as their No. 3 cornerback and a core special-teams player. Lange is a longtime radio personality, having previously worked with the Howard Stern Show.

 

Just what we need!

 

[Dutch 874]

Culliver suggested that homosexual athletes keep their sexuality private until 10 years after they retire.

 

Lmao

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

And to think the Niners were out to tackle anti-gay sentiments...

Six months ago, the 49ers became the first NFL team to join the anti-bullying campaign known as "It Gets Better," targeted for teenagers who are lesbians, gay, bisexual or transgender.

 

[PackIsBack 124]

What an incredibly stupid thing to say!

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Piece of shit.

[Thanatos 2,847]

"I don't do the gay guys, man,"

 

Anyone else find that rather amusing?

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

 

[Bay 2,003]

One of my favorite young players on the team, pretty disappointing. Thought you were smarter than that, Chris.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

The 49ers issued a statement condemning Culliver's comments on Wednesday, one day after Lange played the audio recording of his interview with the cornerback during his radio show.

 

"The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris," the team's statement said. "There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community."

[Omerta+ 1,206]

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Haha, He sounds ghetto as hell.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Well at least he didn't go so far as saying being gay is a disease. Still... way to be tolerant dude.

[Vin+ 3,121]

49ers CB Chris Culliver issued an apology on Wednesday for the homophobic remarks he made on Tuesday.

 

"The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel," Culliver said. "It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience."

 

Source: Eric Branch on Twitter

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

We all know these apologies are written for them, but my god is it obvious in this instance, lmao.

[blotsfan 2,112]

Gee, what reason would a football player have to stay in the closet instead of "manning up"?

[Milla4Prez63 678]

I can understand feeling uncomfortable in a locker room with someone who is gay, but as long as no sexual passes are made there should be no real problem. Nobody should have to hide who they are, just really stupid and immature comments from Culliver and his apology just makes it sound worse to me.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Ya... Like Zack said, it was obviously written for him... But it is actually just written pretty poorly. His words were reflective of thoughts in his head but not how he feels personally? Ehhh.

[RANGA+ 1,210]

 

Why even say shit like that in public??? And that apology is pathetic lol...

[SteVo+ 3,702]

I think these paper apologies sometimes make the act even worse. It's obvious the 49ers initiated and controlled Culliver's apology. We all know how he really feels.

Edited January 31, 2013 by SteVo

[oochymp 2,393]

I think these paper apologies sometimes make the act even worse. It's obvious the 49ers initiated and controlled Culliver's apology. We all know how he really feels.

I was gonna say the same thing, from the apologies I've seen all I can think is "guys, it's time to stop digging"

 

I was watching ESPN earlier and someone asked Vernon Davis about it and his answer sounded like "he knows you can't say that" it just comes across completely hollow, but at the same time, how much can we really expect? does anyone want a player to follow that up with "I don't like gays, sorry, I'll try to be more open" or should the team to throw him under the bus? "he's a bit close-minded, but that doesn't reflect the overall feeling of the team"

 

there's definitely a feeling with this sort of comment that you have to distance yourself from it, and the only way to do that with this sort of comment is to go with the completely hollow: "I don't really believe what I said"

[Omerta+ 1,206]

I know this is going to be controversial, but I believe he should be able to say that. I do not share his sentiments in the slightest as an adopted brother of mine is gay.

 

That being said if people are allowed to voice opinions saying things to the contrary of Mr.Culliver's opinion than he should be able to voice his opinion. Now with all that said he should have to live with the fall out. And this fake apology shit has to go. Not for just him but for all players. If you man up and say what you feel that is fine, at least you put your name on it instead of this anonymous pussy shit.

 

Now that the whole should he thing is addressed, I would like to get on something else. I HATE the media. I think they should have as little interaction with the game as possible. They should be allowed 30 minutes before and after a game but this interviewing players thing should be left entirely up to the players with zero mandates from the league or the team. That way is they step on their dick in an interview they have no shield from public ridicule. I also believe that instead of damage control teams should be proactive in punishing stupidity instead of condoning it as long as their PR rep can spin an apology.

 

Along with Roger Goodell, I think the media is slowly killing this sport. It gives attention to schmuck bastards who should have been swallowed like Skip Bayless, Mike Florio, and former players like Warren Moon, Jim Brown, and the other people who had success in their career who feel the need to infect the league with word vomit. It is absolutely disgusting that legends of the game like Brown and Moon are besmirching what was a name that is untouchable. I used to admire Jim Brown for his toughness and the way he played, now I just think he is a pompous old windbag, who knows that the game has passed his generation by and he would be about an average back in the league instead of the monster he was. I think the same of moon except he is a worthless racist. Both men were awesome players in their time but the media has given them a platform to look like fucking tards.

 

Just because you have the opportunity to say something it does not mean you should. I think the media should have as little access to players as possible especially the SB. All people are doing now are trying to become distractions. It does no one any good and I don't know anyone who has enjoyed a piece written in the last 2 weeks.

Edited February 1, 2013 by Ngata_Chance

[Dutch 874]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000134097/article/49ers-chris-culliver-to-work-with-gay-lesbian-youth

 

 

49ers' Chris Culliver to work with gay, lesbian youth

 

After stating earlier in the week that gay football players "gotta get up outta here," San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver released a statement Wednesday night insisting "those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart."

 

While it's fair to wonder if the latter sentiment was prompted by Culliver's publicist, the second-year cornerback is at least taking a proactive approach to assisting the community he offended. Culliver will undergo sensitivity training and then work with "The Trevor Project" in the weeks after Super Bowl XLVII, reports the San Jose Mercury News, to learn more about suicide prevention among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

 

 

"We really feel that education about LGBT youth and the challenges they face is a great way to get (Chris) started on the right path," said Lauren McGinnis, communications director for The Trevor Project, "especially since he's a role model."

 

Among those counseling Culliver is his cousin, Andrew Brown, a director of the documentary "Word Is Out" about the experiences of gays and lesbians. "Brown has come forward in support of Chris and his efforts to educate himself about the true impact of his commentary," according to a press release from The Trevor Project.

 

UPDATE: Culliver's publicist Theodore Palmer told the Associated Press that the cornerback is excited to be working with The Trevor Project. "It's just an opportunity for him to learn about his comments and educate himself about the LGBT community, and grow," Palmer said. "It's the first step in learning about his words."

 

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.

 

I stand by his first statements as how he truly feels about gays. This will be torture for him lol.

[oochymp 2,393]

http://www.nfl.com/n...y-lesbian-youth

 

I stand by his first statements as how he truly feels about gays. This will be torture for him lol.

that's actually a great way to approach it, everybody with half a brain knows his 'retraction' wasn't honest, so at least he's taking real steps to demonstrate an understanding that his comments were wrong

[Duck Fallas 209]

As ignorant as his statement was, he is allowed to have an opinion on gays just like the rest of America. My best friend of 30 years is gay, but never once has his homosexuality had a negative effect on our friendship. Just like with straight men don't find every single woman with breats and a vag attractive, gay men don't find every single man with a penis attractive.

[oochymp 2,393]

As ignorant as his statement was, he is allowed to have an opinion on gays just like the rest of America. My best friend of 30 years is gay, but never once has his homosexuality had a negative effect on our friendship. Just like with straight men don't find every single woman with breats and a vag attractive, gay men don't find every single man with a penis attractive.

there's nothing wrong with him having that opinion, the problem is that any time he speaks he's seen as a representative of the 49ers and his comments are assumed to be representative of the team (whether that's right or wrong can be debated, but it's the way public perception goes) which is why it's not okay for him to make that sort of comment