Recently, we have seen two people make homophobic comments in regards to Mixed Martial Arts, Bob Arum and Tim Cowlishaw. At first you think no big deal it is a boxing promoter and a newspaper writer, they always bash MMA.
To me the issue is two fold, one the use of homophobic slurs should not be tolerated and second the lack of media outcry has been almost non-existent. This is a stark contrast to when Dana White made a video blog and used a gay slur which resulted in the mainstream media going nuts. It was all over ESPN and they even featured it on a piece on E:60.
Now Bob Arum is always making comments that disrespect MMA but I would definitely he crossed the line when he said that "[It's] guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground." Yet there was no mainstream media outcry denouncing Arum's comments or calling for him to make a public apology.
Tim Cowlishaw writes for the Dallas Morning News and appears on ESPN's Around the Horn. When Bob Ryan made comments in one of his articles that insulted Jason Kidd's wife ESPN was all over it, he was suspended from appearing on Around the Horn, The Sports Reporters and Pardon the Interruption. When Dana Jacobs made inappropriate comments at the roast of Mike and Mike while obviously intoxicated she was suspended. Yet, when a writer calls MMA "Rough Man Love Gone Wild" it is apparently acceptable to ESPN and the mainstream media.
These are the types of events that cause the media to lose credibility, when they viciously attack an MMA promoter for a gay slur but say nothing when a boxing promoter and one of the reporters calling for White's head make homophobic comments.
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