Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson may have earned a one game suspension, negative publicity, and loss of an estimated 600,000 in earnings after yelling to two reporters in the locker room on Monday to "get your faggot asses out of here", but it may be the disappointment and public statements from his father that will have the greatest impact.
Kansas City.com reports:
He said it hurts that his son used gay slurs in public.“That’s just not who we are and not what we believe,” said the elder Johnson, 56. “It’s not how he was raised.
“It’s tough for me as a father.” He said young Larry learned that hateful or inappropriate words are “just not tolerated.”
Larry Johnson issued an apology on Tuesday: “I regret my actions,” the statement read. “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.”
In the uproar following the anti-gay remarks, the former two-time Pro Bowl player "apologized" to NFL fans, Chiefs fans, teammates and staff—everyone but gays. It was obvious Johnson was not sorry about demeaning gays, notes Rod Mccollum of Rod 2.0.
Rashad Robinson, senior programs director for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said Johnson’s apology was a good start. Robinson said it was a sign that Johnson takes seriously the inflammatory nature of the slurs, and Robinson said he hopes Johnson learned the hard way that words can be damaging.
Johnson will be suspended from playing until November 9. His agent Peter Schaffer has vowed to appeal the decision.
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