Earlier this week Cleveland Browns linebacker Tank Carder used the word “faggot” in an exchange on Twitter and then spewed a series of ugly follow-up tweets.
Said Carder, complaining about people angry at him for using the slur: “Yea, they all gettin butt hurt.” He later added, “I don’t agree with being gay or lesbian at all, but saying faggot doesn’t make me a homophobe, it’s just a word.”
Carder later “apologized” after being called out by a legion of LGBT and LGBT straight allies on Twitter and his team The Cleveland Browns issuing a statement which read: “These comments are certainly not reflective of the Cleveland Browns organization, nor do we condone them in any fashion. We have spoken with Tank and have made this very clear to him.”
And even though Major League Soccer puts the penalty on such a public homophobic language at a three-game suspension, the NBA fines players to the tune the cost at $50k, and Major League Baseball has suspended players for up to two weeks, The NFL has DECLINED to take any further action against Carter.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Outsports via email:
We were in contact with the club and the club addressed it with the player. Divisive comments of that nature can only be hurtful to many fans and has no place in the NFL. The Browns made clear to the player that it was unacceptable and he issued a public apology
If Carter would have used the “N” word or some other epithet, his career with the NFL would be over or at least in jeopardy. Instead it’s a, “that kind of talk is inappropriate…” nudge, nudge, wink, wink, but boys will be boys from the NFL.
Pathetic
