Kobe Bryant, Ozzie Guillen, John Rocker on sports dishonour roll - Toronto Star

John Rocker

MARK LENNIHAN/The Associated Press file photo Former Braves closer John Rocker was suspended in 2000 for offensive remarks.

Yunel Escobar may have been the first professional athlete to be suspended for a message written on his eye black patches, but he’s just the latest to face disciplinary action for using homophobic slang:

Amare Stoudemire: The NBA fined the Knicks power forward $50,000 this summer after Stoudemire used a gay slur in a direct-message tweet to a basketball fan who had criticized him.

“I am a huge supporter of civil rights for all people,” Stoudemire said following the fine. “I am disappointed in myself for my statement to a fan. I should have known better and there is no excuse.”

Colin Clark: Earlier this year, Major League Soccer suspended the Houston Dynamo midfielder for three games with pay, while fining him an undisclosed amount, for uttering a gay slur at a ball boy in Seattle.

“I’m sorry to everyone that I’ve offended,” Clark said in a statement. “I intend to never use those words again in any context. There is no excuse for them.”

Justin Fontaine: Earlier this year the Minnesota Wild suspended the minor-league forward two games after he tweeted a gay slur while watching the Grammys.

“My apologies to everyone, it was wrong,” Fontaine tweeted afterward. “Twitter rookie and it came out totally wrong. It was a roommate battle, nothing more. #sorry.”

Joakim Noah: The Bulls forward was fined $50,000 in May 2011 for shouting a homophobic slur at a fan.

“The fan said something that was disrespectful towards me,” Noah said after the incident. “And I went back at him. Got it on camera. I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. Anybody who knows me knows that I'm not like that. I'm an open-minded guy.”

Kobe Bryant: The NBA fined the Lakers superstar twice as much as Noah in April 2011 for uttering a homophobic slur at a referee after receiving a technical foul. The league explained that Bryant’s fine was greater because he directed it at an official.

“The comment that I made, even though it was not meant as it was perceived to be, is nonetheless wrong,” Bryant said.

Roger McDowell: MLB suspended the Atlanta Braves’ pitching coach for two weeks last season after he made lewd and homophobic gestures to fans in San Francisco, and also later threatened another fan with a bat.

“I would like to apologize if anyone was offended by my actions that occurred in San Francisco,” he said upon his return. “My intent was not to hurt anybody or hurt anybody's feelings.”

Ozzie Guillen: In 2006, MLB fined then-White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who used a homophobic slur in a profanity-laced tirade against Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti.

“The commissioner did what he had to do,” Guillen said. “They don’t agree with what I say. Me either. I agree with what I say about Jay. . . . I’m not going to change. One thing I’m going to make clear is I apologize to the community, but to Jay, no chance. This thing is on and on for good.”

Julian Tavarez: The Cubs pitcher was fined $16,000 by MLB and ordered to take sensitivity training in 2001 after using a gay slur to describe San Francisco Giants fans.

“I paid for what I said. It’s something I didn’t mean. Sometimes you say things you don’t mean.”

John Rocker: The brash Braves reliever was suspended in 2000 for a slew of homophobic, racist and sexist remarks made in a Sports Illustrated article in the off-season. MLB commissioner Bud Selig banned Rocker for all of spring training and 28 regular season games, but the suspension was later halved to 14 games by independent arbitrator Shyam Das. Rocker’s fine was also reduced from $20,000 to $500.