Tony Dungy (R-Homophobe) serves at *'s pleasure

[FredScuttle]

Ugh...I can't believe I actually felt proud that this asshole won the Super Bowl. Now, after being headlining a whacko wingnut gay-hating dinner, he takes his orders from Dim Son. Fuck Tony Dungy and Fuck the Colts.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/specials/preview/2007/08/14/dungy.presidential.honor.ap/index.html

[Virginia Dare]

1. I did not know he was a fundie..

is he one of those FOCA cult members I wonder?

[FredScuttle]

3. He shed his shell after the Colts won the Super Bowl

Came out with all these pronouncements on gay marriage and the like.

MSNBC - "Dungy's comments draw support, criticism"
"Dungy caused a stir Tuesday when he accepted the “Friend of Family” award from the conservative Indiana Family Institute.

The coach told the audience he supported the group’s efforts to amend the Indiana constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

“I appreciate the stance they’re taking, and I embrace that stance,” Dungy told the crowd of about 700 people."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17556414/

Here's another money quote:

"Dungy said his comments should not be considered gay bashing.

“We’re not trying to downgrade anyone else. But we’re trying to promote the family — family values the Lord’s way,” Dungy said."

"Family values"....I want to retch.

[Hawaii Hiker]

15. Maybe Tony Dungy should have worried about being a better father:

instead of preaching to everyone else how to live...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10572873/

[FredScuttle]

19. I don't think that's fair

No one really knows why James Dungy killed himself. Yeah, Dungy was probably a fundie zealot to his son, but I can't say what kind of father he was.

Maybe it was a case similar to Brit Hume's son....

[Hawaii Hiker]

21. Fair enough, perhaps I was harsh

But I lost respect for Tony Dungy when he was on the Focus on the Family site, as that is an awful organization...

BTW, what were the circumstances w/Brit Hume's son's death?...

[FredScuttle]

23. Sandy Hume (1969-1998) - killed himself with a hunting rifle

not long after he was picked up for DUI. The rumor mill at the time was that young Sandy was a "special" friend of Rep. Bill Paxon (R-NY)

[Ganja Ninja]

24. It's hard not to sound harsh about such a touchy subject.

But for someone that goes around billing himself as an "all pro dad" you'd think it would've been a humbling experience and a cause to stop and reflect on what went wrong.

[Beetwasher]

31. Nope, Not Harsh At All, But Spot On

If OTHER people's family's are HIS business and he believe's he should poke his nose into them, then his sons suicide is everyone elses business too.

[frylock]

49. fuckin-a right!

[bullwinkle428]

2. "Hasn't identified which charities would receive money" -

don't tell me...let me guess, Tony - the Westboro Baptist Church is on your list? :puke:

[FredScuttle]

4. Right after SpongeDob and Liberty U.

Or probably one of those conversion program where they can pray the gay right outta ya!

[msongs]

5. obama clinton edwards support his views - gays should not be "married" nt

[FredScuttle]

8. When were any of them the guest of honor at the Indiana Family Institute?

(crickets)

[KharmaTrain]

6. And Payton's Got His 2Gs in For Thompson...

Ya gotta love them Hoosiers...especially the ones around Indy.

Why not support the other black NFL coach...the one who may just make it back to the Super Bowl this year. His name is Lovie Smith.

Cheers...

[FredScuttle]

7. or Herm Edwards (Chiefs)

or Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Romeo Crennel (Browns), Mike Tomlin (Steelers)

Fuck the Colts

[hfojvt]

28. Why not support the other black NFL coach?

Uhm, maybe because the Bears suck.

yours,
from Packerland :hi:

[KharmaTrain]

42. They're All Worth Supporting...

I just hope Reggie White never becomes a coach.

And we'll see who sucks in December...us flatlanders or you cheddarheads.

Cheers...

:hi:

Good luck to the Pack...but not too good. :rofl:

[FredScuttle]

43. Uh....I think it's a pretty safe bet that Reggie White will never coach in the NFL

or anyplace else, for that matter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_White

[hfojvt]

50. I tried to explain that to a Yankees fan

When I say that 'the Yankees suck' I do not mean that they are bad, I mean that I hate them. In fact, in my world, the more they win, the more they suck. The Bears did not suck so much to me when they were the milquetoasts of the midway, but nobody sucked more than the 1985 Bears. Except for Walter Payton of course. I wish he would become a coach.


More than that, I wish he could.

[KharmaTrain]

52. I Guess The Bears Must Really Suck Again...LOL

I'm no "homer" but after watching a little of the offense last Saturday, the Bears will definitely "suck" more this year than last year. Even Grossman may "suck". :rofl:

Living in Chicago and being a White Sox fan, every other team sucks this year...especially the Tigers, Indians...and I couldn't pass up the Cubbies. :rofl:

Payton wanted to be an owner and was in the process of becoming an owner (I think it was in the new Cleveland Browns) when his illness took him down. He lived not far from me and for several years he would volunteer as a coach...for the high school BASKETBALL team. He'd invite the kids to run his "hill" and would hang around and just bs with parents/fans. The man was a class act and very missed.

[FredScuttle]

53. Christ, is this contagious?

Did you mean you wish Walter Payton could have become a coach....you know, while he was still alive?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Payton

[hfojvt]

56. I said that

"More than that, I wish he could."

Meaning, I wish he was still alive and could become a coach.

[porphyrian]

9. What the fuck kind of name is Dungy? It sounds like a cute turd. - n/t

[Lars39]

11. *snicker*

It really does. :D

[porphyrian]

13. Heh, part of me is perpetually eleven years old. - n/t

[Lars39]

18. And that's a good thing. :^)

[porphyrian]

20. I guess that depends on who you ask...

;)

[Lars39]

22. True.

:)

[RamboLiberal]

78. And what is your name - maybe we could make fun of it?

I'm really disgusted by this thread. As a Steeler fan I've known of Tony Dungy for a very long time. IMHO he's mostly a fairly decent guy. Yeah, so he's Christian and follows their stupidity on gay marriage. There's some Dem candidates out there who are tiptoeing around it. We can disagree with him on this w/o calling him a homophobe. Most of you know nothing about Dungy beyond what you read! I don't like his politics but that doesn't mean he isn't a decent man. And he is a helluva football coach!

[FredScuttle]

79. He's a bigot and a homophobe

He not only approves of discrimination and denying adult Americans their civil rights, he's accepting fucking awards for it!!!

The time for niceties with bigots is long since passed....I call people for what they are. And Tony Dungy is a proud bigot.

[devilgrrl]

10. I kind of figured that most NFL personnel where whacko wingnut gay-haters

Why is everyone so suprised by this?

[CatWoman]

12. excellent point, DG

:hi:

Hell, if you look at most sports you see an underculture of gay hating.

[devilgrrl]

26. Misogynist, gay hating, racist, authoritarian...

and I'm such a sports fan too. :evilfrown:

[FredScuttle]

14. I acknowledge your point, but I was surprised by Dungy

because, before this, he always struck me as a thoughtful, reasoned man. He wasn't your prototypical NFL coach, all red-faced screaming and stupid macho exercises...he led his teams quietly and respectfully. because of this, his teams have always been derisively referred to as "soft" (read: gay). He showed that you don't have to scream and yell and show what a manly man you are to succeed in the NFL.

Until he succeeded by winning the Super Bowl and decided to let his wingnut freak flag fly. A huge disappoinment for me because he was the first black coach to win the Super Bowl.

[devilgrrl]

25. When I think of reasoned and thoughtful in regard to the NFL, I think Bill Belichick.

He's one of the few sports people that don't get on my nerves. He's as understated as they come.

[FredScuttle]

36. Understated, yes......except when he's delivering the baloney pony to a married woman

He's got quite the life off the field:

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/top/men-keep-your-wives-from-bill-belichick-188681.php

[ComerPerro]

44. I know. How hard is it to imagine that many pro athletes would be repigs?

[coco77]

16. What is this suppose to be..

the week of the sports figure? Karen Hughes and Condi and the baseball player..Are we or anyone suppose to change how they feel about these issues and America because someone who plays a game with a ball tells them to..

[hfojvt]

29. Maybe, but Dungy is not endorsing Bush

He is accepting a position in a Government agency.

When Dick Vermeil of the Chiefs endorsed Bush and before the 2004 elections had Bush show up at the Chiefs training camp for free advertising in the KC area, I instantly hated the Chiefs. He was known as a smart guy and a nice guy, so some people might be influenced by his endorsement. To me though, the endorsement proved that the media was wrong about him being smart and nice.

[FredScuttle]

39. He's accepting an appointment from Dim Son.....what, he couldn't say no?

Nick Saban did....blew off the Village Idiot-In-Chief for dinner and said he was busy at training camp so it wouldn't look personal.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2535374

How hard is that?

Looks like an endorsement to me....one homophobe propping up another.

[hfojvt]

51. Why say no though?

I probably would boycott the dinner at the White House like Mark Chmurra did (when Clinton was President) but some Government agencies still do good work in spite of Bush's best efforts. Just accepting an appointment does not seem evil to me, although, like his picks for his cabinet and judges and SCOTUS, Bush is likely to pick the most evil ideologues in America. I don't see it as an endorsement though, and at this point it's moot since Bush is a lame-duck anyway.

[marmar]

17. Yeah, I respected Tony Dungy for his achievements and his handling....

of his son's suicide, but this homophobia and cuddling up to the religious Reich has really soured me on him. His picture is on the Focus on the Family home page! Yikes!

[hfojvt]

27. I don't understand the hostility

What's so bad about the "Council on Service and civic participation"?

Is this bad?

""It's a great honor, and it's something we always talk about with our team -- how to serve your community and make your community better."

Dungy, a devout Christian, has said most of the proceeds from his No. 1 selling book "Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life," will go to charitable organizations. He has not, however, identified which charities would receive money.

Since joining the Colts in 2002, Dungy's community work has included the Baskets of Hope, a program that benefits Riley Hospital for Children; a faith-based program called All-Pro Dad; and Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Clubs."

If, in some bizarro world, the President appointed me to the council of Economic advisors, should I turn it down. Of course, Bush would only appoint me if I was some kind of RW idealogue who would rubber stamp all of his 'help the rich' proposals. Okay, maybe I see the hostility.
But I am not sure how 'service and civic participation' are turned to nefarious ends. My idea of 'civic participation' is to write a 'Bush bashing' LTTE and to goto an anti-war protest.

[FredScuttle]

41. Buzzwords

"has not identified which charities would receive money"

"faith-based program"

Sounds like another Rove-orchestrated cash grab for some fundie outfit, probably headed by a pedophile.

[Neshanic]

67. He made a homophobic speech that even the Colts distanced themselves from.

He's a gigantic homophobic asshole.

[hfojvt]

77. maybe so, for the first part - a homophobe

but that does not prove that everything he does is wrong. We need to keep an open mind. Sometimes even people we don't like can do something right.

[TZ]

30. Not as smart as I took him to be...

Admittedly I am a fan of the Washington Redskins. No doubt Joe Gibbs as a well known Evangelical type Christian is probably a Republican but he will NEVER talk politics and has made sure to keep his beliefs and personal life out of that particular area. In fact its a joke almost because all you have to do is say the words "politics" and the hand waving with the please don't ask me that or make me talk about that starts. He understands, I think, being in DC for so long how that can alienate a large part of a fan base. Supprised Dungy does not understand that.

[trayted]

How productive is it to call everyone who doesn't support gay marriage a homophobe?

You need to frame it in terms of values.

You disagree with Tony Dungy in terms of what you value.

You value "fairness" -- as opposed to the equality frame -- because marriage is more of a privilege than a right since there are numerous requirements to get married, such as age, number to be married, and so on. You don't think it's "fair" that some can get married and others are not allowed to based on sexual orientation.

He values "normacy," rooted in traditionalism and cultural norms, influence in large part by religious beliefs.

Everyone who disagrees with you is not a bigot or a homophobe. You all just value different things.

[theHandpuppet]

33. Oh yeah?

That's the same old arguments some folks used against interracial marriage. You know what those folks were? BIGOTS and RACISTS. You can change the shoelaces, but the shoe still fits.

[trayted]

34. Oh yeah? Yeah.

You value different things. That's what most of it boils down to.

[WhollyHeretic]

38. Apparently you value bigotry

This is a civil rights issue.

[trayted]

57. Once again, you ignore the issue in an attempt to make it about "me."

The fact remains. You value different things from the people who share Tony Dungy's beliefs. In a real democracy, with real discussion, you all would come to the table and hash out those differences, with give and take. But the problem is everything has become a zero-sum game. The Democrats are offering civil unions with, in some cases, all of the rights of marriage. Marriage is a "civil union." But, I guess a "civil union" is not good enough for some people who'd rather have it all, meaning, "the word marriage," and in the end will end up with nothing.

[WhollyHeretic]

59. Bigotry is not a fucking value. I think seperate but equal has been tried before

A civil union is not the same thing as marriage. There are thousands of things tied in specifically with marriage.


Status as next-of-kin for hospital visits and medical decisions

Joint insurance for home, health and auto

Immigration and residency for partners from other countries

Automatic inheritance in the absence of a will. Even with a will, the surviving partner must pay inheritance taxes, where a heterosexual spouse doesn't.

Joint parenting, Joint adoption

Joint foster care, custody & visitation including non-biological parents

Joint leases with automatic renewal rights in the event one partner dies or vacates

Inheritance of jointly owned real and personal property through the right of survivorship

Survivor Benefits such as Annuities, Social Security, Pension Plans, Medicare

Exemptions to property tax increases upon the death of a partner who co-owns a home

Spousal discounts on medical care, education and home loans

Joint filing of tax returns

Wrongful death benefits for a surviving partner and children

Bereavement or sick leave to care for a partner or child

Funeral decision making power for deceased partners

Crime victim’s recovery benefits

Judicial protections and evidentiary immunity (gays can be forced to testify against their partners, heterosexuals can't).

Mandatory economic privileges and benefits from employers

Retirement Savings - married spouses can roll 401(k) funds into an IRA without paying taxes while gays pay up to 70% in taxes & penalties even when claimed as a beneficiary.

Home protection - Laws protect married seniors from being forced to sell homes to pay for high medical or nursing home bills while gays & lesbians have no protection.

Domestic violence protection orders

Divorce protections such as community property and child support

Joint filing of customs claims when traveling

[FredScuttle]

40. You sure you're in the right place?

Welcome to DU!

Tony Dungy values discrimination and denying adult Americans their civil rights. And, he's happy to get up in front of a extremist organization and celebrate his prejudice. He is a bigot, a homophobe and a self-loathing hypocrite. An embarassment to people of all colors.

[trayted]

65. Sometimes I'm in the "right place," other times I'm not, just like every human on the planet

The fact remains, you and Tony Dungy value different things. That's what your differences of opinion on this issue boil down to. You may consider him to be a bigot and a homophobe. Someone else will say that he's not.

What good does it do to call someone a homophobe whose values tell him that he's not a bigot? You won't get anywhere with that strategy.

[ComerPerro]

45. refusing to give rights to people based on sexual orientation....

how is that not homophobic and bigoted?

[trayted]

63. Based on the things that they value, they don't consider it bigoted or homophobic.

Based on what you value, they are bigoted and homophobic.

Here is the main thing. Is it bigoted or homophobic based on the Constitution? What about based on representative Democracy, and if most voters don't support gay marriage? The Constitution provides a legislative branch to create laws, but it also sets up the system of representation, and in theory the legislation generally follows the beliefs of those represented, so if the majority of those represented don't support it, and don't consider themselves to be bigoted, then it's up to those who do to change public perception from the ground up so that those who represent, will change it.

Nothing's going to change until that happens.

[ComerPerro]

66. by that standard, there is no such thing as bigotry

who could argue, for example, that to a racist, fears based on sterotypes and irrational hatred are perfectly justified?

So how can anyone fault someone for attacking someone with race as a motivator?

[trayted]

70. There are several ways to approach that, starting with the fact that marriage

is a privilege, instead of a right; other than the fact that "marriage is in fact a civil union." Second, is the fact that a person can be as racist as they want to be as long as they don't discriminate. When it comes to racial issues, it boils down to breaking the laws, which goes back to what I said about representation. Get the laws changed. Since most laws don't say that states have to allow gays to get married, the discussion turns back to what you value versus what they value.

Well, I'd love to continue this discussion, but it's going on 1:30am and I have to get up at 6am.

[ComerPerro]

73. so discrimination is only wrong because it is illegal?

If it were legal to discriminate against minorities, you would be ok with it because that's how things are?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

47. How productive is lying and saying they aren't homophobes?

"Everyone who disagrees with you is not a bigot or a homophobe."

That's true. However, everyone who's against gay marriage is a bigot and a homophobe.

[trayted]

60. By your characterization they are bigots and homophobes

Based on their beliefs, they are principled and correct on the issue.

So, what are you going to do about that? If they don't share your values or believe the same things that you do, what good does it do for you to call them bigots and homophobes?

Don't you think it would be more productive for you to work the grassroots to try and change public opinion on this issue? That and the LGBT community understanding that many of the images coming from those gay pride commercials do nothing but hurt their cause.

This is an issue for grassroots activism, not for a Democratic Presidential candidate to go down in flames over.

[ComerPerro]

74. that is pathetic. of course it is ok, by their standards

to a sociopath, murder and torture are perfectly acceptable and justified actions. Does that mean that we must respect the sociopath, simply because he believes he is correct in his actions?

[LostinVA]

55. Actually, if you think gays are second-class citizens, you are a bigot and a homophobe

[trayted]

58. How does Tony Dungy think they are second-class citizens?

It still doesn't change the fact that both sides "value" different things. Nothing that you all say changes that. You prefer to fight issues on the surface, which is why you are focusing on "them" and calling them "surface" names like "bigot and homophobe."

You all have different belief systems and value different things, that's why you calling them names isn't going to change a thing. Their values mean more to them than your name-calling.

[WhollyHeretic]

61. So you don't support gay marriage?

[trayted]

62. It doesn't matter whether I do or don't or whether you do or don't, it's not going to change

a thing. Apparently that's something that you can't get, and once again, you ignore the issue. Every voter is a values voter. They all just value different things. That is what every decision boils down to.

So, what do you value?

[WhollyHeretic]

64. So I guess you are another bigot who doesn't support people's civil rights

[trayted]

68. It's always about the underlying issues with me. I could care less about the surface. That's the

problem with politics today. It's all about the surface, instead of the substance.

You aren't going to get anywhere calling people like Tony Dungy a homophobe. They don't support gay marriage for reasons that they consider to be completely valid. You do for reasons that you consider to be valid.

Without understanding, meaning having a "foundation," the surface -- what someone does or does not support -- means didlysquat.

[WhollyHeretic]

69. Were talking about civil rights here. Denying people civil rights isn't a value

Do you support equal rights?

[trayted]

71. Whether you support traditional or non-traditional marriage is value-based

Values affect voting decisions, and voting decisions affect legislation and the direction of the country.

Is marriage a right or a privilege? Some "consenting adults" would love to marry more than one person at one time. They don't have the "right" to do that in most cases. Some would love to marry a foreigner, but the government may not "allow" it out of suspicion that they are trying to game the immigration system.

Marriage is not a "right," and every so-called "right" is regulated by and administered within the parameters of the law. For example, you may have freedom of speech, but you can't scream he's got a gun in a crowded theatre and get away with it.

Since elected officials aren't going to start allowing gay marriage, and in most cases are moving to prohibit gay marriage, for fear that they'll be kicked out of office, what are you going to do to change public opinion so that the legislators follow?

Call them bigots?

[WhollyHeretic]

72. Why don't people deserve equal rights?

It's fucking simple. It's also something you need to support if you want to stay on this website.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[BronxBoy]

35. I think

one of the more interesting political dynamics to keep an eye on in the next few years will be the the relationship between the Black and Gay communities. If you want to make a lot of Black people bristle, mention that you think the struggle that the Gay community is involved in for fair treatment is similar to the experiences of people involved in the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s. Boy will you get an earful. But I do think they are similar. When you strip away the particulars of time, place and social conditions, the situations are the same: a group of American citizens are not being treated equal to other Americans and they are seeking to change that. And I think it will be interesting to see if we as a people move towards that position or if we move to a more entrenched position such as the one espoused by the organization in Indiana.

The Black church has been the pre-eminent institution in helping to advance Black interests in this country. But I think we as a community have our heads stuck in the sand on what the movement for gay rights potentially means for us. Tony Dungy can support whoever he wants in whatever manner he chooses. But I wonder if these Blacks who are deeply immersed in their faith wonder about the motives of the organizations they become involved with because of that faith. I took a look at this organizations website and it seems they are only interested in a few issues: gay rights, abortion and protecting the sanctity of marriage. (I've often wonder how, in a country with a 50% divorce rate, marriage is considered sanct). In my gut, I have a feeling that this organization probably feels about equal treatment for Blacks pretty much the same way it does about equal treatment for gays: It just doesn't want to fight that fight right now. But trust me, I'd bet they'd be all over separate schools for different races in a heartbeat. And trust me, if they can continue to deny Gay people equal treat or even worse, codify bigotry into the laws of this country, how long do you think it will be before they try to do it to us? AGAIN.

So it's a little disappointing to hear people like Tony Dungy mouth platitudes that just a short time ago were used to argue that we shouldn't have equal rights in this country. And while I understand that he is grounded in his faith, an awful lot of black men were strung up on a Saturday night by God fearing Christians who went to church the following day and rejoiced in the Lord.

Boy it really would be nice if our Black major sports figures actually became very vocal about issues that really have an impact on our community. HIV and AIDS are completely ravaging th Black community. Wonder what old Tony has to say about that?

Sometimes I just don't get it.

[FredScuttle]

46. Excellent post

I doubt we'll see a major black sports figure (or white, for that matter) be vocal on this issue because of 1) ignorance and 2) the stigma associated with this topic in the locker room. Nobody wants to put a target on their back, so they'll keep quiet and keep making their millions.

John Amechi (former NBA player who recently came out) has a lot of courage and I admire his activism, but he was nowhere close to being a famous athlete (at least before he came out). The first pro in a major sport to come out will be a trailblazer, but I doubt I'll see it in my lifetime.

[ComerPerro]

48. interesting and thoughtful post. Althought it reminds me of something my fiancee says

one of the things that comes with being black is there tends to be confusion on all other minority issues. Sometimes people assume you are just looking out for others in your minority group, other times they expect you, as a minority, to be working for all minority groups. Its good and its bad. We've talked about it a lot.

[PCIntern]

37. Yes and what's more...

note that the SI Headline says that Dungy "Accepts Invite" from *...

It's INVITATION, not INVITE.

Wotta buch of idiots...even if people are using that term in 'common' usage, it's a Frigging INVITATION!

[ComerPerro]

75. invite is correct, Webster's considers it a noun meaning the same as invitation

But what the fuck would some dictionary company know, right?

SI has some extremely gifted writers, they know what they are doing.

[Javaman]

54. serves only to pleasure the president*.

:rofl:

[SeattleGirl]

76. Wow, some of these people really love to SERVE the pResident.

I don't even want to know the details. I'd never sleep again! :puke: