Odds and Sods

Brady Quinn is the proverbial golden boy.  He’s charming, handsome and, most importantly, white.  He is the nice young Catholic boy who played quarterback for Notre Dame.  He also, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, is a homophobe.

Quinn was celebrating New Years Eve at La Fogata Grill in Columbus, a Mexican restaurant next door to Union Cafe Bar, a popular gay bar in the Short North neighborhood.

Seth Harris placed a 9-1-1 call at 2:35 AM on Jan. 1, claiming that “Brady Quinn of the Browns” was “trying to cause a fight.”  He claimed that Quinn, unprovoked, called him a “faggot” and used other profanities.

Harris stood by his statement in an interview with the Plain Dealer, emphasizing that he recognized Quinn specifically and that Quinn was part of a group of 10 causing problems.

Police arrived shortly after the phone call.  They found Quinn engaged in a verbal altercation with Jason Thompson, 32.  Quinn disengaged from the altercation when police arrived, but Thompson was charged with disorderly conduct and for failing to leave the scene.

Thompson’s friend Brian Dunfee reported to police that he suffered minor injuries after being thrown to the ground by a white man, about six-feet tall, with brown hair.  Police described the incident as an “anti-male homosexual” crime.  Thompson’s attorney claims that Thompson was “trying to protect his friend” when he was arrested.

This may simply be a case of drunkenness on Quinn’s part, but alcohol generally lowers inhibitions.  It doesn’t create prejudice where none was latent.

Quinn comes from both a locker-room culture and a religious environment that often breeds a virulent strain of homophobia.  The mainstream sports media promptly piled on Tim Hardaway for his stated displeasure at the prospect of having a homosexual teammate.  Though they also extended a free pass to LeBron James for voicing a similar sentiment, because he was too young and immature to comment intelligently.

The allegations over what Quinn did or did not do are murky and he has not been charged with a crime.  And, discussion of the event will probably remain confined to the blogosphere, while ESPN focuses on more important things like Roger Clemens’ butt cheek abscess and Michael Strahan’s dance moves.  However, would Terrell Owens or Randy Moss been afforded the same benefit of the doubt?