Joakim Noah’s slur was wrong, but so was the fan who goaded him

Written by: admin on 31st May 2011

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Cheer for your team and boo the opposing team . . . but do it as if your grandmother was listening.

View full sizeAssociated PressJoakim Noah is expecting a heavy fine — at least — for using a homophobic slur towards a heckling fan in Game 3 of the Bulls’ playoff series with Miami.

Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for using a homophobic slur toward a referee.

Well, to be wholly accurate, he was fined for being caught on camera using a homophobic slur toward a referee.

Now Joakim Noah is facing the wrath of the NBA for getting caught on camera using a homophobic slur toward a heckling fan.

Both men are guilty, and both deserve and deserved whatever punishment is meted out. At some point, society needs to understand that homophobia is as much evidence of moral bankruptcy as racism or any other kind of bias-fed -ism. Let’s get that clear right up front.

But . . .

The two incidents are not the same. Bryant’s epithet was borne of his own outrage and frustration at what was happening ON the court. Noah’s outburst was triggered by a heckling fan. Here’s what an Associated Press story said:

Some of Noah’s teammates stood up for him Monday, saying that the fan went too far in whatever comments were directed toward the Bulls’ bench.

“It wasn’t just one time or two times,” said Bulls forward Luol Deng, who declined to say what comments the fan may have made. “He just kept going and it became really annoying. (Noah) just lost his temper.”

Bulls forward Carlos Boozer said he was not aware of exactly what took place in the bench area, but noted it happens somewhat regularly.

“That’s a part of the game,” Boozer said. “Fans have the right to say what they want to say after they buy their tickets. Unfortunately sometimes, for us, we just have to sit there and take it. Unfortunately, that’s part of sports.”

With all due respect to Boozer . . . horsehockey.

The price of a ticket does not come with carte blanche to say just anything. A ticket covers admission to an event. It does not come with the right to question someone’s ancestry or sexual orientation, to cast aspersions on someone’s religion or ethnicity.

Boo a rival player till you’re hoarse. But note that “boo” is a three-letter word, not four. My father used to say that if you have to resort to profanity to make your point, you must not have a very good vocabulary.

It’s perfectly legitimate, understandable and even desirable to cheer your team and its players and razz the opposing team and their players. But for heaven’s sake, keep a civil tongue in your head to do it. Be creative.

Several years ago, comedian/actor Steve Martin made a movie called “Roxanne” that featured him as a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac. In one scene, a rival accuses him of having a big nose. Martin’s character scoffs and rattles off 20 superior beak insults, stuff like “Is that your nose or did your parents park a bus on your face” and “You could de-emphasize your nose by wearing something bigger … like Wyoming.”

Now I suppose the Society to Cease Heinous Nasal/Olfactory Zinging (SCHNOZ) could come down on me for that, but those digs are funnier and far more memorable than a mere, “Dude, you’ve got a big nose.” Nobody I want to call friend is going to be quoting a fan in the bar later that night for calling someone a homophobic name, or using expletives while trying to rattle a rival player.

Frankly, I wonder if the so-far unidentified fan who triggered Noah’s outburst is proud of himself for doing so. Something tells me yes. And in some ways, that is as troubling as Noah’s use of the slur. Noah, who is not my favorite person in the NBA, either as a player or a person, is going to pay a $50,000 fine for his transgression. This fan isn’t.

Look, it’s a game. Yeah, it’s our ticket money — yours and mine — that makes it possible for these folks to earn bazillions playing a game. But a ticket is not a license to cross a line into uncivility.

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