San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver has apologized for making several anti-gay remarks he made during a Super Bowl media day interview.
The controversy began when Culliver told a radio host his team would not welcome a gay player into the locker room. In his original comments, Culliver was asked if a gay player ever approached him to which he responded:
“I don’t do the gay guys. I don’t do that.”
Culliver then added:
“We ain’t got no gay people on the team. They gotta get up out here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff. … Nah, can’t be … in the locker room, man.”
Chris Culliver was then asked if a player should eventually reveal their homosexuality if they had covered it up during their playing days. Culliver responded:
“Gotta come out 10 years after that.”
Following his comments, Culliver released the following apology:
“The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel. It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience.”
The San Francisco 49ers did not state whether or not disciplinary actions would be taken against Culliver. However, the team resides in an area with a large gay population, which may influence its final decision. The 49ers did issue a notice of condemnation against Culliver’s anti-gay remarks. The statement reads:
“The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris. There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.”
It is unlikely the team will suspended Culliver before the start of the 2013-2014 NFL season. Culliver is a key component as San Francisco’s primary nickel cornerback, and he will likely play a large part in this Sunday’s Super Bowl contest.
The NFL will likely levy some type of punishement against Chris Culliver for his anti-gay remarks. The NFL has actively been fighting against bullying and discrimination with its “It Gets Better” campaign.