Steeler Joey Porter Blames Media for Outrage Over Gay Slur

Joey Porter is mad the NFL fined him for calling another player a "fag" on camera so he's blaming it on the media. He tells ESPN:

"I just don't understand how you can get a DUI or fail a drug test and nothing happens. You say something, you get fined. That just don't make any sense. You'd think if you get a DUI or something, you should get fined. If you fail a drug test, you should get fined. But for saying a word, you get fined. That's kind of backward to me. There was enough publicity about it. Y'all keep talking about it. Y'all going to make them do something. If y'all wouldn't have just kept talking about it, [the fine] wouldn't have happened. Y'all need a story so you keep talking about it. So they say, all right, let's fine him then because everybody seems to be upset about it."

You may have missed...
Steeler Joey Porter Slapped with $10K Fine for Gay Slur [tr]
Joey Porter Issues "Apology" for "Fag" Slur [tr]
Pittsburgh Steeler Joey Porter Calls Opponent a Fag [tr]

Steeler Joey Porter Slapped with $10K Fine for Gay Slur

One week after Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter called Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. a "fag" in comments to media outlets following a game, the NFL has hit Porter with a $10,000 fine.

Porter "apologized" on Tuesday saying he didn't mean to offend anyone — except Winslow: "You know, that was probably a poor choice of words. So if I offended anybody, I apologize for that...I don't know ... I guess because how we used that word freely, me growing up using that word, I didn't think anything of it. Like I said, I apologize to anyone I may have offended. I didn't mean to offend anybody but Kellen Winslow."

It's the second fine this year for Porter. He was fined $15,000 earlier in the season for running at the mouth about an official during a game.

you may have missed...
Pittsburgh Steeler Joey Porter Calls Opponent a Fag [tr]
Joey Porter Issues "Apology" for "Fag" Slur [tr]

Joey Porter Issues "Apology" for "Fag" Slur

Pittsburgh Steeler Joey Porter issued an apology after practice on Tuesday for calling Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. a "fag" in comments to media outlets after a game last Thursday.

"You know, that was probably a poor choice of words. So if I offended anybody, I apologize for that...I don't know ... I guess because how we used that word freely, me growing up using that word, I didn't think anything of it. Like I said, I apologize to anyone I may have offended. I didn't mean to offend anybody but Kellen Winslow. That's pretty much that. I don't want to put any more into it...Whatever I say is going to be on an extra level anyway. But like I said, I didn't think it was that big of a deal when I said it anyway. So it's over with it."

Porter just doesn't get it. Would Michael Richards use of the N-word been any less offensive if he had insisted he only meant it for one person in his audience?

And apparently coach Bill Cowher and teammate Deshea Townsend don't get it either:

"On Monday, Steelers coach Bill Cowher called Porter's homosexual reference 'inappropriate,' but suggested that Porter wasn't necessarily attacking anyone's sexual preference. Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend agrees. 'That's how the game goes,' Townsend said. 'Joey was just expressing his opinion after someone cheap-shotted one of our guys. Joey was just standing up for one of his teammates.'"

Since when does the word "fag" not attack anyone's sexual preference?

A fine from the NFL has not yet been issued.

You may have missed...
Pittsburgh Steeler Joey Porter Calls Opponent a Fag [tr]

Pittsburgh Steeler Joey Porter Calls Opponent a Fag

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter is expected to apologize for referring to Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. a "fag" following a game last Thursday night.

In a post-game interview, Porter commented on opponent Winslow: "He's a fag. He tried to dap me up before the game. He's soft though. I don't pay attention to him."

Porter was apparently miffed about a hit he had taken from Winslow during the game: "It was late. That's what fags do. He's soft. He wanna be tough but he's really soft. He tried to give me a handshake before the game. He's not my friend, he don't know me. What you trying to shake my hand for? He talk too much and he hadn't done nothing. He threw a cheap shot. He's weak. He's for real weak. He's soft. He might want to play receiver because he don't want to play tight end. He's not gonna block nobody."

During a news conference yesterday coach Bill Cowher called Porter's comments "inappropriate" but no apology has been forthcoming from Porter and the NFL has not yet laid down a fine.

Ron Cook: Porter's words go too far [post-gazette]
You Can't Say That, Joey Porter [aol]
Player Calls Opponent a Fag [keith boykin]
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter ridicules Winslow, Browns [tr]

Related
Homophobic Ashley Cole Banknotes Can't buy Win [tr]
ESPN Announcer Brian Kinchen Taken Off Air for "Gay" Comment [tr]
Sun-Times Columnist "Disgusted" By Guillen Media Reaction [tr]