SUMMARY: A gay slur between two boxers being interviewed for a sports TV show incited a brawl in the network's studio Thursday.
A gay slur between two boxers being interviewed for a sports TV show incited a brawl in the network's studio Thursday. Footage of the scuffle was broadcast on cable station ESPN later in the evening.
ESPN's Gary Miller was interviewing Hasim Rahman and Lennox Lewis for an upcoming segment of "Up Close" before the interruption. The program was supposed to be a preview of the highly anticipated heavyweight title rematch between the athletes scheduled for Nov. 17.
Several minutes into the interview, Miller asked why Rahman had once questioned his opponent's sexuality in an earlier radio interview.
"Why are you calling me gay?" Lewis interrupted.
Rahman responded: "I said what he (Lewis) did was gay." After Rahman had defeated Lewis for the heavyweight title last April, Lewis suggested taking Rahman to court for not committing to a rematch.
"I said that's gay to take it to the courts," Rahman added. "I mean, I don't know why he was offended."
The comments escalated to insults about each other's mother and sisters. Lewis reportedly shoved Rahman, and a wrestling match ensued. Others nearby pulled the two apart, and they chased each other off the set.
Clips from the incident led the broadcast of ESPN's "SportsCenter" Thursday night.
"Rahman's use of the word 'gay' and Lewis' reaction to it reveal the homophobia that prevails in athletics," said Scott Seomin, entertainment media director for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). "This was yet another example of how the word 'gay' has come to be used as a catch-all negative adjective meaning bad or stupid.
"I'll bet two rounds in the ring that neither Rahman nor Lewis would dare to use any other minority epithets when verbally assaulting each out of respect for such minorities," Seomin added. "The sad part is that these men do not respect the gay community or their gay fans."
Rumors circulated after the show that the athletes' scuffle was staged to get publicity for the upcoming rematch. Charlie Moynihan, a producer of "Up Close," denied the incident was planned, according to a Reuters report.