>> Greg: THEY DECLINED TO
WHERE THE RAINBOW AND IT DROVE A
REPORTER NUTSO.
NOT QUITE A RHYME BUT I WILL
TAKE IT.
FIVE BASEBALL PLAYERS ON THE
TAMPA BAY RAYS, NAMED AFTER RAY
ARROYO -- IF ONLY I COULD SAY
HIS NAME.
THEY OPTED OUT OF -- WASN’T EVEN
CLOSE.
THEY OPTED OUT OF WEARING PRIDE
PATCHES ON THEIR UNIFORMS AT A
PRIDE NIGHT GAME HONORING LB --
LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH TO CELEBRATE
GAY PRIDE.
IF I SAY PRIDE ONE MORE TIME I
GET MY OWN FLOAT IN THE PARADE
WITH MY DANCERS, HANS, CLIVE,
AND FRITZ.
THE BASEBALL PLAYERS CITED THEIR
RELIGIOUS -- CALM DOWN.
THEY CITED THEIR RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS, ONE OF THEM, JASON ADAM
TELLING "THE TAMPA BAY TIMES" IT
"COMES DOWN TO A FAITH-BASED
DECISION."
HE SAID HE WANTS THEM TO KNOW
THEY ALL ARE WELCOME AND LOVE
HERE.
WELCOME IT AND LOVED HERE, THOSE
SOUND LIKE FIGHTING WORDS.
LEAVE IT TO ESPN, WHICH USED TO
COVER SPORTS, TO WEIGH IN ON THE
SHOW CALLED AROUND THE HORN,
WHICH IS ALSO THE INSTRUCTIONS I
GIVE TO MY WAXING SPECIALIST.
>> IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT BASEBALL.
THAT RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION B.S.
WHICH IS USED IN SPORT AND
OTHERWISE ALSO ALLOWS FOR PEOPLE
TO BE DENIED HEALTH CARE, JOBS,
APARTMENTS, CHILDREN,
PRESCRIPTIONS, ALL SORTS OF
RIGHTS, AND SO WE HAVE TO STOP
TIPTOEING AROUND IT BECAUSE WE
ARE TRYING TO PROTECT PEOPLE WHO
ARE TRYING TO BE BIGOTED FROM
ASKING FOR THEM TO BE EXEMPT
FROM IT WHEN THE VERY PEOPLE
THAT THEY ARE BIGOTED AGAINST
OUR SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCE.
>> Greg: EXACTLY.
CHOOSING NOT TO WEAR A PATCH IS
THE SAME AS DENYING SOMEONE AN
APARTMENT.
SHE SQUEEZED IN ONE MORE BE WORD
BEFORE THE SEGMENT ENDED.
>> IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT ACCEPTING
BIGOTRY WITHIN THE HALLS OF
SPORTS.
IT’S ABOUT ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO
LEARN AND GET EDUCATED SO THAT
CHANGES.
>> Greg: ACCORDING TO ESPN,
THE PLAYERS ARE BIGOTS FOR NOT
WEARING THE PRIDE PATCHES, WHICH
WAS OPTIONAL, BY THE WAY.
SO YOU BETTER DO IT OR THEY ARE
GOING TO CALL YOU A BIGOT.
AT ESPN THEY ARE SO ACCEPTING OF
EVERYONE WHO THINKS JUST LIKE
THEM BUT IF YOU’RE GOING TO
ENFORCE EMPLOYEES TO WEAR PATCHES, MAKE SURE IT’S FOR A
PATCHES, MAKE SURE IT’S FOR A
CAUSE THAT EVERYONE CAN SUPPORT.
[LAUGHTER]
>> WHY?
>> Greg: I DON’T KNOW WHY.
GUY, I GO TO YOU, NOT BECAUSE
YOU LOVE MEN. BUT BECAUSE HE LOVED BASEBALL.
BUT BECAUSE HE LOVED BASEBALL.
YOU LOVE BASEBALL AND -- YOU
KNOW, -- IS IT RIGHT TO COMPEL
PEOPLE TO DO THINGS?
THIS IS JUST WRONG.
IT’S WRONG.
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.
YOU’RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL.
RESPOND.
>> YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WRONG,
GREG?
>> Greg: YES.
>> YOU ALL, DESPITE MY MULTIPLE
EMAILS ON THIS ARE NOT WEARING
MY MANDATORY CELEBRATION PRIDE
SOCKS.
NONE OF YOU.
NOT ONE OF YOU.
AND YOU ALL RESPONDED IN YOUR
OWN LITTLE GROUP TEXT AND I KNOW
THAT AND YOU SHOW YOUR PRIDE
AT -- I WILL SEE YOU THERE.
I THOUGHT IMMEDIATELY ABOUT
COLIN KAEPERNICK AND THE
KNEELING.
AND WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS GOOD
AND EVEN IF IT’S OFFENSIVE, TOO
BAD, HE HAS A RIGHT TO SPEAK.
COMPELLING OTHER ATHLETES TO
WEAR SOMETHING ON THEIR BODY IS,
WHAT?
I’M JUST TRYING TO KEEP STRAIGHT
WITH THE RULES ARE.
>> Greg: THAT’S A GOOD ONE.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAK OF THE OTHER THING IS AS A
MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, IT
DOESN’T REALLY MEAN VERY MUCH TO
ME IF SOMEONE IS WEARING
SOMETHING TO MAKE ME FEEL GOOD,
BUT WEARING IT AGAINST THEIR
WILL, IT MEANS NOTHING.
IT’S COMPULSORY AND IT DOES NOT
HELP ANYONE, IN MY OPINION.
WEAR IT IF YOU WANT TO WEAR IT,
THAT IS GOOD, IF YOU DON’T,
ENJOY THE GAME.
>> Greg: I’M GLAD YOU SAID
ENJOY THE GAME.
>> I’M A BASEBALL FAN.
>> Greg: MAKES A REALLY GOOD
POINT OH.
THIS IS JUST LIKE THE PRONOUN
STUFF.
IF YOU WANT TO BE CALLED
SOMETHING BY PRONOUN, KAT, WHAT
IF -- HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL
IF YOU KNOW IT’S BEING FORCED?
LIKE YOU HAVE TO DO IT OR YOU
LOSE YOUR JOB?
>> YEAH, IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY
SENSE.
I THINK IT ACTUALLY COULD CREATE
MORE HARM BECAUSE IT’S CREATING
A FALSE REALITY.
BECAUSE NONE OF HER OWN THINGS
OKAY, EVERYBODY REALLY WANTS TO
WEAR THIS.
I’D RATHER HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF WHO
DOES AND WHO DOESN’T AND I THINK
A LOT OF TIMES THESE PEOPLE WHO
PUSH THIS KIND OF STUFF, I DON’T
KNOW HOW, BUT THEY DON’T SEEM TO
UNDERSTAND THAT FORCING SOMEONE
TO SHUT UP OR FORCING SOMEONE TO
SAY THEY AGREE WITH YOU ISN’T
THE SAME AS GETTING THEM TO
UNDERSTAND OR ACCEPT YOU.
SO THAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL,
THEN THAT’S THE LAST THING YOU
SHOULD BE DOING.
>> Greg: TYRUS, I THOUGHT THIS
STUFF WOULD DIE DOWN, BUT WHY
DOES THE NFL HAVE TO PARTICIPATE
IN EVERYTHING?
>> ISN’T NFL BASEBALL?
THEY ALL DEAL WITH CORPORATIONS,
SPONSORS.
BECAUSE I FIND IT LAUGHABLE THAT
YOU WANT TO ATTACK A PLAYER
WHO’S BASICALLY SAYING THAT
WHILE I ACCEPT THE LIFESTYLE, I
JUST DON’T WANT TO WEAR THE
PATCH.
BUT YOU WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT
THE CORPORATIONS YOU WORK FOR
THAT WILL HAVE -- THEY WILL PUT
PRIDE FLAGS UP EVERYWHERE AND
THEY WILL DO THOSE THINGS IN
PLACES WHERE IT’S ACCEPTED AND
WHERE WE ARE ALL WORKING TOWARDS
NORMALLY INEQUALITY.
BUT THEY DON’T DO THAT [BLEEP]
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
THEY DON’T DO IT IN OTHER
COUNTRIES, THEY DON’T HAVE THE
BALLS TO DO THAT, THEY WILL COME
AFTER AN ATTACK WHERE IT’S SAFE,
THE U.K., AMERICA, WHERE WE ARE
ALL AT THE TABLE AND WE HAVE
DIFFERENCES, BUT WE ARE ALL AT
THE TABLE.
AND THEY NEVER EVER GO AFTER
THESE COMPANIES, THEY ALWAYS
PICK OUT LIKE THOSE GUYS BECAUSE
THEY JUST -- THEY SUPPORT IT,
THEY JUST DON’T WANT TO WEAR IT.
THAT’S LIKE ME COMING IN HERE
EVERY DAY IN FEBRUARY GOING TO
COME ALL RIGHT, TELL ME
SOMETHING GREAT ABOUT MY
BLACKNESS.
I’M STILL WAITING FOR MY TRIBUTE
FOR THE 28 DAYS OF BLACK HISTORY
MONTH.
I ASSUME THAT BECAUSE WE GET
ALONG AND WE TALK OVER TIME YOU
DIDN’T HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY
BLACKNESS EVERY AFTER A WHILE,
TO BE HONEST, GETS ANNOYING, YOU
KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?
IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF THEY
WERE LIKE ARE NOT PLAYING THE
GAME BECAUSE I DON’T SUPPORT
THIS AND THEY ARE WRONG AND THEY
DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAN ABSOLUTELY NOT.
BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT THEY’RE
DOING.
>> Greg: THE THING THAT GETS
ME IS THE IDEA THAT THIS WAS
"OPTIONAL," BUT YOU CAN SEE THE
FALL OUT IF YOU DON’T DO IT.
IS ANYTHING REALLY OPTIONAL IN
THIS NEW CLIMATE?
>> IT’S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MAIN
PROBLEMS WITH THIS IS THAT IT
ISN’T REALLY OPTIONAL.
THERE IS THE AUTHORITARIANISM IN
PLEASANT AND SOME OF THESE
THINGS, BUT THERE’S ALSO AN
ISSUE HERE THAT I THINK IT’S
THIS HORRIFIC JOURNALISM.
I MEAN, THIS IS -- THIS IS A
JOURNALIST WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE
COVERING SPORTS, AND IT’S LIKE
THIS SYNDROME WHERE PEOPLE
FIGURED OUT WHERE PEOPLE COULD
MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES BY
OPINING ON THEIR ABSURD
POLITICAL VIEWS RATHER THAN
COVERING THE GREAT TALENT THAT
THEY SEE ON THE FIELD OR COME UP
WITH INTERESTING STORIES THERE,
AND THAT’S ALMOST AS OFFENSIVE
AS ANYTHING ELSE.
>> Greg: IF THE SAME THING
HAPPENING AT
"THE WASHINGTON POST" AND
ELSEWHERE.
THEY ARE HIRING PEOPLE NOT FOR
THE JOB THAT THEY ARE DOING, BUT
FOR WHAT THEY PERCEIVE THAT
PERSON AT ON LIKE TWITTER OR ARE
TICKING A BOX AND THEN WHAT YOU
ASK IS YOUR ACTUAL BRAND
DISSOLVES.
ESPN IS NOT ABOUT SPORTS,
"THE WASHINGTON POST" ISN’T
ABOUT JOURNALISM, IT’S ABOUT
IDENTITY, IDENTITY, IDENTITY.
TICKING THE BOXES AND EVERYBODY
IS TERRIFIED OF NOT TAKING THE