Tim Hardaway says he hates 'gay people'

Basketball Betting Lines

02/14/2007 -

MIAMI (AP) -Retired Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway said Wednesday that he hates gay people, but later said he regretted the remarks.

``You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people,'' he said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket. ``I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States.''

The discussion was sparked by last week's announcement that retired NBA center John Amaechi is gay. The host asked Hardaway how he would interact with a gay teammate.

``First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room.''

If he did find out that a teammate was gay, Hardaway said he would ask for the player to be removed from the team.

``Something has to give,'' Hardaway said. ``If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court or whatever, it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate.''

He later apologized for the remarks during a telephone interview with Fox affiliate WSVN in Miami.

``Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that,'' he said. ``That was my mistake.''

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Wwwwin4d Basketball Betting News

<< Red Wings-Stars, Sums
Detroit 0 0 3-3Dallas 0 1 0-1First Period-None. Penalties-Ribeiro, Dal (tripping), 7:14; Schneider, Det (roughing), 20:00.Second Period-1, Dallas, Ribeiro 8 (Jokinen, Robidas), 6:34 (pp). Penalties-Filppula, Det (holding), 5:24; Langfeld, Det (inte

<< Sharks-Predators, Sums
San Jose 0 0 0-0Nashville 2 0 3-5First Period-1, Nashville, Dumont 12, 6:22. 2, Nashville, Weber 9 (Arnott), 10:02. Penalty-Grier, SJ, double minor (cross-checking), 14:00.Second Period-None. Penalties-Cheechoo, SJ (boarding), 3:57; Michalek, SJ

<< Blackhawks-Penguins, Sums
Chicago 1 1 2 0-4Pittsburgh 1 2 1 0-5Pittsburgh won shootout 2-0First Period-1, Chicago, MacDonald 3 (Vrbata, Kukkonen), 8:29 (sh). 2, Pittsburgh, Petrovicky 3 (Moore, Ruutu), 10:32. Penalties-Lapointe, Chi (slashing), 6:44; Seabrook, Chi (hookin

<< Canadiens-Devils, Sums
Montreal 1 1 0-2New Jersey 0 3 2-5First Period-1, Montreal, Souray 19, 15:46. Penalties-Murray, Mon, major (fighting), 6:53; Janssen, NJ, major (fighting), 6:53; Plekanec, Mon (delay of game), 11:17; Bonk, Mon (interference), 18:21.Second Period

<< Panthers-Senators, Sums
Florida 0 0 0-0Ottawa 1 1 2-4First Period-1, Ottawa, Phillips 8 (Vermette, Kelly), 8:21. Penalties-Semenov, Fla (hooking), 5:40; Fisher, Ott, major (fighting), 10:11; Gratton, Fla, major (fighting), 10:11; Roberts, Fla (slashing), 13:30.Second Peri

Canucks-Wild, Sums >>
Vancouver 1 1 0 1-3Minnesota 0 2 0 0-2First Period-1, Vancouver, Naslund 19 (Morrison, Salo), 9:49 (pp). Penalties-Koivu, Min (hooking), 8:06; D.Sedin, Van (boarding), 11:18; Veilleux, Min (cross-checking), 17:04; Green, Van, major (fighting), 1

Predators and Canucks stake claim to first place with victories >>
The Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks turned key victories into leaps to first place.Shea Weber scored twice and Tomas Vokoun made 22 saves to give Nashville a 5-0 home win over the San Jose Sharks that vaulted the Predators back on top of t

With every Pac-10 loss, Arizona State closes in on history >>
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -Arizona State coach Herb Sendek wore an all-black sweatsuit to his news conference this week. The outfit reflected ASU's season, but not Sendek's mood.He's remained upbeat even as his Sun Devils (6-18, 0-13 Pac-10) try to avoid be

Celtics end 18-game skid; Spurs snap Pistons' seven-game win streak >>
The Boston Celtics finally ended the longest losing streak in franchise history, beating a Milwaukee Bucks team that was struggling almost as badly as they were. The San Antonio Spurs finished an eight-game road trip with a win against Detroit that

Knight reprimanded for comment about officiating >>
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -Texas Tech coach Bob Knight was reprimanded by the Big 12 Conference for comments about officiating in a double-overtime loss at Oklahoma State.After Saturday's 93-91 defeat, Knight said a call on a charge was ``horrendous'' and

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.