Charles Barkley to Derrick Gordon: Ignore Westboro haters
Former NBA star says he hopes someone will "beat the hell out of" Westboro Baptist Church protestors
“Ignore that, man. There’s always gonna be haters. I wish him nothing but the best.”
–Former NBA star and basketball analyst for TNT’s Inside the NBA Charles Barkley, when asked by TMZ what advice he’d give to openly gay Seton Hall University player Derrick Gordon after the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church vowed to boycott the NCAA March Madness tournament because of Gordon’s being out about his sexual orientation.
Gordon will make history as the first openly gay college basketball player to play in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, Mar. 17, when Seton Hall plays Gonzaga University at the Pepsi Center in Denver. But while many have celebrated this historic first, Westboro — which calls homosexuality an “abomination” — said it would try to boycott the tournament, according to TMZ.
“Satan-inspired media loves to stoke his rebellion, but we’ll protest @marchmadness for Derrick Gordon,” the church tweeted.
TMZ then caught up with Barkley and asked him what he thought of the situation.
“Aren’t those the same people who boycott soldiers’ funerals?” Barkley asked, before adding: “Yeah, man, I hate them sumbitches. … I really hate them sumbitches. They awful people. They act like they’re religious, they’re really awful people. If you get lucky, maybe somebody will beat the hell out of them. … Hopefully, somebody will beat the hell out of those Westboro people. Hopefully soon.”
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