"Kinda gay" remark on ESPN was kinda dumb

There is so much going on in my gay world that I have neglected to weigh in on the controversy swirling around ESPN commentator Brian Kinchen. During the network's broadcadt last weekend of the Northern Illinois-Iowa football game, Kinchen remarked that something he had just said was "kinda gay."

That remark got him suspended.
According to Outsports.com, the comment came in the first quarter, with Iowa leading, 7-0. A pass from NIU quarterback Phil Horvath was thrown slightly behind a receiver who failed to catch the ball. Kinchen, a tight end in the NFL from 1988 to 2000, was observing that the receiver should have tried to catch the ball with his hands, not his body. "Your hands are, are, tender and they can move and caress the ball," he said. "That's kinda, that's kinda gay, but hey."

ESPN's Vice President of Public Relations Josh Krulewitz said Kinchen's future with ESPN is under review.
"The comments were inappropriate and we apologize," Krulewitz said. "He will not appear on the air this weekend, and his future appearances are in question."
Kinchen says he knows he made a mistake and released this statement:"I sincerely apologize for my extremely poor choice of words. They were completely inappropriate and not at all a reflection of who I am or of the way I perform when I work. I have learned from my mistake and look forward to continuing my broadcasting career."

Frankly, I think a one-game suspension should be enough. I'm glad ESPN took the bold move of having zero tolerence but I would be satisfied if Kinchen would have some sensitivity training and talk about it in an interview on ESPN. This whole situation also providing us with an opportunity to educate kids that calling something "gay" can be so devastating for some of their classmates on the playground and it's got to be frowned upon.
It's interesting to note though how ESPN, owned by The Walt Disney Co., is being so harsh with Kinchen when Disney-owned ABC didn't even slap the wrist of Isaiah Washington for referring to his "Grey's Anatomy" co-star T.R. Knight as a "faggot" during an argument with Patricjk Dempsey. Sure, it didn't happen on the air but it resulted on Knight feeling he had to come out publicly.