Yunel Escobar Used The "I Know Gay People And They Weren't Offended" Defense During Today's Ill-Advised Presser

The Blue Jays suspended Yunel Escobar three games for his "Tu ere maricón" stunt Saturday, then marched him out in front of the New York press at Yankee Stadium today to face the music about why he did such a thing.

Maybe that wasn't such a good idea, because Escobar appeared confused through the entire episode, mumbling his prepared statement and the answers to questions in a barely-audible Spanish and leaving those around him to translate his reactions as best they could. Escobar clearly didn't know why he was there or why what he'd written would result in such a reaction; the way he answered questions only bolstered the idea that Escobar wasn't really apologizing but instead explaining.

By responding to the question "Do you have any gay friends?" with "My decorator is gay, and my hairdresser is gay, and I have various friends who are gay, honestly they haven't been as offended" Escobar says exactly what one shouldn't in this situation; apologies only work if the presumed offender demonstrates mortification in some way. Escobar isn't mortified, he's just confused. Some of that's his fault (he should know by now after a career in the U.S. that gay slurs aren't acceptable here; but, then, he should know his own language's basic grammar, too) but the Blue Jays are to blame as well. John Farrell's excuse that nobody noticed the words due to Escobar writing on his eye black "every night" is bullshit; Escobar almost never wears eye black and when he does the writing involves penises.

Forcing Escobar to hand over his salary to LGBT causes isn't going to teach him any lessons, nor will his required involvement with such organizations. They're not going to work for the same reason half the country rejects equal rights for gay folks: he lacks the intellectual vocabulary to understand why such a thing might be offensive. Everyone responsible for making Escobar a major-leaguer bears some responsibility for that.