Dallas Mavericks' Tim Thomas Accused of Anti-Gay Slurs, Brawl

The Dallas Police Department reports Dallas Mavericks reserve forward Tim Thomas is an assault suspect in a brawl that occurred early this morning at a Denny's. Reportedly, the NBA player, another man, and three women responded to a greeting from 29-year-old Daniel Pettie by calling him "faggot". The incident escalated into a brawl involving a fistfight and throwing chairs.

The Dallas Morning News has the play-by-play:

Pettie told The Dallas Morning News that someone else -- not Thomas -- threw the chair. He said that when he and his friends passed by Thomas’ table and he addressed the player by saying, “What’s up?” Thomas responded that that he didn’t talk to “faggots.” Pettie told The News that when he passed Thomas’ table again, Thomas made another remark derogatory remark about gays.“I asked one of the guys, ‘What the hell did you say?’ ’’ Pettie said. “As Tim continued to instigate the situation, one of the guys hit me in my mouth. Another one of his friends hit me. They pushed me down onto a table.” Pettie says he picked up a chair to defend himself. One of the men who hit him in the face then picked up a chair and threw it, he said. Pettie said he caught the chair, but not before it hit [a woman].

He said Thomas then yelled out that the police had been called and that it was time to leave. Pettie said of the confrontation: "It was juvenile. It was like a bunch of high school kids. It reminded me of high school. The popular kids picking on lower classmen. That’s how they acted. (Thomas) acted like a big bully kid in high school. Pettie said that he is not gay, but that some of the friends who were with him are lesbian."

Roger Emrich, a sports reporter for KRLD radio, was eating in the Denny's at the time and witnessed the fight. Emrich said the fight involved companions of Thomas but not the player. Emrich says he never heard Thomas utter an anti-gay slur, which is disputed by witnesses and the police report.

On Halloween, another Mavericks player, Drew Gooden, was accused of calling a Los Angeles Clippers fan and his friend "faggots" at the Staples Center.

The Background:
Mavericks' Drew Gooden Accused of Calling Fans "Faggots"

Comments

[Carlos]

Where are all the homophobic straightboy enablers who said that calling someone a faggot was "no big deal" Or maybe it was the fan's fault?

A man got his lip busted and a 65 year old woman was hit by a chair because someone told Mr NBA they didnt appreciate his comments. But it's no big deal right? SMDH

[Freddy]

@ carlos:

i remember that. in the drew gooden and larry johnson stories, there were people defending them and blaming the fans. smh

you really cant blame the fans here. sounds like some fugly and hoodrat baller (see pic? very fugly!) and his ghetto friends were acting out. if they're going to THROW A PUNCH and some chairs, its safe to assume they called someone f word. unless you want to say they threw the punch and chairs but would never drop f bomb.

[Faison]

I'm very disappointed in Tim Thomas. He's a decent player but obviously has that thug mentality and never left the streets. Someone could have been killed and I hope Mr. Pettite is okay. And prayers to the women celebrating her 65th who was hit by the chair. Horrible.

[Dalton]

Sort of surprising there are so few comments. Well maybe not. The last few times we had stories about athletes calling fans names and throwing around the f word, there were quite a few misguided black gay men defending and protecting these losers. In have no idea why....straight black men almost never defend their gay brothers. I would imagine the fact that this man was punched and someone else hit with a chair gives them pause.

This Tim Thomas was wrong and his posse was wrong. I'm sure Tim won't be punished too severely though, athletes usually are not. But I am even more disgusted with all the people on here who defended Larry Johnson, Drew Gooden and Tim Hardaway. And the same ones are defending other straight male celebrities accused of doing wrong. Stop making excuses for bad behavior, brothas! That's the only way we can protect our community.

[CC]

What's sad is that I read this article here this morning about 7:55 am and on the radio about 20 minutes later, on one onf the black radio stations here, they are saying that the gays are trying to get paid off of him!! Bottom line, you are responsible for yourself AND your entourage and despite you trying to be "low key" when you are out in the public, you become a public figure, so deal with it, you can afford a chef at your house and you don't have to worry about any "riots" as they called it on the radio-

(here in Dallas)

[Chaz]

Typical uncultured Negrosity, as far as I am concerned. I think the reason why the girls aren't falling into this post to comment is because this behavior from Black sports players is becoming commonplace, especially as of the present. I guess the girls are over it.

[Faison]

>>>I think the reason why the girls aren't falling into this post to comment is because this behavior from Black sports players is becoming commonplace.

Heehee @ the "girls". If you say so, hon. If you say so.

"The girls" don't fall into most topics that seriously concern our community. There are few comments on gay bashings, discrimination and murders, and a helluva lot of folks "fall in" to give their two cents on Chris Brown. Or in recent cases, defend homophobic black athletes and say "the gays" are blowing it up.

Just because something is commonplace doesn't mean it's right.

[ff]

someone should ask Mavs owner Mark Cuban about this. i'd like to hear his stance since he's never one to shy about from any topic, especially when it concerns one of his players.

Pettie should have just said "I'd rather be gay than ugly" and walk off.

[ger]

Denny's?