Brewers All-Star Josh Hader needs to explain why he is not the bigoted guy in his tweets Brewers All-Star Josh Hader needs to explain why he...
Brewers All-Star Josh Hader needs to explain why he is not the bigoted guy in his tweetsCLOSE
SportsPulse: MLB insider Bob Nightengale details the league's reaction to Josh Hader's tweets and the dangers of social media that have plagued athletes.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader is going to end up doing a round sensitivity training, apologizing again and eventually moving on from the racist and homophobic tweets he sent as a teenager that were unearthed Tuesday night while he was playing in the All-Star Game, blowing up into a story that was bigger than the game itself.
That’s how this usually goes for talented people, right? Apology, contrition, a few hours with some HR people and â€" poof! â€" all the bad stuff is out of your system like a flu you treated with antibiotics.
But Hader, whose Twitter history includes gems like “I hate gay people,†repeated uses of the N-word and simply, “KKK,†needs to go beyond the apologies, rationalizations and platitudes he employed after the game in an attempt to diffuse the controversy. This time, “I was immature,†isn’t enough.
More: Josh Hader apologizes for racist tweets, claims they 'don't reflect any of my beliefs now'
More: MLB, Brewers denounce All-Star Josh Hader's racists tweets
If Hader â€" now a 24-year-old professional athlete â€" doesn’t now believe the things he tweeted when he was 16 and 17, he needs to explain it specifically and thoroughly. He needs to pour out his heart and detail his personal, seven-year transformation from teenage bigot to tolerant adult.
Because without understanding what has changed about Hader̢۪s perspective, what inspi red him to stop being the hateful person that came through loud and clear in those tweets, an anodyne apology and a few sensitivity training sessions seem like little more than an excuse to move on.
It̢۪s not outside of the realm of possibility that Hader has made that journey as an adult. Others certainly have including former NBA star Tim Hardaway, Sr., who went from admitted homophobe to LGBT rights advocate.
But it̢۪s not as simple as saying you disavow your former views and locking your Twitter account. It takes work. It takes introspection. It takes time.
Wade Davis, a former college and pro football player who is now a public speaker and advocate focusing on racial, gender and LGBT issues, said his work with individuals in Hader’s situation has focused on taking a “journey†together to understand where the original beliefs came from.
“We all need space to grow, and it’s true he was a kid then,†Davis said. “What’s missing, and what ’s always missing, is an ability to clearly articulate what about him is different now, and more importantly, articulate the journey that he’s gone on that causes one to believe he’s different now.
“The work is a never-ending journey to understand yourself and those who are different from you.â€
Major League Baseball is undoubtedly going to take this seriously. It̢۪s a disaster for the league to have someone̢۪s teenage tweets overshadow its All-Star Game. But sadly, plenty of people will automatically excuse what Hader did because he wasn̢۪t an adult.
Admittedly, it can be problematic in this day and age to go into someone̢۪s social media history. It̢۪s easy for kids to grow up now without the self-awareness that something they post could be found and publicized years later when they become prominent in whatever it is they do.
But this wasn̢۪t an insensitive, racially-charged joke or a teenager posting rap lyrics, things that are easy to writ e off as a dumb kid being immature. Though there are social media landmines everywhere, the truth is that most people don̢۪t have to worry about racist and homophobic tweets from their youth coming back to haunt them because they aren̢۪t racist or homophobic and thus wouldn̢۪t even think about posting the things Hader did.
Rather, what he tweeted reflects vile and bigoted views that were clearly part of his consciousness at some point in his life. We should be open-minded enough as a society to believe Hader no longer holds that views, but only if he is willing to tell us exactly when, how and why he changed.
Highlights from the 2018 MLB All-Star Game FullscreenPosted!
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American League players celebrate the win. Fullscreen Alex Bregman and George Springer celebrate after Bregman's 10th-inning home r. Fullscreen Alex Bregman hits the go-ahead home run in the top of the 10th. Fullscreen George Springer celebrates after his home run in the top of the 10th. Fullscreen Jesus Aguilar reacts after he hit a fly ball to the warning track in the bottom of the ninth inning. Fullscreen Scooter Gannett reacts after hitting a home run to tie the game in the ninth inning. Fullscreen National League players celebrate after Scooter Gennett's home run in the ninth inning. Fullscreen Scooter Gannett hits a game-tying homer in the ninth inning. Fullscreen Christian Yelich celebrates his eighth-inning homer with Charlie Blackmon. Fullscreen Jean Segura celebrates in the dugout after his homer in the eighth inning. Fullscreen Jean Segura celebrates his home run in the eighth inning. Fullscreen Jean Segura flips his bat after hitting a three-run homer in the eighth inning. Fullscreen Jean Segura celebrates with teammates after his home run in the eighth inning. Fullscreen Jean Segura celebrates with American League third base coach Gary Pettis of the Houston Astros after hitting a three-run homer in the eighth i nning. Fullscreen George Springer singles in the eighth inning. Fullscreen Josh Hader of the Brewers pitches in the eighth inning. Fullscreen Charlie Morton of the Houston Astros pitches during the seventh inning. Fullscreen Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the seventh inning. Fullscreen Eugenio Suarez throws to first in the sixth inning. Fullscreen Joey Votto tags out Yan Gomez in the seventh inning. Fullscreen Jose Berrios shares a laugh with Salvador Perez. Fullscreen Jose Berrios pitches in the fifth inning. Fullscreen Mike Trout takes a selfie in the outfield with Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge. Fullscreen Bryce Harper strikes out in the fourth inning. Fullscreen Justin Verlander reacts near the dugout. Fullscreen Manny Machado takes a selfie on second base with Nick Markakis. Fullscreen A bunny mascot tackles Teddy during the presidents race. Fullscreen A view of the president race. Fullscreen A view of Nationals Park during the game. Fullscreen Jose Altuve fields a ground ball in the third inning. Fullscreen Blake Snell pitches in the third inning. Fullscreen Willson Contreras celebrates his home run in the third inning. Fullscreen Mike Trout hits a home run in the third inning. Fullscreen Jacob deGrom pitches in the third inning. Fullscreen Mookie Betts in the outfield. Fullscreen Luis Severino and American L eague teammates take a selfie. Fullscreen Aaron Judge celebrates his home run in the second inning with Manny Machado. Fullscreen Aaron Judge rounds the bases after his homer in the second inning. Fullscreen Aaron Judge rounds the bases after his home run in the second inning. Fullscreen Aaron Judge homers in the second inning. Fullscreen A young fan waves from the stands. Fullscreen Max Scherzer delivers a pitch in the first inning. Fullscreen Chris Sale pitches in the first innin g. Fullscreen Mike Trout goes from first to third on a single in the first inning. Fullscreen Max Scherzer pitches in the first inning. Fullscreen Navy planes perform a flyover prior to the game. Fullscreen The American League team lines up before the game. Fullscreen The National League team lines up before the game. Fullscreen A choir performs national anthem. Fullscreen Mike Trout takes the field during player introductions. Fullscreen Aaron Judge and Luis Severino of the New York Yankees in the dugout before the game. Fullscreen An All-Star banner is shown on the field before the game. Fullscreen Manny Machado in the dugout before the game. FullscreenReplay- 1 of 53
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