Yunel's eyeblack has a disappointing message.

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    I have been conflicted about posting this picture since last night. I have a privileged seat near the Blue Jays dugout and allows me a close up of some pretty awesome moments. This one, however, is really disappointing. For those whose Spanish isn't fluent, have never seen Scarface or fail at google, Yunel's eyeblack "TU ERE MARICON" translates to "You're a faggot". There are some small Spanish locales where it translates to "pussy" not "faggot" but that's a very small possibility.

    I started asking myself why I wouldn't just post this image right away. It needs to be seen and it needs to be known that this is not okay. I was concerned that the players may be able to recognize that this was me who took this picture and would therefore rebuff the whistleblower but this is something Escobar wore on the field. He knew the possibility that a member of the Red Sox noticed it and commented on it, or even the umpiring crew. This is a bad word. It's a homophobic slur. It may have made a closeted Blue Jay/Red Sox very upset inside. There are a million insults he could have used that would have been funny, this was not one of them.

    I was also worried that some Blue Jays fans would accuse me of "rocking the boat" when I should have just ignored it, but that's a problem with progress. When you hear or see something wrong, it's up to everyone to let people know that that's not right. "That's gay", "You're gay", "You're a fag", "You're a faggot" are not acceptable insults in 2012. They are slurs and we need to get rid of them. When our sports heroes proliferate their usage, our progress takes a step back.

    How did it happen? Did Yunel write it? Did someone else write it and Yunel put it on anyway because he found it funny? Would he have ever gotten away with it if it was in English? Was Yunel's "flu" on Sunday the truth or disciplinarian action? There are Spanish speaking coaches who should have recognized and nixed this immediately as well.

    I like Yunel a lot, he's the one who pays me the most notice when I'm at the games. He points to his fans, tips his cap and recognizes the support he is given. This was a mistake I hope he learns and he will never make again.

    slidingsideways, sillygwailo, Gail at Large + Image Legacy, smccann, and 5 other people added this photo to their favorites.

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    1. Vic079 8 months ago

      You know someone is uncomfortable about their sexuality when....

    2. Vic079 8 months ago

      Except the pitch is not the locker room, it's a public space, so it's probably best to not be so blatant about being a homophobic asshole

    3. Jennsky74 8 months ago

      I was ready to hang him out to dry, but as I watch him, I am really beginning to thing this was just a case of ignorance and poor judgement. THIS time, if something like this happens again, that would make it different. I think MANY people dropped the ball on this, not just Yunel.

    4. Vic079 8 months ago

      Most people aren't in the public sphere, not that it makes it acceptable for anyone to say any slurs. And I don't think you know how witch hunting actually worked.

    5. Vic079 8 months ago

      Are you whining about whining?

    6. Vic079 8 months ago

      Please tell me you're trolling. Because if you're going to bring colonialism into this, I'm going to assume you have an understanding of the history of colonialism. Most of the homophobia you find in cultures that were colonized comes from European and Christian influences. Most had a more accepting view of sexuality before.

    7. Vic079 8 months ago

      You realize this was the whole point

    8. Techchick2 8 months ago

      sports.nationalpost.com/2012/09/18/blue-jays-suspend-yune...

    9. hd_aubel 8 months ago

      Well, what else you expect. The guy doesn't even know how to speak his own language. It's not ERE it's ERES! Idiot!

    10. Brambo72 8 months ago

      Hey James, I think you did the right thing by posting the photo. The issue needs to be addressed and people educated on the slur's meaning, and on sensitivity to gay people and other minotiries. I'm sure Escobar has learned his lesson, as he said in the media conference last hour. He's been suspended 3 games by the Jays, with his salary for that span to be donated to You Can Play and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

    11. Brambo72 8 months ago

      @CrisGarrido1 - Escobar is not Dominican. He is from Havana, Cuba.

    12. slobbaface 8 months ago

      Hey James? Still feeling good about your "bravery"? You are Toronto's version of Steve Bartman.

    13. clockw3rk 8 months ago

      Hope you enjoyed your 15 minutes of fame. I just can't believe how many people are butt-hurt over something that most likely was meant to be an inside joke between YE and an opposing player. I'm not suggesting what YE did was right, but really, no one else spotted this except this "supposed" Jays fan. Oh the LGBT groups are having a field day with this..especially when $$ is involved. Moral of the story: Keep dropping F bombs and slurs,--this wil helps towards a "charitable" cause.

    14. morallysuperior 8 months ago

      It's 2012 and a fag is still a fag. Get off your soapbox and stop preaching about morals and what is right while at the same time defending a sexual perversion.

      You are a sick and twisted moron and remember that what goes around comes around. Asshole.

    15. slider_lx 8 months ago

      Just wanted to point out as a certified Spanish Court Interpreter and native spanish speaker that "maricon" will never have the same level of innapropiateness and disrespect as "faggot". "Maricon" is an offensive slang word that is commonly used for whimp, coward or gay and queer. But "faggot" is straight up a cus word that goes along "puto". Your ignorant translation took the phrase from questionable trash talk to straight up homophobic.

    16. reenci 8 months ago

      who really gives a shit ?

    17. reenci 8 months ago

      what ever happened to sticks and stones ?...when did we as a society get so touchy feely ?

    18. reenci 8 months ago

      gelded is more like it

    19. Boob40 8 months ago

      Yunel Escobar is a faggot.

      Dumbass should be fired from his 'job' aka getting paid millions to play a game a bunch if kids do after school

    20. james_in_to 8 months ago

      Yeah I think I've allowed these comments to run their course. Thanks for all the support from those who've shown it.

      Thanks for the intelligent questioners and dissenters for being rational in your opinion.

      The rest...be loving and compassionate of every one.

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