Former Chicago Bear Dan Hampton has apologized on the show Pro Football Weekly for an anti-gay statement he made during the Sept. 5 broadcast, according to On Top Magazine.
Analyzing one particular team, Hampton initially said, “The Cowboys think they are Clint Eastwood; they’re more of the Brokeback variety, if you know what I’m talking about,” referring to the gay-cowboy film Brokeback Mountain. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation demanded an apology from Hampton, who co-hosts the show with former Bear Tom Waddle, sportscaster Pat Boyle and editor Hub Arkush.
In apologizing, Hampton said, “Last week I made a couple of comments about Katrina and the gay community that not only embarrassed myself but the fine people here at Pro Football Weekly. I’m an idiot. And I am truly sorry if those comments, you know, offended any of our great and wonderful viewers.” Regarding the storm that devastated New Orleans and other parts of the South, Hampton had also said, “The Vikings need to go down there and hit that town like Katrina.”