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The Clippers’ Matt Barnes Apologized For Calling A Cop A Homophobic Slur (Video)

Been a big couple weeks for police dash cam videos of traffic stops involving sportspeople. A couple weeks ago it was Dabo Swinney, and now from TMZ comes footage of new Clipper Matt Barnes getting pulled over back in July for driving with a suspended license – and then, following the getting-pulled-over part, resisting arrest.

Unlike the Swinney case, though, in which the story was more about the police officer who got fired for posting details of the stop on a message board than the video (in which not much of anything happened) itself, this one might get a few more people talking – thanks in large part to something Barnes says at the 2:25 mark below (NSFW language, as you might guess):

Barnes, naturally, expected to take some heat for that word choice, so he told TMZ this:

“I would like to apologize for the unfortunate language I used. I know that certain words are extremely hurtful.”

“I meant absolutely no disrespect to anyone. This comment, spoken in the heat of a difficult moment, does not accurately reflect my actual point of view.”

“I hope that any and all offended parties can accept my sincerest apologies.”

Well, one thing he got right there that Yunel Escobar didn’t: he actually apologized. Obviously this whole episode isn’t his finest hour, but he at least did something about it – and not to excuse it, but this wasn’t something premeditated like Escobar’s eye black, either. History of bad blood or not, though, Barnes can now see pretty clearly that when you say bad stuff, it doesn’t end well. And at the risk of repeating what everyone says every time an athlete with a ton of money gets arrested for a traffic violation: seriously, why not just have someone else drive you places?

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