“I do not know if what I’m about to write makes me a monster…,” wrote former NBA player Paul Shirley before launching into a racially insensitive, open letter-styled attack on the people of Haiti in a blog post yesterday.
Dear Haitians –
First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.
As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?
Sincerely,
The Rest of the World
ESPN.com, which employed Shirley as a contributor, quickly released a statement yesterday firing the blogger. “He will no longer contribute to ESPN,” read the statement.
Shirley, 32, who describes himself as a “basketball vagabond,” has played for 11 teams and 5 countries in his brief professional career.
