Hire Tim Hardaway's Change of Heart

Seems Hardaway saw the error of his ways.

In a development that seemed even less likely than Michele Bachmann becoming a serious presidential candidate, ex-NBA star Tim Hardaway has become an advocate for gay rights.

When former NBA player John Amaechi came out in 2007, Hardaway took a hard-line stance. "I hate gay people," he said at the time. "I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. I don't like it."

Despite the prevalence of homophobia in sports, Hardaway's words struck people for there pure, blunt hatred and he faced severe backlash in the media. In May, Hardaway said his comments "hurt (my reputation) tremendously. I'm still trying to rectify it. People ask me about it, and I tell them, 'That's in the past. I'm moving forward.'"

It seems he really has moved forward. Last week Hardaway spoke to a crowd in El Paso, Texas, where a group is trying to recall Mayor John Cook and two members of the city council for re-establishing domestic partner benefits for both gays and unmarried couples. "It's not right to not let the gays and lesbians have equal rights here," Hardaway said in his address.

Few saw this sort of turnaround coming, and even if this were purely a ploy to restore Hardaway's reputation, at the very least he is doing the right thing. But even Amaechi, while still skeptical, doesn't think Hardaway has changed his ways for purely selfish reasons. "I hope this is a story of true redemption rather than a savvy p.r. ploy. Either way, he is at least saying the right words, and that will make a positive difference," Amaechi told Sports Illustrated's Dave Zirin.  

With more and more athletes coming to the defense of gay marriage, perhaps society will eventually follow. It's going to take a long time, of course, but even if you don't agree with gay marriage, you have to agree that a decline in hate is a positive for society. Kudos to Hardaway for un-hardening his heart.