ESPN writer destroys Hannity for defending 'homophobic slurs' at Rutgers

ESPN senior writer Andy Katz on Sunday blasted Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Eric Bolling after they defended Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice, who was caught on camera physically abusing players and using anti-LGBT slurs.

Last week, Rutgers announced that the school had fired Rice after ESPN aired video tape of him kicking players, throwing balls at the heads of players and shouting slurs like “fucking faggot” and “fucking fairy.”

While condemnation for Rice was nearly universal, Bolling argued that his firing was part of the "wussification of America."

And Hannity went even further, praising Rice for was using "old-fashioned discipline."

"He’s trying to bring the best out of them, put discipline in that team, raise their game, force them to focus, push them become champions and that takes intensity," Hannity said on Wednesday.

“My father hit me with a belt, I turned out okay!” the Fox News host exclaimed. “Except in the minds of liberals.”

In an interview with CNN's Howard Kurtz on Sunday, Katz noted that "nobody is defending this at all."

"But there are some exceptions in the media," Kurtz said, pointing to Bolling and Hannity.

"It's ridiculous!" Katz replied. "First of all, they were losing! Okay? So, that tactic wasn't working. You can clearly motivate without physical contact, without slurs. I mean, it's been proven time and time again at all levels of sports. You do not have to go to that level."

"You cannot physically hit someone, you can't throw things at someone and you cannot -- I mean, we're in a different era. You can't have those homophobic slurs. You can't!"

Watch this video from CNN's Reliable Sources via Video Cafe, broadcast April 7, 2013.