I don't really see why everybody got on this guy. He had an example made of him which is a shame because he could really bring it. I think folks were jealous of him because he had the balls to tell it like he saw it. He is somewhat prickly but I don't think he deserved what he got. There are many athletes out there who are much bigger jerks than John Rocker.

Racist no talent hick that needs to hang it up and work on cars for a living. Even my 10 year old could hit him.

He may be a jerk to some people but I think he was just excercizing free speach. I admit, I'm a Braves fan, but what team he plays for wouldn't change my rating. I can name a plethora of athletes which deserve worse than him. I don't agree with some of the things he said, but I thought the media was going overboard. Expecially today, when the media goes nuts over stories of racism. However the media is very selective in what stories they report and almost never uncover stories of racism when the subject is a democrat or a minority. How come we hardly heard of Shaq making remarks about Yao? What about Barkley's ..that's what I hate about whites comment?

Iverson and Barkley can say what they want but not Rocker. What PC bull.

As long as he pitches well, let him say whatever he wants. And you New Yorkers don't really think what he said wasn't true, do you? Come on. The truth hurts, but now anybody who says what everyone else wants to say but are afraid of being politically incorrect is labeled a racist, or homophobe, or some other -get this- PREJUDICED tag! Just because his opinions differ from yours, from those values that all Americans should have, he should be lambasted by the media? Years ago, you would have been bashed for coming forward and admitting to being gay; was that right, simply because homosexuality wasn't politically correct in that era? Let the Dixie Chicks talk... talk is cheap, right? Well, in Mr. Rocker's case it proved very costly indeed.

Rocker's no athlete, he's an idiot with the southern hick mentality of an 18th century slave trader.

I don't rate him high as a jerk, I just think he's a moron. He's had his 15 minutes of fame anyway.

Whoa, every reasonable American was thinking the same thing?? I sure as hell wasn't nor was anyone else I know. He can trash NYC all he wants, I don't care, but his comments about gays were tasteless. Funny too how we are so quick to defend first amendment rights when we agree with someone, but it's a treasonous sin if it's against someone who we don't agree with(i.e. Dixie Chicks).

I for one love John Rocker. I think it's ridiculous how hard everyone came down on him for using his first amendment right to say what every reasonable American is thinking. Bravo Mr. Rocker, bravo.

If 5 means biggest jerk, then I'll give him a 1. Not long after the Press pounced on Rocker and made his life miserable for expressing his opinions, he came onto the field in New York and NEW YORK's fans gave him a standing ovation! They knew that what he had said in the interview about their city was not racist (I've read what he actually said), and that even though his statements may have been unpleasant, they were true. New York really isn't as nice a place as it was a couple of generations ago. And those fans knew Rocker was exercising free speech, the way other people are allowed to. Really, he expressed himself with more civility than a lot of people on this site do.

This might be splitting hairs, but Rocker is simply stupid. . .I don't quite put him in the ultimate jerk category. Rocker is a dopey redneck who doesn't care about what anybody thinks- guess what, baseball is full of these guys. True, J.R. deserved what he got. . .but the Rocker story was also extended because he stuck it to the New York fans and media and wasn't apologetic about it. I wonder how much the east-coast media machine would have extended the story if Rockhead was trashing midwest or west coast fans.

Perhaps everyone forgot his most memorable quote: Fags deserve AIDS.