Brandon Spikes creates controversy with tweet about homosexuals

Brandon Spikes spends a lot of time on Twitter. The New England Patriots linebacker ought to know how it works by now.

You tweet something, and it’s not just your friends or followers or people with the same sense of humor as you that see it. Your words are out there on the World Wide Web (emphasis on the World Wide part).

So when you post a joke on a sensitive topic, not everyone is going to get it. And it could become a pretty big deal.

Spikes found that out after this tweet Wednesday: “I’m homophobic just like I’m arachnophobic. I have nothing against homosexuals or spiders but I’d still scream if I found one in my bathtub!”

The backlash was immediate. So was the backlash against the backlash. Spikes retweeted some of the negative comments, and sometimes responded with such comebacks as “shut up, dude” and “OK dad.”

After about an hour, Spikes tweeted, “Lmao these guys are sensitive.”

Then, with the reactions still coming in about three hours after his initial tweet, Spikes stepped in again: “PEOPLE !!!! It’s a joke ... seriously a JOKE !!! Chill out”

Spikes’ so-called joke has become a hot topic of discussion on radio and TV in the New England area. It’s not the first tweet by the outspoken player that has made headlines -- he ruffled some feathers during the NFL referees lockout by comparing the replacement officials to Foot Locker employees.

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