Shirley, who still plays some professional basketball, was fired by ESPN after making some rather controversial comments regarding the Haitian earthquake, even going so far as to blame Haitians for the dire state of their nation.
Some of his more notable comments include:
“Shouldn’t much of the responsibility for the disaster lie with the victims of the disaster?
“Before the reader reaches for his or her blood pressure medication, he should allow me to explain. I don’t mean in any way that the Haitians deserved their collective fate. And I understand that it is difficult to plan for the aftermath of an earthquake. However, it is not outside the realm of imagination to think that the citizens of a country might be able to: A) avoid putting themselves into a situation that might result in such catastrophic loss of life. And B) provide for their own aid, in the event of such a catastrophe.”
Shirley also wrote a special message specifically to Haitians:
Shirley:"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."Um…totally NOT necessary. However, I really don't have a problem with his following comment, as long as its directed at the Haitian government (an absolute Corrupt and WORTHLESS entity if ever there was one) and the Haitian people: "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?"