John Rocker will be appearing on a popular reality TV show, and hopes his past won’t be used against him.
“Survivor,” which is entering its 29th season, announced six of the contestants who will take part this season. One of them is Rocker, the former Braves closer who caused an uproar back in 1999, when he made disparaging remarks about New York City’s diversity.
“I’d retire first,” Rocker told Sports Illustrated, when asked if he would consider playing in New York. “It’s the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the 7 train to the ballpark looking like you’re [riding through] Beirut next to some kid with purple hair next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It’s depressing …
“The biggest thing I don’t like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?”
Rocker, who will be appearing on the show with his girlfriend, Julie McGee, told Entertainment Weekly he doesn’t expect any ill will from the show’s other contestants.
View video“I see these folks that I’m getting ready to play this game with as very similar to the 13 years of professional baseball that I played, and the teammates that I played with,” he said. “Some of my biggest supporters after that SI debacle were my current and past teammates.”
Rocker is not the only former athlete to appear on “Survivor.” Former Giants second baseman Jeff Kent, former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson and former NBA forward Cliff Robinson previously took part in the show.
Kent’s appearance on the show was marked by criticism of President Obama. After getting voted off, he complained of the $1 million prize, “It’s six hundred grand [in prize money] by the time Obama takes it!”