While his quotes weren't distasteful like those of former major league pitcher John Rocker, England rugby coach Eddie Jones has had his public transportation moment as well, vowing never to use it again after allegedly being subjected to physical and verbal abuse on a train ride from Edinburgh to Manchester on Sunday.
Rocker, of course, made headlines in December 1999 when he told Sports Illustrated reporter Jeff Pearlman why he'd never play for the New York Mets or Yankees. "I'd retire first," he said. "It's the most hectic, nerve-wracking 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 . . .
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"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?”
Jones, 58, is Australian and knew there would be challenges when in 2015 he became England's first foreign coach, but he certainly didn't think those issues would include train rides. Yet, Sunday was an eye-opening experience as he traveled standard class to Manchester to watch United take on Chelsea at Old Trafford.
“I try and do the right thing by the fans but if that happens, then you've got to have a look at your own safety," Jones told reporters. "I never knock back a request for a selfie unless I'm racing to somewhere. I did a lot.
"For me to travel on public transport, I thought was OK. I'm a human being. I don't consider myself any different from anyone else. But I'll make sure I won't in the future. It's as simple as that. I can't, because it was shown on Sunday what happens when I do.
"That's the world we live in. It was a bit of both [physical and verbal]. After a loss, no, I wouldn't [catch a train again]."
Jones' team lost a Six Nations match at Scotland on Sunday.
The train incident took place the same day Patty Mills, who plays for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, was subjected to racial taunts during his team's game vs. the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
Mills, who hails from Australia, called the fan lobbing the taunts "confused" and "hateful" after being sent video of them via Twitter.
On Monday, the Cavaliers banned the fan indefinitely from Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, although the ban can be reviewed after a year.
Sporting News' Bobby Clay contributed to this report.