(Los Angeles, California) A week after Colorado Rockies reliever Todd Jones said gays should not be allowed to play in the major leagues Jones is "standing by what I said."

Following the outrage caused by his comments in an interview with the Denver Post and after a dressing down from team management Jones apologized for embarrassing his teammates. He has yet to apologize to gays, and it appears that one won't be coming any time soon.

The Post interview was based on the Broadway play Take Me Out about a gay ball player. A reporter asked Jones what he thought would happen if a player came out in real life.

In a guest column this week in The Sporting News, Jones complains about gays who have criticized him.

"They say I should be released. They say I should be fined. They say they will protest the Rockies. They think I'm a gay-hater, a narrow-minded redneck from Alabama who ain't never been nowhere. They say I'm homophobic and need to move into the 21st century."

Jones then accuses gays of attempting to squelch free speech.

"Why is our society so worried about what is politically correct nowadays? I'm not a gay-hater. I couldn't care less if you're gay. For people to treat this like it's a witch hunt, to crucify the Neanderthal redneck baseball player for stating his opinions on a sensitive issue, scares me.

"I'm tired of being politically correct. I have no social agenda. This is not a big deal until they make it a big deal, and by "they" I mean anyone who got their feathers ruffled. This is America. Are you saying that if you have a voice that is in the majority that you should not use it because you're worried what someone else will say? Isn't that the kind of prejudice everyone wants to stay away from?

He then embarks on a rambling justification for his comments to the Post.

"The one thing many people don't understand is just how delicate the clubhouse atmosphere is. If there were a gay guy on the team, you can't tell me that it wouldn't be a huge distraction from what the team was trying to accomplish. It would be harder if he were open and out about his lifestyle. Some guys would have no problem with him, other guys would be willing to overlook it as long as they didn't feel threatened. Some guys would hate it. It would be very uncomfortable."

But, when it comes down to the bottom line, Jones reveals his real fear is being seen naked by a gay man.

" You might ask why, why, why are guys so hung up on this issue? Because of the closeness of the clubhouse. Nothing is sacred. Guys shower together; there are no dividers. Guys go in, do their thing, get clean and get out. They don't want to think about another guy."