What if a high-profile athlete was outted for being gay?

dave4dudes

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I wish many US sports figures would come out of the closet. For myself growing up I had multiple crushes on many MLB players; an attraction for them I still have to this day. I don't know..there's something about a baseball player out there in the field in spandex-like uniform (not skin tight like football players) that gets me excited & lustful. Plus it looks alot of times those guys are aimlessly hanging around on the field w/hardons. And they could care less what their dicks are doing-as if they're like; oh my dick is hard, better move it to the other side. Pro football players are notorious for their tiny ding dongs, so bugger that. Plus football players tend to be generally homophobic and bullying, a quality that doesn't seem as intense w/ major league baseball. There's hope yet. In the meantime I still enjoy fantasizing about Derek Jeter..and dreaming is free.
 

catman

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A really charming book about this topic (fiction of course) is The Dreyfus Affair...by Delacourte (he wrote the script for a movie called "The Player" I believe)

Very well written and raises some interesting points...

one Character is the 'all american guy', blond, fit, good looking, hot wife, cute kid, etc...

the other is the Catcher, quiet, nice single....
 

aquadude

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Hypothetical question:

If a high-profile athlete, currently on a major sports team (football, basketball, baseball, hockey), was outted for being gay, what do you think would happen?

Let's assume that the athlete did not do anything illegal or scandalous, but he was forced to admit that the story allegations were true and that he is gay. How much would it matter that a MVP also happened to be gay? What does your gut tell you would happen?

Would the coach, manager and league play him or bench him?
Would the team support him or shun him?
Would the fans from your hometown want the big-scorer to still play?

Would you agree? What should happen?

That is impossible to say what would happen in that situation. Because you don't know the feelings and beliefs of the coaches, players, or managers. I'm sure it is possible that the team may betray him and turn against him, it is also possible that they would be supportive. It is possible that he would be regarded as a role model for other gays, or he may be fired because the manager is a homophobe. It is just impossible to tell.

As far as what should happen, the answer is simple: absolutely nothing. The fact that the player is gay makes absolutely no difference what so ever to the sport that he is participating in. His sexuality is his business and should not affect the sports world at all.
 

jorpollew

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I assume you all know about the play "Take Me Out" by Richard Greenberg?

Yes, I saw "Take Me Out" few years ago and found it a most forgettable play. Sure, the shower scenes were nice to behold live on stage, but I found the repeated nudity mostly gratuitous. And even though I am not a jock myself, I remember thinking that THERE IS NO WAY THAT ATHLETES TALK LIKE THAT IN THE LOCKER ROOM. It was too clinical sounding and just not very credible. I went with 3 friends (1 an avid sports fans and another was a former college athlete), and they all agreed. Maybe we saw a poor production.


That is impossible to say what would happen in that situation. Because you don't know the feelings and beliefs of the coaches, players, or managers. I'm sure it is possible that the team may betray him and turn against him, it is also possible that they would be supportive. It is possible that he would be regarded as a role model for other gays, or he may be fired because the manager is a homophobe. It is just impossible to tell.

As far as what should happen, the answer is simple: absolutely nothing. The fact that the player is gay makes absolutely no difference what so ever to the sport that he is participating in. His sexuality is his business and should not affect the sports world at all.


Great points and well said. I would hope that such an incident would present the opportunity for everyone in the sports industry--managers, coaches, players, announcers and pundants--to find a nearby soapbox and speak out. I think many probably have very strong opinions (similar to yours, I would hope), but they need the right forum to express it. Ultimately, I think that one "good outting" would uncover a lot of hypocrisy, double-lives and homophobic attitudes.

I was sorry when last year, with John Amaechi's coming out, the issue got a little buzz, but was soon dismissed b/c Amaechi wasn't a current player and never a high-profile one-- as if his lack-luster pro status somehow wasn't enough to shed light on the issue in a pro-active way. I think that pro-sports is the last bastion of Americana that has yet to cross the threshold of gay acceptance and tolerance.