Is the NFL ready for an Openly Gay Player

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

double post

Is that like a Dp

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

And what difficulties would those be?All you've done is just replace one vague, general statement with another. It's a very simple question really.

If there is supposedly this huge deal being made about gay players in the NFL, then answer me what a gay player stands to lose by being open about it? You would think as vocal as some of guys are about this, you'd have no problem answering the question.

The Dolphins' owner (I believe it was) asked Dez Bryant if his mother was once a prostitute. Is the NFL also anti-prostitution? Or is it more likely the case that ONE owner asked a stupid, ignorant question as they sometimes do? I don't recall inquiries into players sexual preferences being the norm.

If I'm wrong, please correct me.

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

Originally posted by baltien:
And what boundary would that be?

Did I miss something where a gay player was booted off a team because of his sexual preferences?

While we're talking about it, can you tell me of ONE known obstacle that prevents a gay player from coming out if they so choose (and not your assumptions)? Is being gay a violation of your contract? Will it result in you being immediately released? Thrown in jail? Publicly cained maybe?

No? Then, what exactly are we talking about here?

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Don't bother.

They aren't gonna budge. I wasted a few hours this afternoon on it.

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

Originally posted by baltien:
And what boundary would that be?

Did I miss something where a gay player was booted off a team because of his sexual preferences?

While we're talking about it, can you tell me of ONE known obstacle that prevents a gay player from coming out if they so choose (and not your assumptions)? Is being gay a violation of your contract? Will it result in you being immediately released? Thrown in jail? Publicly cained maybe?

No? Then, what exactly are we talking about here?

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Don't bother.

They aren't gonna budge. I wasted a few hours this afternoon on it.

Perish the thought someone has a dissenting opinion from yours I guess.

Originally posted by bors:
Is that like a Dp

lol

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

Originally posted by baltien:
And what boundary would that be?

Did I miss something where a gay player was booted off a team because of his sexual preferences?

While we're talking about it, can you tell me of ONE known obstacle that prevents a gay player from coming out if they so choose (and not your assumptions)? Is being gay a violation of your contract? Will it result in you being immediately released? Thrown in jail? Publicly cained maybe?

No? Then, what exactly are we talking about here?

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Don't bother.

They aren't gonna budge. I wasted a few hours this afternoon on it.

Perish the thought someone has a dissenting opinion from yours I guess.

Oh please.

Get off the soapbox. Everyone is entitled to a differing opinion. Thats the entire point of the forum. They have a right to believe what they believe just as I do and I have the right to advise another poster not to try to change their minds because it's a wasted effort.

They could very easily say the same of me.

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

Originally posted by baltien:
And what boundary would that be?

Did I miss something where a gay player was booted off a team because of his sexual preferences?

While we're talking about it, can you tell me of ONE known obstacle that prevents a gay player from coming out if they so choose (and not your assumptions)? Is being gay a violation of your contract? Will it result in you being immediately released? Thrown in jail? Publicly cained maybe?

No? Then, what exactly are we talking about here?

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Don't bother.

They aren't gonna budge. I wasted a few hours this afternoon on it.

Perish the thought someone has a dissenting opinion from yours I guess.

Oh please.

Get off the soapbox. Everyone is entitled to a differing opinion. Thats the entire point of the forum. They have a right to believe what they believe just as I do and I have the right to advise another poster not to try to change their minds because it's a wasted effort.

They could very easily say the same of me.

Soapbox? Pot, kettle.

Originally posted by baltien:
And what difficulties would those be?All you've done is just replace one vague, general statement with another. It's a very simple question really.

If there is supposedly this huge deal being made about gay players in the NFL, then answer me what a gay player stands to lose by being open about it? You would think as vocal as some of guys are about this, you'd have no problem answering the question.

The Dolphins' owner (I believe it was) asked Dez Bryant if his mother was once a prostitute. Is the NFL also anti-prostitution? Or is it more likely the case that ONE owner asked a stupid, ignorant question as they sometimes do? I don't recall inquiries into players sexual preferences being the norm.

If I'm wrong, please correct me.

If I knew specifically what it might cost a player to come out as openly gay, I'd tell you, but that fact that no one has strongly suggests there would be consequences players would rather avoid. Presumably the consequences might be in the form of unwelcome distractions from the game; discrimination from teammates, coaches, and/or fans; and, possibly, financial consequences as well (from loss of sponsorships, lower draft position, things like that).

And yes, I'd venture that the NFL would come out on the side of anti-prostitution if pressed, but I don't think that's a very controversial position. The Dez Bryant thing is interesting, but it doesn't really have to do with institutional homophobia in sports.

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

Originally posted by baltien:
And what boundary would that be?

Did I miss something where a gay player was booted off a team because of his sexual preferences?

While we're talking about it, can you tell me of ONE known obstacle that prevents a gay player from coming out if they so choose (and not your assumptions)? Is being gay a violation of your contract? Will it result in you being immediately released? Thrown in jail? Publicly cained maybe?

No? Then, what exactly are we talking about here?

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Don't bother.

They aren't gonna budge. I wasted a few hours this afternoon on it.

Perish the thought someone has a dissenting opinion from yours I guess.

Oh please.

Get off the soapbox. Everyone is entitled to a differing opinion. Thats the entire point of the forum. They have a right to believe what they believe just as I do and I have the right to advise another poster not to try to change their minds because it's a wasted effort.

They could very easily say the same of me.

Soapbox? Pot, kettle.

Seriously? THAT's your response? Sad.

What was that you said about dissenting opinions? RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:
The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Of course they'll face some bigots, but don't underestimate that a large percentage of the locker room will support them as well.

What it comes down to is nobody wants this distraction especially if it can be avoided. If you're a gay player you don't want teams ruling you out because that's money out of the window. This obsession to find and promote a gay player is just as damaging as the locker room itself. Look how distracting Tebow is. Nobody wants to deal with a media circus or undeserved attention.

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

Originally posted by baltien:
And what boundary would that be?

Did I miss something where a gay player was booted off a team because of his sexual preferences?

While we're talking about it, can you tell me of ONE known obstacle that prevents a gay player from coming out if they so choose (and not your assumptions)? Is being gay a violation of your contract? Will it result in you being immediately released? Thrown in jail? Publicly cained maybe?

No? Then, what exactly are we talking about here?

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Don't bother.

They aren't gonna budge. I wasted a few hours this afternoon on it.

Perish the thought someone has a dissenting opinion from yours I guess.

Oh please.

Get off the soapbox. Everyone is entitled to a differing opinion. Thats the entire point of the forum. They have a right to believe what they believe just as I do and I have the right to advise another poster not to try to change their minds because it's a wasted effort.

They could very easily say the same of me.

Soapbox? Pot, kettle.

Seriously? THAT's your response? Sad.

What was that you said about dissenting opinions? RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

Merely pointing out the irony of you saying I'm the one on a soapbox. Yes, perhaps it is sad...sorry it did not live up to your expectations.

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

Originally posted by baltien:
And what boundary would that be?

Did I miss something where a gay player was booted off a team because of his sexual preferences?

While we're talking about it, can you tell me of ONE known obstacle that prevents a gay player from coming out if they so choose (and not your assumptions)? Is being gay a violation of your contract? Will it result in you being immediately released? Thrown in jail? Publicly cained maybe?

No? Then, what exactly are we talking about here?

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Don't bother.

They aren't gonna budge. I wasted a few hours this afternoon on it.

Perish the thought someone has a dissenting opinion from yours I guess.

Oh please.

Get off the soapbox. Everyone is entitled to a differing opinion. Thats the entire point of the forum. They have a right to believe what they believe just as I do and I have the right to advise another poster not to try to change their minds because it's a wasted effort.

They could very easily say the same of me.

Soapbox? Pot, kettle.

Seriously? THAT's your response? Sad.

What was that you said about dissenting opinions? RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

Merely pointing out the irony of you saying I'm the one on a soapbox. Yes, perhaps it is sad...sorry it did not live up to your expectations.

Its OK. I'll get over it.

Originally posted by tjd808185:

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:
The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Of course they'll face some bigots, but don't underestimate that a large percentage of the locker room will support them as well.

What it comes down to is nobody wants this distraction especially if it can be avoided. If you're a gay player you don't want teams ruling you out because that's money out of the window. This obsession to find and promote a gay player is just as damaging as the locker room itself. Look how distracting Tebow is. Nobody wants to deal with a media circus or undeserved attention.

Well said. I can't imagine anyone wanting to have the asterisk after their name *best gay player to date. smh

The truth is, there are going to be some players, perhaps a majority, who would prefer that they not have an openly gay teammate in the locker room. There IS going to be some tension that will result from that. It is what it is. Just go play football and leave all the social engineering alone.

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by SammyFrancisco:

Originally posted by baltien:
And what boundary would that be?

Did I miss something where a gay player was booted off a team because of his sexual preferences?

While we're talking about it, can you tell me of ONE known obstacle that prevents a gay player from coming out if they so choose (and not your assumptions)? Is being gay a violation of your contract? Will it result in you being immediately released? Thrown in jail? Publicly cained maybe?

No? Then, what exactly are we talking about here?

The fact that no player in any of the big 4 sports leagues has never been openly gay proves that obstacles exist. No doubt some of these obstacles are social. Players like John Amechi and Kwame Harris, who have become open about being gay after their careers, have testified to the difficulties of living with the secret in the less-than-accepting sports culture.

But it's possible being openly gay would also affect players in terms of their career. Why else would NFL teams care to inquire about the sexual orientation of potential draftees? See - Nick Kasa's comments about teams asking him if he liked girls in Combine interviews.

Don't bother.

They aren't gonna budge. I wasted a few hours this afternoon on it.

Perish the thought someone has a dissenting opinion from yours I guess.

Oh please.

Get off the soapbox. Everyone is entitled to a differing opinion. Thats the entire point of the forum. They have a right to believe what they believe just as I do and I have the right to advise another poster not to try to change their minds because it's a wasted effort.

They could very easily say the same of me.

Soapbox? Pot, kettle.

Seriously? THAT's your response? Sad.

What was that you said about dissenting opinions? RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

Merely pointing out the irony of you saying I'm the one on a soapbox. Yes, perhaps it is sad...sorry it did not live up to your expectations.

Its OK. I'll get over it.

My wife of 20+ years has said that a million times. And she lies every time. Well okay, to be fair, she didn't so much say it as I told her to get over it, but still...

But you're a dude so I believe you.

Is the NFL ready? Of course not. That's the point of coming out. Push the issue. Force people to deal with it.