His point is that he thinks the national media is going overboard with coverage of it, including comparing him to Jackie Robinson and the like, and he thinks it's a non-story. So his "coming out straight" thing is intended to be a satire of that.
I do remember that about him, too. This, though, was particularly dumb. He made an "announcement" that he has been married for 23 years. Hello? Married? How might that alone be different? I wonder?
i guess, i mean, i'm conservative christian whitey, and i don't care. i'm supposed to be the person who needs to change how i feel about this. who needs to realize that this kind of thing doesn't matter. and i'm not the one making a big deal about it. that's my .02.
if it wasn't a big deal he wouldn't be the first dude to do it. obviously other gay nfl players have decided it really is kind of a big deal. that's why no one remembers the 10th black player in baseball, but remembers robinson.
He might be the first guy to come out in an interview or whatever, but he's not the first gay guy in the NFL. .
my point exactly. if it wasn't a big deal to come out he wouldn't be the first. multiple people would have already done it.
i have a hard time believing that most of them weren't known. why is it important for everyone in the world to know? that's all.
Of course, but a black person could hardly put on white face and go play baseball. And he will be the first openly gay person in the NFL, if he gets drafted. And there is a significance to that, because being gay has been perceived in this country and most of the world for ever as a deviancy, some sort of perverted subculture. And it isn't, no more than being straight is. This is an important moment, and Tony B or anyone else not wanting it to be important doesn't make it so.
Because so many children out there in this country are petrified of living as a gay person. Hell, Sam's own father was rocked by this, saying he didn't think it was manly and what not. Do you no understand the shame and guilt that is put on someone because they happened to be born being attracted to the same sex? Getting it out, announcing it, is a big disinfectant, a cleaning and airing out to get this stuff out of the way, once and for all.
"We don't have any gay guys on the team," Culliver said. "They gotta get up outta here if they do. Can't be with that sweet stuff." http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...lliver-wouldnt-accept-openly-gay-49ers-player if there were many open gays on nfl teams I doubt this guy says what he says. he's saying it right now before the combine specifically for the world to know so that he doesn't have to "out" himself to all his teammates, his sponsors, his agent, the teams interviewing him at the combine. why do something 10 times when once will do?
Pretty much. I got blasted the other day by partially agreeing with an ESPN guy comparing Sam to Robinson. Let me clarify up front here that the two situations are nowhere close to equal, in my opinion. I do think they are comparable for a couple of reasons, however. They were both necessary first steps in getting to a point where it does not matter, where it no longer is a major talking point. It also brings the whole topic out in the open where any obstacles can be identified and worked through. Sure, there have been gay players in the NFL but the league and public at large have never had to consider the potential of an active player - it shouldn't be a big deal, but it would be naive to think there won't be growing pains. It challenges us to perhaps reevaluate preconceived notions of whether something will work or not.
If being gay was, for lack of a better term, accepted in the NFL or anything else for that matter, it wouldn't be. I get what you are saying, but I don't feel that this particular situation is Sam 'broadcasting' or flaunting being gay in any way. He's gay. No one in the NFL has ever been openly gay. He wants to live his life free from the emotional stress & fear of someone finding out. So, he took control of the situation himself by letting it be known he was gay. He is in control, not others. I can't fault a man for wanting to be in as much control of his life as possible. I really don't get the vibe that this is a "Heeeeey! Look at me! I'm a gay football player! *snap* *snap*"
Criticizing him for coming out as "why does everyone need to know" is just a matter of moving the goal posts. Once, it was completely taboo, forbidden to even be insinuated to be gay in the sport. Then, it became, "well, maybe there's gays, but they better keep that shit to themselves". Suddenly, society has changed and someone challenges all of these sayings and thoughts, and people now want to say "why do they need to make it a big deal". They want to skip that whole transitional state and it's not realistic nor fair to those have been part of the group that has been told they were unwanted and to shut up.
