(no subject)
I missed this story on Monday, but I found it a compelling read: NBA Executive Leaves the Safety of His Shadow Life.
Short followup by the AP: Suns CEO overwhelmed by support.
And some interesting post-coming out comments from Charles Barkley, of course:
"I really like ESPN," Barkley [said]. "They do a great job. But like once every two or three months, they bring all these people on there, and they tell me how me and my team are going to respond to a gay guy.
"First of all, every player has played with gay guys. It bothers me when I hear these reporters and jocks get on TV and say: ‘Oh, no guy can come out in a team sport. These guys would go crazy.’ First of all, quit telling me what I think. I’d rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can’t play."
...
"Any professional athlete who gets on TV or radio and says he never played with a gay guy is a stone-freakin’ idiot," Barkley said. "I would even say the same thing in college. Every college player, every pro player in any sport has probably played with a gay person."
- WaPo: Sports Has Undergone A Gay Spring
I'm afraid he's underselling the potential staying power of ignorance, but it's heartening to hear more and more people close to pro sports say these kinds of things so unequivocally. I'm reminded of when Mike Mussina was asked if he "could ever accept" a gay teammate, back when all that bruhaha about Piazza was going on, almost ten years ago now. Moose just said, "I'm going to make the assumption that I already have."
Short followup by the AP: Suns CEO overwhelmed by support.
And some interesting post-coming out comments from Charles Barkley, of course:
"I really like ESPN," Barkley [said]. "They do a great job. But like once every two or three months, they bring all these people on there, and they tell me how me and my team are going to respond to a gay guy.
"First of all, every player has played with gay guys. It bothers me when I hear these reporters and jocks get on TV and say: ‘Oh, no guy can come out in a team sport. These guys would go crazy.’ First of all, quit telling me what I think. I’d rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can’t play."
...
"Any professional athlete who gets on TV or radio and says he never played with a gay guy is a stone-freakin’ idiot," Barkley said. "I would even say the same thing in college. Every college player, every pro player in any sport has probably played with a gay person."
- WaPo: Sports Has Undergone A Gay Spring
I'm afraid he's underselling the potential staying power of ignorance, but it's heartening to hear more and more people close to pro sports say these kinds of things so unequivocally. I'm reminded of when Mike Mussina was asked if he "could ever accept" a gay teammate, back when all that bruhaha about Piazza was going on, almost ten years ago now. Moose just said, "I'm going to make the assumption that I already have."