NBA Player comes "out of the closet"

**BadlandsVikings** · 02-07-2007, 07:08 PM

"cajunvike" wrote:

"Vike-IAmGRAte" wrote:

There are no rules about being *** in the NBA.
I do also agree that his timing was possibly a media play for more publicity for his book.
Now that he has come out how many other professional athletes will come out of the closet?
As long as they are good athletes, sexual orientation shouldn't matter.

Yeah...to us fans maybe...but maybe not to his teammates who might feel funny being stared at!
No reason to bash the guy...but how would any of you feel?
Honestly!

I feel the same way about this as I did about 2 black coaches in the Super Bowl....WHO CARES

**Ltrey33** · 02-07-2007, 09:30 PM

Why does he deserve to have his autobiography on ESPN just because he's gay?

I'm sure there are plenty of other guys in pro sports that have led really interesting, difficult or charitable lives that would make GREAT subjects for outside the lines, but Amaechi gets on because of his sexual orientation? Doesn't make much sense to me.

**Mikecarter81** · 02-07-2007, 09:47 PM

I think the reason is it has a impact in social relevance for the time.
Much like Curtis Flood helped define the way labor laws apply to baseball, this has an impact on social issues in all sports not just basketball.

I think the point in publishing the book is that it reaches to other gay athletes who live in our society. Despite the fact that we as a nation claim to be accepting of all, society is still working out some of our fears and sterotypes towards homosexuals.
No where is this still having an impact more then sports, where questioning ones manhood is still a form of degredation and motivation.

Mike

**snowinapril** · 02-07-2007, 10:05 PM

"Ltrey" wrote:

Why does he deserve to have his autobiography on ESPN just because he's ***?

I'm sure there are plenty of other guys in pro sports that have led really interesting, difficult or charitable lives that would make GREAT subjects for outside the lines, but Amaechi gets on because of his sexual orientation? Doesn't make much sense to me.

Someone coming out doesn't happen that often, that is why he will be on the show.

Tuaolo (the former Viking) was on TV HBO or ESPN for the same reason.
Outside the lines is an appropriate show or forum for him.
More than likely, they saught him out than him seeking them out.
Outside the lines, that is what this is all about.

That is the thing, the really popular guys aren't going to come out of the closet, like Troy Aikman and many other Cowboys still hiding.
LOL about Troy.

**Ltrey33** · 02-07-2007, 10:12 PM

"snowinapril" wrote:

"Ltrey" wrote:

Why does he deserve to have his autobiography on ESPN just because he's ***?

I'm sure there are plenty of other guys in pro sports that have led really interesting, difficult or charitable lives that would make GREAT subjects for outside the lines, but Amaechi gets on because of his sexual orientation? Doesn't make much sense to me.

Someone coming out doesn't happen that often, that is why he will be on the show.

Tuaolo (the former Viking) was on TV HBO or ESPN for the same reason.
Outside the lines is an appropriate show or forum for him.
More than likely, they saught him out than him seeking them out.
Outside the lines, that is what this is all about.

That is the thing, the really popular guys aren't going to come out of the closet, like Troy Aikman and many other Cowboys still hiding.
LOL about Troy.

IMO, the whole thing is very agenda driven. I just think there are so many other important issues and stories in sports that could be covered that something like this pales in comparison.

**snowinapril** · 02-07-2007, 10:23 PM

"Ltrey" wrote:

"snowinapril" wrote:

"Ltrey" wrote:

Why does he deserve to have his autobiography on ESPN just because he's ***?

I'm sure there are plenty of other guys in pro sports that have led really interesting, difficult or charitable lives that would make GREAT subjects for outside the lines, but Amaechi gets on because of his sexual orientation? Doesn't make much sense to me.

Someone coming out doesn't happen that often, that is why he will be on the show.

Tuaolo (the former Viking) was on TV HBO or ESPN for the same reason.
Outside the lines is an appropriate show or forum for him.
More than likely, they saught him out than him seeking them out.
Outside the lines, that is what this is all about.

That is the thing, the really popular guys aren't going to come out of the closet, like Troy Aikman and many other Cowboys still hiding.
LOL about Troy.

IMO, the whole thing is very agenda driven. I just think there are so many other important issues and stories in sports that could be covered that something like this pales in comparison.

You might me right, but it is the here and now.

About Outside the Lines.....

This Emmy Award-winning investigative series examines topical issues off the playing field. It includes interviews and opinions from leading authorities on the issue at hand.

Hosted by veteran journalist Bob Ley, Outside the Lines has investigated trends and topics ranging from sports teams' hazing to the overseas labor practices of U.S. sneaker companies.

A weekly edition of the show airs Sunday mornings at 9:30AM, while the nightly edition of Outside the Lines kicks off the weeknight Trifecta.

**snowinapril** · 02-07-2007, 10:34 PM

The bold is why I think this is important.
The story won't be much different than the last time they covered this topic, but like mcarter said, it has some social significance in sports.

[size=12pt]Amaechi to Come Out Publicly[/size]
http://sports.excite.com/news/02072007/v9149.html

Feb 7, 7:48 PM (ET)

By BILL KONIGSBERG

The small, exclusive club of openly *** professional male athletes has a new member.

Former NBA center John Amaechi, who spent five seasons with four teams, on Wednesday became the first NBA player to publicly come out.

His admission comes three years after his playing career ended, making him the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major U.S. sports - basketball, baseball, football, hockey - to openly discuss his homosexuality.

Amaechi details his life in his autobiography "Man in the Middle," which will be released Feb. 14.

"He is coming out of the closet as a *** man," Amaechi's publicist Howard Bragman said.

Martina Navratilova, perhaps the most famous openly *** athlete in the world, praised Amaechi's decision and said it's imperative for athletes to come out because of what she called an epidemic of suicides among young lesbians and gays.

More.........
http://sports.excite.com/news/02072007/v9149.html

He is only one of six Men to come out.

**Odin VAVikefan** · 02-07-2007, 11:20 PM

"cajunvike" wrote:

"Mikecarter81" wrote:

Hey everyone, how about you show a little class.
It doesn't bother me one way or another that he is ***.
I played sports in high school and it would of been real difficult to lead that kind of life in that fish bowl.
Imagine howe tough it would be in the overexposed lives of NBa players.
I'm guessing that it would be tough.

Mike

Not bashing the guy for being ***...just for exploiting the fact!

:

Yeah, it's not like Wilt "Manwhore" Chamberlain ever used his hetero sex habits to get attention or talked it up for his image!
:

Also, I freaking LOVE when some homophobic dude says something lamely defensive like "as long as they don't hit on ME, I don't care..." Invariably, the guys who say this would be lucky to have ANYTHING ALIVE attracted to them. Here are the photos of the 2 idiots I paraphrased above from the article.
Shavlik Randolph http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3992
Steven Hunter http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3525

My best friend who still lives in MN is openly gay, and based on what he has said to me, very, very, very few straight men are attractive to homosexual men. Most of us are too slobby and apparently unhealthy, LOL.