I realize this may be better served in the WARPED room so mods feel free to move if you think so, but as I was reading the story about the Dolphins player it made me wonder. This is partly because one of the articles referenced suggests this may mean the NFL is not ready for this given the bullying tactics already in place for players viewed as different or weaker than others. But I've also been wondering since I read an article or saw something on this a few years ago, where they interviewed a few players who came out years after their NFL career ended.
Now the NFL has a few articles indicating people are ready:
one example: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...saying-hes-gay
And I found a story from former players talking to their experience of being gay, not all of it being NFL related, but interesting http://mmqb.si.com/2013/07/23/gay-in-the-nfl/
My take is that honestly I don't think the NFL is ready. The guy who did the interview a few years ago that I saw (and I can't name the source, sorry) indicated that even now that he's open his former teammmates either don't talk to him or when they do they talk to him about it they say they will "pray for his soul" and more or less "pray the gay away."
The military is only now sort of becoming more accepting of it and i am not sure how much that's really true right now, but I can't see the NFL adapting to that right now. But before this makes it sound like I think it's just an NFL thing, I don't. I think it's still difficult for any major team sport in the US or anywhere to be hugely accepting of gay athletes.
Anyway, the reason I didn't post in the WARP room is because I was curious what not just politically motivated people might say, but actual fans of the sport. Still, if the mods want it moved, by all means.
Now the NFL has a few articles indicating people are ready:
one example: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...saying-hes-gay
And I found a story from former players talking to their experience of being gay, not all of it being NFL related, but interesting http://mmqb.si.com/2013/07/23/gay-in-the-nfl/
My take is that honestly I don't think the NFL is ready. The guy who did the interview a few years ago that I saw (and I can't name the source, sorry) indicated that even now that he's open his former teammmates either don't talk to him or when they do they talk to him about it they say they will "pray for his soul" and more or less "pray the gay away."
The military is only now sort of becoming more accepting of it and i am not sure how much that's really true right now, but I can't see the NFL adapting to that right now. But before this makes it sound like I think it's just an NFL thing, I don't. I think it's still difficult for any major team sport in the US or anywhere to be hugely accepting of gay athletes.
Anyway, the reason I didn't post in the WARP room is because I was curious what not just politically motivated people might say, but actual fans of the sport. Still, if the mods want it moved, by all means.
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