2008 Woodie Awards
Drama Sports
A Queer Eye for the Sports Mind
Jose Ortiz
Issue date: 11/13/03 Section: Opinion
According to a study done by Senator Bob Dole, one in every 10 people is gay. But somehow in the wide world of sports, we don't have one homosexual athlete. Hard to believe isn't it? Well that's because it probably isn't true.
Although no American team sport athlete, male or female, has ever openly come out and announce that they were gay during their playing careers. But can you really blame the athletes that are homosexual and keep it a secret? Would you want to be heckled, insulted, and degraded for the better part of ten to 15 years of your career?
So we continue to go on and ignore the possibilities that an athlete could possibly be sexually attracted to the same sex. Personally, if I heard that my favorite athlete was gay, I can't say that I would look at him the same. But this is to the fault of the society that we live in. Homosexuality has barely been accepted in American life outside of the world of sports. So to ask these athletes who have been conditioned to look down on homosexuality, to accept in right in their own locker rooms is a bit unfair, especially when its not even accepted in our United States Military.
Last years scoring leader and Orlando Magic star player, Tracy McGrady told Stuff magazine that he believes "at least five percent of the NBA is gay, Homo, likes to stuff as well as get stuffed." But the Giant's Jeremy Shockey says, "gay jocks don't exist and shouldn't exist in the locker rooms of this great country of ours." This of course coming from the guy who accuses coaching great, Bill Parcells, of being a "Homo".
So the feel around the world of sports seems to be a since of the old adage, "Don't ask, don't tell." But isn't that a violation of the constitution? Should gay players have to be forced to stay in the closet that keeps getting smaller and smaller?
Tennis greats Bill Tilden, and Martina Navratilova, are the only American athletes in history to come out and admit that they were homosexual during their careers. But in a non-team sport, there is not as much pressure, or fear of being outcast by your peers. It would take a Jackie Robinson type of figure to come out and admit that they were gay during their career on a team sport such as football or basketball.
Although no American team sport athlete, male or female, has ever openly come out and announce that they were gay during their playing careers. But can you really blame the athletes that are homosexual and keep it a secret? Would you want to be heckled, insulted, and degraded for the better part of ten to 15 years of your career?
So we continue to go on and ignore the possibilities that an athlete could possibly be sexually attracted to the same sex. Personally, if I heard that my favorite athlete was gay, I can't say that I would look at him the same. But this is to the fault of the society that we live in. Homosexuality has barely been accepted in American life outside of the world of sports. So to ask these athletes who have been conditioned to look down on homosexuality, to accept in right in their own locker rooms is a bit unfair, especially when its not even accepted in our United States Military.
Last years scoring leader and Orlando Magic star player, Tracy McGrady told Stuff magazine that he believes "at least five percent of the NBA is gay, Homo, likes to stuff as well as get stuffed." But the Giant's Jeremy Shockey says, "gay jocks don't exist and shouldn't exist in the locker rooms of this great country of ours." This of course coming from the guy who accuses coaching great, Bill Parcells, of being a "Homo".
So the feel around the world of sports seems to be a since of the old adage, "Don't ask, don't tell." But isn't that a violation of the constitution? Should gay players have to be forced to stay in the closet that keeps getting smaller and smaller?
Tennis greats Bill Tilden, and Martina Navratilova, are the only American athletes in history to come out and admit that they were homosexual during their careers. But in a non-team sport, there is not as much pressure, or fear of being outcast by your peers. It would take a Jackie Robinson type of figure to come out and admit that they were gay during their career on a team sport such as football or basketball.