Deadspin’s Thursday mailbag yesterday had a question from a gay sports fan wondering when an active athlete in one of the big four sports would come out of the closet. Drew Magary took on the question with the same answer we keep hearing: I’m OK with it, but that guy isn’t.
It’ll be forever. Whoever does it will be someone who came out at an early age and enters whichever league an already-known gay quantity. I doubt you’ll ever see some guy who is already a pro suddenly pipe up, HEY! I’M GAY! There are a lot of reasons for this. First off, too many pro athletes are nutjob Evangelicals who fucking hate gays. How many white baseball players out there love to hunt and listen to country music? FUCKING ALL OF THEM. It’s uncanny. 75% of Rascal Flatts’ revenue comes from Major League Baseball players. Not the sort of guys who like themselves the gay. And I don’t think many Latino players are all that pro-gay, either. Very macho culture, as Razor Ramon taught me.
Also, most pro athletes are extremely young guys, pumped up with testosterone and ungodly amounts of HGH. Most of them are aggressively heterosexual. BRAH! I FUCKED THIS CHICK LAST NIGHT! TWICE! BRAHHHHHHH!!! EW, DON’T TOUCH MY TOWEL! THAT WOULD MAKE ME A FAGGOT! There’s that urge to be as hetero as possible. Drink the most, bang the most, blah blah blah.
I’ll go ahead and freely admit now that, when I was in high school, I could easily be characterized as a homophobe. I used the word faggot all the time (even more than I do now!). I adored Dice Clay. I didn’t think gays deserved rights or anything else other than ridicule. I didn’t LIKE gays. At all. And not for any sort of bullshit moral reason. No, I was that way because I enjoyed it, and I suspect many other homophobes also hate gays simply because they like to hate them. I could blame youth or growing up in the ’80s for how I felt, but that’s a bullshit excuse. It’s embarrassing and shameful and I wish I’d never felt that way.
It didn’t take long for me to do a complete 180 on that old mentality and become extremely liberal in my attitudes towards gays and very supportive of gay rights. This is because I got older, settled down, and realized that inherently disliking gays (or any people outside of Duke fans) is pointless, stupid, and cruel. Some men need to grow up to reach that conclusion, and pro sports is an arena in which players are encouraged to NEVER grow up. Hence, HEY GUYS, GARY’S A FAG!!!!!
If there is ever an active gay athlete in pro sports, it’ll never be in football (too many players, too many control freak coaches who don’t want to deal with it), or baseball. It’ll be in basketball. Because the teams are smaller, so there are less teammates to win over. And, if the gay player is crazy talented, the team will support him because there are only a finite number of superstar players. I’d expect that to happen sometime around the year 3498.
Somewhere along the way, a site like TMZ (or even this one) will out a player by posting a picture of him tonguing some other guy in a leather bar or something. But that’s not exactly the same as having an out and proud athlete in the pros. I don’t think it’ll happen for at least another 20 years. Sad but true.
Also, Jimmy Clausen eats cock.
on Mar 5th, 2010 at 3:36 PM
I think the opposite. If you’re already openly gay, that makes it so hard in high school, much harder in college, and then even harder than that just trying to make a pro team. I think a lot of openly gay people would just see what other marketable skills they have.
It makes sense for an athlete who is already established and has millions of dollars in the bank and is near retirement anyway. We’ve already had people come out shortly after playing. Seems like this is the logical next step.
on Mar 5th, 2010 at 4:59 PM
It’s funny because most gay men are testosterone-pumped homophobes these days anyway. Ironic, but true. Even those who aren’t have told me in secret that they wish they could be macho and pumped up like these guys. Why, I asked? So that they could “be loved and feared” at the same time.
Take a deeper look into gay male culture now and you will see. It’s been there for years and years now.
on Mar 5th, 2010 at 5:17 PM
It’s all speculation until someone actually comes out.
on Mar 5th, 2010 at 5:51 PM
Eh, not impressed. His remarks are as ignorant (and abrasive) as how he characterizies professional athletes to be.
on Mar 6th, 2010 at 9:42 AM
Thank you, Pete, I was thinking the same thing. What a lousy answer. Full of stereotypes, ignorance, and nonsense.
on Mar 6th, 2010 at 1:40 PM
First, that guy has major doughy gayface. He’s pretty fug too.
Secondly, why do you “journalists”, people without credentials in the world of journalism try to paint ALL athletes as religious-nut, anti-gay barbarians? I can tell this guy has a very limited experience with guys who play sports – at all levels, despite his silly web site. I know a ton of guys who play college and major/minor league sports and who are all very much deeply ingrained in my life, and none are as this guy described. If anything, they are the complete opposite. It’s the “fan” who’s the homophobic idiot, (and idiot in general), not the athlete. I have never experienced homophobia from these guys, ever. Not even in jest. So, again, it’s “my experience is the ONLY experience”, rather than considering the entire globe, and all the people and personality that live on earth.
Third, this guy’s mentality seems pretty off. Hates gay people for the sake of hating gay people? That’s pretty Nazish and desperate to be something…judging by his looks – I would suspect, “cool”? Haha.
Lastly, I would just like to point that DeadSpin is known for his false reporting, and also, for its douche baggery (I.e., Will Leitch) not too mention its stolen Howard Stern bits and one-liners.
Interesting, I read that Latino men are “machismo” and would be homophobic. Howard said the same thing on his show, which I believe aired the same day. Sadly, as ill-informed (and unoriginal and unfunny) as this guy is, Howard Stern is comedy. His show is satire. He’s making a joke. Latino guys are, from my experience, pretty open sexually, and anything but homophobic. And, Mexico City legalized Gay marriage. This guy, of course, doesn’t get it, or Howard Stern, my God, despite his unfunny imitation, or lack thereof.
Baba Booey to ya’ll, and Wa-Aleikum Aassalaam.
on Mar 6th, 2010 at 2:30 PM
I like his answer and I think he brings up valid points. Keep in mind that deadspin is a sarcastic and irreverent site. They offend every group whether it’s a minority or the majority, and it’s awesome! It’s pretty obvious that he isn’t perpetuating stereotypes, he is making fun of them. Hell, he even admitted that he was wrong for past homphobic behavior and comments. I think his posts and his book, Men with Balls, are fucking hilarious! While his outlook on the future of openly gay athletes in the big 4 sports is a lot more pessimistic and defeatist than mine, we haven’t seen any precedent or evidence that suggests we should be more optimistic at all.
on Mar 6th, 2010 at 2:51 PM
“They offend every group whether it’s a minority or the majority, and it’s awesome!”
Like Howard Stern does? How original!
on Mar 6th, 2010 at 2:54 PM
“I think his posts and his book, Men with Balls, are fucking hilarious!”
Hi Drew!
on Mar 6th, 2010 at 3:56 PM
People say he brings up valid points, and yet when I ran the grappling circuit, the guys I was closest with were the straight married guys who were men of faith.
He’s painting athletes out as religious wingnut neandertals, and he’s ignorant for doing so. He kinda sounds like some of the “journalists” who post stuff here, actually.
on Mar 6th, 2010 at 6:58 PM
I’m not sure why that one anonymous poster has such an axe to grind with Deadspin. First, lots of different people from all different sorts of media employ irreverent humor towards all groups – not just Howard Stern (by the way, who in this day and age thinks Stern has any sort of monopoly on the crude humor market? People who haven’t listened to the radio since 1999?). His hyperbolic responses are intended to be funny, and he even admits he was wrong to be homophobic in the past and that it was inexcusable. Not many straight guys are willing to own up to that. His jokes are stale but he’s not out there promoting an anti-gay message.
Second, Drew Magary isn’t a journalist by any standards. He doesn’t do reporting and writes for several sites purely from a humorous fan perspective (think a cruder version of ESPN’s Bill Simmons). This was a mailbag piece, not an article. I disagree with most of his response, but don’t place some sort of standard on him that doesn’t exist. Deadspin is a lower-grade sports version of TMZ. No need to get all up in a bundle over something as insignificant as this. Focus your outrage on the bigger outlets like SI or ESPN that completely shut out gay athletes and fans.
on Mar 8th, 2010 at 1:19 AM
if ESPN can make some money out of it, they will be the first to jump on the gay athlete bandwagon.
on Mar 8th, 2010 at 1:45 PM
ESPN and SI will likely be the last to get on the bandwagon. They’re major conglomerates, and just as we’ve seen in other areas of media/entertainment it’s always alternative sources that push the envelope first and the big boys jump on it last. They’re the ones most afraid of offending the so-called “Middle America” market and their major shareholders, meaning they’ll be slow to react.
I agree that they’ll jump on if money can be made, but usually it’s smaller venues that prove being pro-gay can be financially beneficial first before anyone else.
on Mar 8th, 2010 at 2:56 PM
“First, lots of different people from all different sorts of media employ irreverent humor towards all groups – not just Howard Stern (by the way, who in this day and age thinks Stern has any sort of monopoly on the crude humor market?”
Uh…6 million listeners who listen to him everyday. Who PAY to listen to him.
“His hyperbolic responses are intended to be funny, and he even admits he was wrong to be homophobic in the past and that it was inexcusable. Not many straight guys are willing to own up to that. His jokes are stale but he’s not out there promoting an anti-gay message.”
Who has an axe to grind with Howard Stern? LOL! Douchebag.
“No need to get all up in a bundle over something”
You either.
on Mar 8th, 2010 at 3:02 PM
“Deadspin is a lower-grade sports version of TMZ.”
TMZ is a low-grade version of Howeard Stern. It ALL started with Howard Stern, whether you agree or not, it makes no difference. Howard Stern has changed the culture in the media.
Everything you see and hear has some sort of relevance because of Howard Stern. Even those two self-loathing homosexual morons who run this web site, which, for me as a gay person, sucks, but this is the only place, I guess that I can find that is relevant to gay people and sports but self-hate and gay men are one of the same so I expect it… anways, even here they give shouts out to Artie Lange, Howard’s sidekick, old sidekick…:(.
on Mar 10th, 2010 at 3:52 AM
Anonymous – Drew’s post said he WAS once a homophobe, and that he later had a personal realization and did a complete 180. And while I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s a HUGE number of evangelical professional athletes, the percentage certainly seems to be at least somewhat higher than one would normally expect in any given crowd.
But on the critical side, yes, there were a few misunderstandings in the post. Most notable is his conflation of sexual orientation with “behavior on which society has slapped the ‘male’ gender label” – when the truth is there are a fair number of macho gay men out there. I’d even describe myself with that label (especially when it comes to the “drink the most” part!!!
)
Oh, and Rascal Flatts? I always thought they were the gayest-looking country stars out there. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking
on Mar 10th, 2010 at 1:04 PM
“Most notable is his conflation of sexual orientation with “behavior on which society has slapped the ‘male’ gender label” – when the truth is there are a fair number of macho gay men out there. I’d even describe myself with that label (especially when it comes to the “drink the most” part!!! )”
Shut up. Douche.
on Mar 12th, 2010 at 12:10 AM
Even those two self-loathing homosexual morons who run this web site
Oh, fuck off. Jim and Cyd have done more for gay sports than you ever could in 20 lifetimes, you sad sack piece of shit. So let’s hear what you’ve done and we’ll compare and contrast. Asshole.
on Jun 8th, 2010 at 8:30 PM
I agree totally with Jim Allen about who the real sports journalistsare!! As for the topic, if somebody with a 102mph fastball ever does come out, millions of gay kids will wake up to the best day of their life. It will take somebody with an outstanding athletic talent in a popular sport which cannot be ignored to change minds. It probably would not be worth it monetarily for that person to do this, and that may mean not in our lifetimes. But it could happen and the athlete not be destroyed! Athletes are supposed to be heroes , so we wait full of hope. Alexander the Great had his Persian boy, and Richard the Lion hearted was excommunicated for his young men but was the WMD of his day and still led the Crusade! Nobody dumps Achilles for having a male partner