He May Be Lefthanded Too
link It’s Time for the N.F.L. to Welcome a Gay Player – NYTimes.com.
It’s time. Really? Why? What possible difference does it make for one to announce their sexual preferences as part of fulfilling a job role? Why does announcing sexual proclivity have any bearing on how competent you may or may not be for a job?
How does being gay affect one’s role as an auto mechanic? A postal worker? A dentist? A sports announcer or even a football player. If you listen to the pleadings of gay activist groups, they insist that all they want is to be treated like everyone else, without discrimination. Ironically, broadcasting gayness only puts a light on themselves, essentially begging for special attention.
It’s as if you insisted on revealing to your future employer that you collected stamps, or liked to eat with your bare hands while naked, or watched ostrich wrestling. Who cares? Nobody asked!
Some nutbar writing for USA Today opined that this guy Michael Sam coming out was comparable to Jackie Robinson’s circumstance. Keen observers may note that Jackie Robinson did a poor job of hiding his condition at the time, so ‘coming out’ may not be the best characterization. Robinson’s achievement was ultimately based on his skill, not because he satisfied a PC agenda. If he stunk, he’d have been a very minor footnote in history and the answer to a Jeopardy question on sports trivia. Maybe he was gay as well. Who knows, who cares.
The NFL, as is the case with all pro sports, likely already have contingents of gay participants. Think of all the hugging that goes on in football, the skin tight pants. Heck even throwing the yellow hankies to signal a penalty seems a bit dainty if you think about it.
If this guy Michael Sam is any good, somebody will pick him up. But he should decide whether it’s more important to be a ball player who happens to be gay or a gay person first who happens to play football. Regardless of whom he winds up playing for, he’d better develop a thick skin because his teammates will make fun of him; for having two first names.