Bruce Arians says fans, not players, would have problem with gay athlete

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,763
Bruce Arians says fans, not players, would have problem with gay athlete

Posted by Laces Out Crew on June 19th, 2013 at 7:57 am

By Ross Jones, FOXSports.com

Bruce Arians doesn’t think NFL locker rooms would have trouble accepting an openly gay player. The trouble that he does foresee stems from the NFL’s crazed fans.

“I don’t think the locker room would have any problem with it,” Arians told FOXSports.com in a telephone interview Wednesday. “The problem would be with the fans. I think especially opposing fans. Some of the things that are said are over the top and out of control that I can imagine what some fans would say to an openly gay player.”

The Cardinals head coach, who is making the media rounds before the inaugural Bruce Arians Family Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic, was adamant that his team would be more than inviting if and when a gay player comes out.

“As a coach and I can probably speak for our players too, I don’t think anybody would have any problem with it.”

It’s an interesting suggestion that doesn’t get a ton of attention. Opposing teams fans are harsh. And at what point does rooting against the opposing team become discrimination?

The NFL league has anticipated such events and addressed this issue in April should a player come out.

“Our league and team security people would be ready to monitor any kind of public reaction that might not be appropriate, including scrubbing social media”, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. “We would assist the player in dealing with any adverse public reaction of any type, if there is any. Hopefully there wouldn’t be and it would be a non-issue, which it should be.”

The topic of equality in sports has been a hot-button item. The NFLPA recently launched a t-shirt campaign that would take all net proceeds from sales and donate them to Athlete Ally, a foundation that battles homophobia.
 

Bluestar71

Brand New Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
602
It's a little optimistic to say a locker room is not going to have any problem with a gay player. I would say the overwhelming majority would either be okay, not give a damn, or have the sense to just keep things to themselves. But let's face it, the league has it's share of young, dumb, entitled fools with big mouths and you know one of them somewhere would likely get involved some kind of insensitive incident at least as long as having openly gay players remains a new phenomenon.
 

NoDak

Hotlinking' sonofabitch
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
22,934
It's a little optimistic to say a locker room is not going to have any problem with a gay player. I would say the overwhelming majority would either be okay, not give a damn, or have the sense to just keep things to themselves. But let's face it, the league has it's share of young, dumb, entitled fools with big mouths and you know one of them somewhere would likely get involved some kind of insensitive incident at least as long as having openly gay players remains a new phenomenon.
Possibly. But I still think the bigger problem would be the drunken idiots in the stands thinking they have license to scream out whatever they please. Chances are, the players wouldn't even hear them or care, but the surrounding fans would. And that could lead to even more problems. And you know when the first punch is thrown because of it, it will be looked at as a hate crime.
 

Carp

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
15,127
I definitely think that fans would be the bigger issue. You see the level of pretty ruthless taunting that goes on in the stands and this would just elevate it to an ugly level. I think players would almost be overly sensitive to a gay teamate, so I don't see much of an issue there.
 

Bluestar71

Brand New Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
602
For a gay player shouldering the insults of a bunch of random idiot drunks once a week, while not pleasant, would likely be easier to stomach than having a teammate who you would expect to have your back have some issue with your lifestyle. Fans would definitely be the louder and more prevalent issue, but I don't think you can just dismiss potential friction within the team as a non-issue as Arians suggested. In 2013 I doubt it's widespread from team to team but it would occur. Tolerance of homosexuality is a lot more common than ever, but it's not 100% especially among young guys. That doesn't mean gay players shouldn't come out or anything, but we should expect a transition for players and a few bumps in the road while everyone gets used to it.
 

Carp

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
15,127
It is not just the games on Sunday...with social media he would take a bunch of shit 24-7.
 

Carp

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
15,127
I didn't say pack some shit 24-7.
 

Plan9Misfit

Appreciate The Hate
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
5,837
For a gay player shouldering the insults of a bunch of random idiot drunks once a week, while not pleasant, would likely be easier to stomach than having a teammate who you would expect to have your back have some issue with your lifestyle. Fans would definitely be the louder and more prevalent issue, but I don't think you can just dismiss potential friction within the team as a non-issue as Arians suggested. In 2013 I doubt it's widespread from team to team but it would occur. Tolerance of homosexuality is a lot more common than ever, but it's not 100% especially among young guys. That doesn't mean gay players shouldn't come out or anything, but we should expect a transition for players and a few bumps in the road while everyone gets used to it.
I'd bet my bottom dollar that players on almost every team know if one of their teammates is gay. And I doubt they care.
 

Clay_Allison

Old Bastard
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
5,488
I'd bet my bottom dollar that players on almost every team know if one of their teammates is gay. And I doubt they care.
Artrell Hawkins was talking about the issue on Fox Sports back when that NBA player came out, he said that he played with 3 guys who everybody in the locker room knew were gay during his career and no one had any problem with it.

On the other hand as long as a guy is technically in the closet he is one thing, once he comes out guys might resent him because they perceive him as being a distraction or an activist.
 
Top Bottom