Like any commentary piece here at eDraft, this article represents the opinion of Chris Dougherty and not necessarily other members of the eDraft team or its affiliations.
Think about this: You're a professional athlete who's been playing in the NBA, NFL, NHL, etc. for 10 or more years. You've encountered hundreds of other males in the locker room, showers, on the court or field. It rarely crossed your mind that either your teammate or opponent was homosexual, and when it did, it didn't change the way you went about your profession. The gay athlete has never been relevant in the eyes of the national media, but it has been well known within the walls of a professional locker room, for quite some time, if I might add.
The gay athlete didn't just start with veteran NBA Center Jason Collins, not even a little bit, it started decades ago when being gay wasn't as hated or frowned upon as it is today (not to belittle their plight). There are a handful of former athletes who have come out and announced that they're gay to the media, and while we sit here and imagine how that must change their lives forever, ask yourself one question; does it really? Think about it; hundreds of athlete's are gay and have never come forth with it, because it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of what sports is supposed to be. The foundation of team sports is that a group of men or women come together in unicin for one common goal; to be the very best, to win a championship. What does it matter if your teammate is gay or straight?
Do you think Tom Brady would be without his three Super Bowl rings if he would've came out and announced he was gay? Do you think that Tiger Woods would be without his 14 Major Championships had he come out of the closet and announced he was gay? Absolutely not. What should matter, but sadly does not, is what their purpose is as a gay athlete. If they're not hindering the team with their sexual orientation, what does it matter who knows and who doesnt? I understand that some people are just naturally uncomfortable with the thought of having a homosexual teammate, whether it's a male or female, but the point I'm trying to stress here is that us as fans and members of the media, tend to psychoanalyze something just to create a story out of it.
One thing us as writers, sports personalities, radio show hosts, etc. look for is ratings. What story is going to drive the most traffic to our site or show? Well, certainly the news of a professional athlete announcing he is gay will spark everyone's interest. The questions I'd like to ask you is, what exactly about that is worth talking about? What does it have to do with sports? If Tom Brady, who has three Super Bowl rings announced today that he is gay, do you look back at those three rings and look at them as a part of a tarnished legacy? I would certainly hope not. Unfortunately, some people will say that they will never be able to look at him the same way again, but I'm not here to pick your brain about what your personal opinion is on the gay athlete.
The goal of this article is to reach you as a sports fan. We scream and shout at our televisions night after night, Sunday after Sunday, but only from the beginning of the game to the end. We don't sit in front of the TV and scream and shout about what our favorite athletes are doing when they're not in between the white line of a football field, or a basketball court. It's simply none of our corcern who they choose to be as people. I'm not a fan of any athlete for the person they are more than I am for the athlete they are. I don't see why you should be either.
We've all been in a place in our life where we've been told the truth, and it's simply something we don't want to hear. Well, here's the brutal truth; these athletes are going to live their life the way they want to live in order to be happy, regardless of what we say, tweet, write, or think about it, and rightfully so. We should appreciate them for what they provide for us, which is quality athletics night in and night out on a consistent basis. Other than that, it should be none of our business as to who they are as a person. I ask that before you begin to form a judgement of a gay athlete, remeber what you're judging. You're judging a person for the way he or she chooses to live their life, when you only really know about them for who they are on the field. It's a touchy subject, I'm well aware of that, my goal with this was to shed some light on what we're really poking at here. It's fine that we discuss athletes, and what they do and don't do for our favorite teams, but we struggle enough as individuals, just like they do; let's let them focus on them.