In the same week the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage case, a CBS Sports online columnist says a current gay NFL player could come out publicly within the next few months.
This player would become the first athlete in one of America's major team sports to be openly gay and continue to play.
READ: Check Out the Full CBSSports.com Column for More Details
But the obstacle keeping this unidentified player from revealing his sexual orientation isn't the fear of how teammates or even opposing players will react, writes CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman, citing former and current NFL players as sources for this information. It's a worry of what fans might do, Freeman reports:
This player's true concern, I'm told, is not the reaction inside an NFL locker room but outside of it. The player fears he will suffer serious harm from homophobic fans, and that is the only thing preventing him from coming out. My sources will not say who this alleged player is.
This past season, NFL players have been very vocal about their personal views on homosexuality:
- In an open letter, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe publicly criticized a Maryland state delegate for demanding the owner of the Baltimore Ravens stop team linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo from voicing his support for the state's ballot initiative to legalize same-sex marriage.
- Days before the February's Super Bowl, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver said during an interview that he didn't want gay teammates and that players who were out were not welcome in the locker room. (Although he admitted to probably being OK if the player was "in the closet" while playing but came out "10 years later.")
But what about fans? And not just NFL fans, but Major League Baseball and NBA supporters. Would a homophobic fan not care one way or the other if a player on his favorite team was gay, so long as he was performing well and the team was winning? Or would that be enough for a fan to turn his back on a lifetime of support for a squad?
Would an out player—especially a popular and well-liked player—make someone uncomfortable with homosexuality more accepting? Or would this add even more vitriol to the taunts and jeers of rival team's fans? And would a team that was accepting and supportive an openly gay player find a new group of fans backing it for its accomplishments in the social and political arenas instead of the sporting arenas?
What would you do?
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