Well, what's wrong with trying to sell a book? Why write one, especially one so honest and revealing, if you're not going to try and sell it?

I imagine for alot of players that bringing the gay issue to the forefront within the realm of professional sports is uncomfortable. Obviously, opposing fans would certainly make it an issue in many cities if an active player came out. As many here have said before though, it would be ideal if a top player were to come out..just imagine! How cool would that be?

It's interesting to read the comments, yet we know just how press savvy most are these days.

The golden nugget of all this is that John Amaechi is truly helping young athletes, gay and otherwise, grow in both confidence and courage. And regardless of the fact that he's retired or trying to make $$, this takes balls. I applaud him.

Hmmmm...I wonder if this means that Isiah is NOW accepting his formerly shunned illegitimate gay son????
It wasn't that long ago that he had totally cut him off from contact.....

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketba...5p-328316c.html

I don't see how you surmise that the son is gay from that article.

But Isiah should have no problem with gays personally. Especially since he and Magic Johnson were rumored to be lovers for years, long before Magic's HIV announcement and their subsequent falling out.

I'm familiar with his son's poetry and writing; read some of it.... Especially his ode to a lover who is no longer here... there's really no question about his sexuality....that article was more about Isiah's abandonment of his son....

Hi Guys, I am A Memphis Grizzlies season ticket holder. I am waiting to hear from the Grizzlies on this topic. Both Mike Miller and Chucky Atkins played with John, but I haven"t heard any comments from them yet. So far I can say I was pleased to hear what Tracy McGrady had to say, and a little sadden by LeBron James. I can say the Grizzlies organization has been very nice to me, though I have never discussed by sexuality with anyone (No need to.). But they should be nice to me, I spend a lot of money, time, and energy on the team. I'm truly a FANATIC. I fully expect them to issue public statements similar to that of McGrady and Isiah Thomas. I must admit if they don't react the way I want them too Iwill pull my support. I won't spend my money, time and energy on anyone or anything that does not support diversity. Like I said I fully look for positive responses from the Memphis Grizzlies organization, from owner, Mike Heisley, President of Basketball Operations, Jerry West down to the players. I have always wondered what their public response would be. I guess now I'll get to find out.

Why do you suppose that having had rumors spread about you would make you less homophobic?

You took the words right out of my mouth. Considering the way he treats his own gay son, Isiah has a hell of a lot of nerve to be preaching platitudes about acceptance of gays. The fact that he's gay makes it even more criminal.

I totally agree - he can't tell the story about his gayness/struggle etc in one article. It needs a book. Why should someone else tell his story ?- Let the man who lived it tell it.

Re;Isiah Thomas

It sure doesn't seem to me that his son's homosexuality is any part of his not having contact with his son. I don't see any point in making any correlation between his recent comments about gays in the NBA and his relationship (or lack thereof) with his son. None of us have any idea what has transpired between his child's mother and Isiah over these 20+ years. It is possible that this woman made it impossible for Isiah to even have any kind of relationship with his son. Or perhaps he is a total schmuck in this case. These are complictaed issues. The point is we just don't know.

Isiah is an enigma to be sure. His recent comments and his welcoming back Magic Johnson are quite counter to his alleged sexual harrassment of an Knicks employee and his relationship with an out-of-wedlock child.

Nice job John! My roommate and I were watching the interview today and we both commented on how grounded and centered he came across. I would have liked to see the entire 1/2 hour dedictaed to this issue though.

I will definitely be buying the book. Now how do I go about getting you to autograph it?

Sadly I'm doubtful any active male athlete in the major pro team sports will willingly come out. More likely he will be forced out due to some public incident. Hopefully it won't be along the lines of George Michael's outing.

Well, I have a bit of a problem with comparing Jackie Robinson's position to that of a currently-playing gay athlete. Robinson was a star in the Negro League, but was not making the money or getting the prestige that playing in major league baseball would bring - and in those days the money was pocket change compared to today. Even a marginal player in any of the major league sports makes far more money than they would see in any other walk of life, and they would have to risk that in coming out - Robinson, had he said no to Branch Ricky's offer, was not giving up something he had, but rather something that might have been (and quite frankly, the integration of baseball could have gone so bad that Robinson would have been better off in the Negro League). I was just watching the Sports Reporters on ESPN, and I think they were very realistic about what would happen if a gay player ever came out while active in any league, and why Amaechi's announcement, as groundbreaking as it is, won't have a huge impact on the league.

Where I do agree with Mr. Steele of the Sun is that the coming out of an active player, IMHO, will have to be a group effort - the management and ownership of whatever team had the player on its roster would have to be supportive of the player - there would have to be a Branch Ricky figure - and perhaps that's what is really needed in professional sports. Maybe we don't need a player to "man up" (although I do like that phrase), but rather we need an owner or manager to be the supportive figure encouraging the player and making at least that team's environment welcoming. We need an owner or a manager with a gay or lesbian child or sibling or close friend who recognizes that one of their players might be gay, and may be suffering because of being closeted, and works to change the situation.



More importantly, there would be no reason for a book if he weren't gay. I mean, a book by a former player, one who is not necessarily that well known, wouldn't get a publisher unless it had something surprising or shocking or revelatory in it.

LOL...Isiah is an enigma alright...and a shadey one at that! Which is why Joe Dumars is now running the Detroit Pistons instead of Isiah Thomas (for those who aren't familiar with Isiah's "Falling out" with Mr. Davidson, the Pistons' owner, check it out)...other examples lie in what he did after taking after the Raptors organization and running it into the ground...then buying the ABA and throwing it into bankruptcy, followed by the Pacers job and what he's currently doing TO the NY Knicks!!!..If you remember back to earlier this season and the Knicks/Nuggets brawl, many analyzing the tape believe Isiah's actions and taunts are what ignited that brawl and the suspensions that followed...
Yeah, Isiah is an enigma, alright...

I don't want to derail this thread with Isiah bashing. Clearly he has been a pretty awful executive in his professional life. I just don't think any of us can pass judgment on his relationship with his son. The strain quite possibly has nothing to do with homosexuality. His comments about Amaechi seemed to be genuine. People got all worked up with perceived negative comments by Barkley on TNT as well as LeBron James earlier thsi week. And yet Thomas comes out and says something supportive and some guys are slamming him because of his relationship with his own gay son.

sweetie put it back in your pants

Um, because they weren't "rumors". DOH!

Don't assume that we all partake in your bad habits!

I saw the John Amaechi interview this morning on Outside the Lines. He said that he began going to gay clubs in 2000, while playing in Orlando. Amaechi was semi-out after arriving in Utah and declared that he visited almost every major gay bar in every NBA city. He indicated that his out lifestyle was a big part of why he played sparingly and later traded by Utah. Amaechi also said that he has spoken to several current gay NBA players. He said the thought of coming out terrifies the players, because of the consequences that they would suffer.

Here's another article w/ the same point of view.

I tend to agree w/ these sports writers--it's no longer newsworthy unless an ACTIVE player comes out...I think it's long overdue! This country needs its foundations shaken! It'll be a glorious day when it actually happens.

Don't get me wrong I do applaud him for making it public, but we now need someone to step up to the plate (or court, if you will).

He's out. I'm excited. Let's move on. This has occupied the front headline of Outsports for more than I've ever seen.

It amazes me how infatuated the gay community can get these days about a player coming out. Yes he was in the NBA but a mid-tier player at best.

Nothing against him but I am blown away by how the gay community gets so "excited" when someone of any notoriety comes out. Lance Bass, Neil Patrick Harris, ... the list goes on. At least the later would also like us to move on and accept him as an actor first. I say we do that with all celebrities ... unless that's what they really want and then I question their "coming out."

Okay, I've said it and now the gay sports community will come down on me for being such a hard ass and not recognizing how earth-shattering this news is.

I'm more concerned about the Spurs and their sorry ass run on the Rodeo Road Trip up to this point, March Madness and the upcoming baseball season. Maybe I'm in the wrong forum.

So? It's not a current player, but he's the first from the NBA so of course there's going to be some discussion. It's sort of a boring story, though, because it's basically been told before, by Esera Tuaolo and Billy Bean and so on. When a current male athlete from one of the major pro sports leagues (or even the NHL ) comes out, then it's a really big story.

And why shouldn't the community get excited, even if it isn't a current player? The more people who come out, the better.

Gotta love Mark Cuban:

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban disputes the notion that coming out while playing will be career or financial suicide. He thinks the opposite.

"From a marketing perspective, if you're a player who happens to be gay and you want to be incredibly rich, then you should come out, because it would be the best thing that ever happened to you from a marketing and an endorsement perspective," Cuban told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "You would be an absolute hero to more Americans than you can ever possibly be as an athlete, and that'll put money in your pocket. On the flip side, if you're the idiot who condemns somebody because they're gay, then you're going to be ostracized, you're going to be picketed and you're going to ruin whatever marketing endorsements you have."

"When you do something that the whole world thinks is difficult and you stand up and just be who you are and take on that difficulty factor, you're an American hero no matter what," Cuban said. "That's what the American spirit's all about, going against the grain and standing up for who you are, even if it's not a popular position."

Amen! Think about Rosa Parks & what she did @ HER time period & the consequences she could have faced?! If she could "have the balls" then so can an ACTIVE pro player. Can we hear a "Halleuyah!"

You get an "Amen!" from me for that bit of wisdom from Mark Cuban.

This is a big deal. There are reasons why it is important for public figures to come out. The most important reason is revealed in the interview, when he referred to other gay NBA players that he knows.

Back when John Amaechi was gay and an active player, he probably felt he was the only one. There was no one he could reach out to, no Outsports, no other out player, no clear role model. Now there is. Players can network if they wish.

I haven't read the book and I don't know if John felt a sense of isolation or not, but a gay kid going in the NBA now does not need to feel isolated. For a lesson on the impact of that isolation, consider the story of Ed Gallagher, Pittsburgh linesman who attempted suicide in 1985.

Johns coming out is also very important for the rest of us not lucky enough to be talented athletes. It yet again illustrates that gay people are just as capable as straight people. Of course, there comes a time when that point has been made, but we have not yet reached that point.

For those that say lets move on: Fair enough, we have heard it beofore. But you must acknowledge your luxury of familiarity is because other athletes have also taken that step to come out. You must acknowledge that it IS a big deal for many people and that it is worthwhile. And you must acknowledge that complacency is a dangerous attitude. Consider how you would react to Johns coming out if it had happened before Esera Tuaolo, before Billy Bean, and before many other public figures in music and arts.

For those that say, ok, but not good enough, he's not an active player, he's not a super-star name, etc, does he need to be?. Simply being an NBA player is good enough, it fulfils the two reasons above.

Being an active player and a super-star, perhaps more people would get to hear about it. The only other reason would be to kill the lingering doubt that there will always be straight men who are better at masculine stuff than gay men.

But realistically, given the odds, it is very unlikely, though not impossible, that there ever will be leading masculine icons who are gay. As a result, we need the incremental comings out of the run-of-the mill athletes, they are important.

The tremenduous value of his coming out is in danger of being lost in the insatiable desire for better than before. Bigger headlines, more shock. More titillating. But none of those are important reaons. They are certainly not enough to expect an active athlete to risk his or her career for.

Thank you John for coming out. You have done a good thing, an important thing, and it will be appreciated by many individuals in the future.

It's ironic that you patronize OUT sports and then want to tell people how to react to someone actually being a professional athlete and gay. I go to cnnsi and espn all the time but I come here because it is a niche sports site started by two GAY men who play and watch sports. And by the way, the SPURS suck....with teeth...

This is important for a couple reasons, imho. For one, he is the first player from the NBA to come out, and that's signifcant. Secondly, each time an athlete deals with this issue in the public arena, it advances the dialogue. Finally, Amaechi is a smart, articulate, good looking guy, so people are going to listen to him; hence the dialogue will potentially take place on a higher level than it has before.....Yeah, sure, it'd be nice for an active player in male team sports to come out (and it WILL happen) but we need to take some solace in these smaller steps along the way

And you gotta love Amaechi's reaction to Cuban's comments:



I like Michael Wilbron's take on the Lebron James "controversy", which boils down to "It's unfair to stick a mic in the face of a 22-year old kid who's literally thought about nothing but basketball for the last umpteen years and expect him to comment on any and everything related to the NBA." Pardon the Interruption (Flash video)


Amaechi has done a video for HRC, and been designated an "official spokesperson" for their Coming Out Project. Stepping right up to the plate, isn't he? Good man!

I hope we all read Cuban's comments for what they are. Cuban is the ultimate marketing genius in the NBA. While Dallas and San Antonio are rivals I LOVE Mark Cuban and what he has done to the game from a promotional perspective. He's probably one of the few people who can read situations at the core of them.

My prior comment really hits at how we get so wrapped up in the celebrity moment. HRC has already made Amaechi their spokesperson for the Coming Out campaign. Then again they gave Lance Bass (and his temporary partner) an award right after he came out before he did one thing for the gay community.

I personally think the lacrosse coach in Missouri deserves more attention for coming out while coaching. I guess I don't deal with celebrity like others do.

Oh, and by the way, comments like "Spurs suck with teeth" are pretty childish. Yep, they're having a lousy road trip but remember it's the longest road trip in NBA schedules due to the Rodeo (which benefits hundreds of youth in scholarships). They are still the classiest team in the NBA.

I saw an interview this evening on CNN with Amaechi. He seemed to be quite articulate and expressed his feelings most accurately. I feel fortunate to have heard that interview.

Surely they tried, but Kyle Hawkins has made it clear that he isn't comfortable with celebrity, as Bass and Amaechi obviously were, even before they came out. However, point taken about HRC's rush to take charge of every newly-out 'image' they can promote. In the end, it's a good thing, I suppose.

Anyway, here's today's CNN video. Damn the guy is well-spoken!

LOL - I loved how you slipped that in there. Do tell.

Let's not tell, at least not in this thread.

People should check out Mike Kahn's assinine perspective on Amaechi in his Foxsports.com column: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6463042#5. See question 5.


Jim, because I know you and Cyd like to track these things, I sent a comment to FoxSports, via their "Feedback" form, as follows:

"In his question # 6, Mike Kahn doesn't know the difference between the Hornets and the Bobcats, but on question #5 he doesn't know the difference between critical thought and pernicious bigotry.

So, John Amaechi should just keep his mouth shut because sexuality is no one's business? What Kahn really means is that Amaechi should stay in the closet, and that all current gay pro athletes should hide who they are and live in the shadows. Face it: heterosexual players don't have to hide their sexuality. They're allowed to have girlfriends and wives, bring them to games, parties and the media, talk about them all they want, etc. For a gay player to have any type of real personal life, without hiding and skulking in the shadows, his sexuality would become an open fact, and would be all over the league. And the fact that there are bigots everywhere in the league -- both attributed and unattributed quotes this week have made this clear -- is exactly why this is a big issue.

Despite Kahn's lame contention, it is not in any way absurd to compare this to the way African Americans have been and are treated in sports. It is EXACTLY the same issue. What is absurd is Kahn trying to pretend it's a non-issue, when what he really means is that gay players better keep their mouths and keep their lives shut. Shame on him."

I interviewed John today for the AP. He is truly impressive in person -- very handsome, engaging, and well spoken.

A couple anecdotes surrounding the interview, one sort of funny, one very much not funny:

I was waiting for John in a conference room at the Empire State Building and a woman who works for AP Radio called. I was going to digitally record the interview for her. She says: "I just saw him on CNN. Bill, we don't really know each other but damn! I have to say... He's so good looking. I bet there were tons of disappointed women at Penn State. You just never know when the person you're dealing with is gay, I guess."

I guess you don't.

Less amusing: After I got back to the AP and wrote my story, this guy I work with who is particularly awful came over to me, smirking and said "I hope you washed your hands after talking to that guy."

I was shocked, because I thought it was clear that I was gay. I'm out, after all, and have worked with him for months. I thought the fact that he's been civil to me was some sort of victory, but I guess, you just never know when the person you're dealing with is a clueless ass, huh.

I didn't know what to say, so I very coldly asked him if he might want to try that with someone else. He left me alone after that but I was pissed.

You know, maybe it just doesn't pay to work in sports. So many jerks.

Bill

ARTICLE LINK: http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/story.asp?id=280435

I just saw the interview. I guess I was expecting more. He completely walked around the question of "why now?" Some points were well said such as the point that he was in the NBA to do a job and not pick up guys, something I think a lot of people should understand. But why is it that the most outspoken, "out" celebrities are those with books that have also just come out? Lance's temporary partner is a great example. I almost feel like he used his relationship with Lance just to promote the book about his experience at the AF Academy (checklist: 1) date and come out with Lance, 2) promote book, 3) break up).

I wish Amaechi all the best and know the current work he does with the ABC Foundation is something to be proud of and heralded. When pro athletes step up the social conscious a bit with work like that I admire them. Johann Olav Koss' work with Right to Play is a great example and one I actively contribute to.

Granted this is a site about gays and sports so attention is due. However I'm curious how long the story will hold the top slot of the front page.

I despise people like this guy.You should have used that same hand to smack him upside his head!

I have caught a couple of snippets of interviews with Amechi. Last night on the show just before "Larry King" on CNN. He is very eloquent, very articulate, an excellent spokesperson, comes across as very intelligent, and extremely handsome in my view. I agree with John Roberts that he is indeed a role model.

There is an article on the front page of the sports section in today's Toronto Star that quotes Amaechi as saying that Toronto would be a comfortable place for gay athletes to out themselves DURING their career. He goes on to say that he would often hang out in the gay village here in Toronto before or after games when they played here and he had hoped that at one point in his career he could play for the Raptors.

The article states that the 36 year old said such acceptance in a city - (which, over the weekend, had police recruiting gays, lesbians and the transgendered and a provincial cabinet minister reveal his summer wedding plans to his long-time boyfriend) - could support an openly gay pro in his prime.

Actually ironically enough the Raptors are hosting their first Gay Night with the Raptors in a game against the Pacers on February 23. Through the groups department with the Raptors sales for one section of the ACC are going support Rainbow Hoops - a very lesbian friendly women's basketball league.

http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/180996

I'm fairly certain the sole purpose of John Amaechi coming out was to promote Toronto as the only exclusively gay tolerant city in North America.

That would only get you fired. Better complain to your boss about the racist comments of your coworker.

I actually think the intent was more homophobic than racist,this time.

Likely. But make him deny it.

Buck - That would be an awesome comeback. I'm sure Bill has thought of a hundred perfect responses since the incident but a "Dude, I didn't know you were racist!" would have been awesome. Then he would have had to admit his homophobia to a gay guy.

Yup, & when he would have made his homophobic comment you could have followed up w/ "You do know that I'm gay, right?!" Nothing's more pleasurable than seeing a bigot walk away w/ his tail tucked between his legs.

Gee - is that what the article said???

Those funny, funny guys over at The Brushback gave us a headline today:

"Closeted Gay Player Engages In Gay Bashing With Closeted Gay Teammate"

At this point, I think that the commentary from NBA players and personnel alone provoked by his coming out is worth the price of admission. The Dialogue has increased sharply and that is of great value.

Nothing frightens us humans more than the unknown. We often desire comfort and security more than anything else...so when someone shakes it up, people get scared, disturbed, etc.

This guy's story, whether it's mass marketed, commercialized, strung out too long or whatever, is important and brave and will change lives and perspectives. Again, you go back to some kid in some junior high or high school or college who's afraid, possibly making bad decisions because of that fear, and you realize that this will potentially touch him.

And John may not be a hero to everyone but he's certainly doing something heroic...

I believe he's making a joke about those who say Amaechi is only trying to sell books.

"Oh, and by the way, comments like "Spurs suck with teeth" are pretty childish. Yep, they're having a lousy road trip but remember it's the longest road trip in NBA schedules due to the Rodeo (which benefits hundreds of youth in scholarships). They are still the classiest team in the NBA."

Dude, I can't win for losing. First you say don't talk about Amaechi being gay so much. So I talk to you about sports and now you say I am being "childish." Actually, I was being nice. The term "sucks" is based in homophobia, just like "blows" and "dude...you're so screwed", etc. so "sucks with teeth" is my way of saying
that Spurs are a horrible organization and I hate them with a passion without insulting anyone because this is
a gay sports site and I want to be respectful of everyone here and their feelings.

By the way, HRC and all the things that don't have anything to do with this website aside, you still did not address the irony of you coming to OUTsports and saying don't talk about an out gay man in sports.

In any event, all we can control is the kudos we give to John. Again, I am glad he is out and I am glad that this website is providing us with such an extended view of what's going on. Long live OUTsports!!

I agree 100%...

The stage has been set (by raising it to our social/national conscience AND having outspoken supporters in the professional leagues). Now somebody please step up to the microphone. NOW is the best time more than ever to come out!