First there was the closeted gay baseball player Randy Dreyfus in the novel THE DREYFUS AFFAIR. Then there was, (and still is), the closeted gay baseball player Brad Steele in the comic strip KYLE'S B&B. Now there's the closeted gay baseball player in the Broadway play TAKE ME OUT.(I don't know the character's name, as I have not seen the play yet, but plan to next time I visit New York). And there's still lots of talk in the media about rumors surrounding Mike Piazza. My question is, this fascination with gay baseball players can't ALL be coming from the gay community, can it? It's too widespread and well known. Why are straight people so interested & fascinated by this topic? I will admit, I have reread THE DREYFUS AFFAIR several times; I anxiously await every new episode of KYLE'S B&B; and I cannot wait to see TAKE ME OUT. But I am GAY. Why would straight people find this so interesting, too?

Just wondering,

Tim A.

Good question Tim. I think the public, in general, is interested in the gay male athlete in a team sport, period. I think it's because since gays and lesbians have made strides in almost every aspect of life, professional team sports seems to be the last bastion that gays and lesbians, particularly gay men, have yet to really make their presence. I also think that Out's editor, Brendon Lemon, opened the floodgates of interest when he wrote that piece about the affair he was having with a ballplayer. Although we have our suspects as to who he is, noone knows the exact truth. Only time will tell I guess.

I agree that the obsession is probably rooted in the fact that baseball is a team sport as opposed to a gay tennis player or diver. The idea of a gay man playing in a fraternal atmosphere with his "brothers" is too shocking for middle America. Also, we're talking baseball, you know, our apple pie flag waving national past time. So there's probably a subversive feeling that this is a sport that shouldn't be encroached on by gays, because we're still not seen as part of the American picture.

Baseball is used in these plays and books mostly so authors can dredge up all the old "Baseball as Life" metaphors. Plus baseball players are thought to be more thoughtful and insightful than other pro sports team athletes.

I think that's a lot of it. Baseball, especially pro baseball, has more years of tradition attached to it than other big-money team sports, even though basketball and football have, by most indications, surpassed it in popularity (and kids are as likely to play soccer as anything, at least in the burbs, where there's enough land for it). The resistance or "shock factor" is greater for team sports in general, but baseball (or, rather, The Idea of Baseball) has that added mystique (myth-tique?), exemplified by that Chevy ad jingle from my long-gone youth.

[ October 20, 2003, 03:35 PM: Message edited by: danimal ]

Hey guys, first time poster to this great board. I just wanted to say that the media fixation with a baseball players sexuality isn't any different than any other high profile media type. I guess its done as most things are done in this country. To label someone so we know the strength's and weaknesses. So listen, gotta run Alex Gonzales is on his way over for an intimate dinner...(whoops) wink I mean my boyfriend, yeah my boyfriend who ISN'T ALEX GONZALES....

What a load of crap that........nah, ranted out about that subject! [Outsports sighs with relief]

For me, as I've gotten older, the less I want to know about the lives of athletes, musicians, actors etc. who's play/works I admire. I find that having access to all that info can be a double-edged sword. It's like the paradox of Richard Wagner, arguably one of the 2 or 3 greatest composers who's ever lived, writer of some of the most beautiful, ecstatic music ever composed, all while being a vile ass**** of the worst sort (anti-Semite, serial cheater, user of people for their financial clout etc. etc.)

Originally posted by Tim A.

Now there's the closeted gay baseball player in the Broadway play TAKE ME OUT. (I don't know the character's name, as I have not seen the play yet, but plan to next time I visit New York).


You'll enjoy it, Tim! I was in New York about 6 weeks ago, and made a point of going to see Take Me Out. I kept the playbill from the Walter Kerr Theatre and looked up the gay character's name...Darren Lemming (played by Daniel Sunjata). I thoroughly enjoyed Take Me Out; lots of humour but it had a serious side as well. The shower scene was especially riveting (much more interesting than the famous shower scene in Psycho )

I haven't yet read The Dreyfus Affair but I'll put it on my list.



Batboy wrote:

Also, we're talking baseball, you know, our apple pie flag-waving national past time. So there' s probably a subversive feeling that this is a sport that shouldn't be encroached on by gays, because we're still not seen as part of the American picture.

Interesting and valid comment, although I think homosexuality in pro football has received almost as much media attention, at least lately (eg, Esera Tuaolo). On the other hand, I don't think I've ever heard 'hockey' and 'gay' used in the same sentence (until now). Despite Canada's reputation as being somewhat more accepting of gays than the United States, it seems as if this country's national pastime avoids the subject completely.

Interesting & thoughtful replys, guys, I appreciate it. And while I agree with the point that several of you brought up, (basically, that baseball represents such a long-standing apple-pie tradition, and many people feel threatened by it's encroachment by any openly gay players), I think my point here is that A LOT of straight people seem to be reacting with POSITIVE interest in this fictional gay baseball player genre, (if that could be considered a genre! Could you imagine that, if bookstores had such a section? The "Gay Baseball Fiction" section!).
Anyway, what I mean is, in the 3 examples I cited, (THE DREYFUS AFFAIR, KYLE'S B&B, and TAKE ME OUT), I can't imagine they'd be the success they are without a large heterosexual audience, in addition to their gay audience. THE DREYFUS AFFAIR was on the NY Times bestseller list. KYLE'S B&B runs in a number of publications across North America. And TAKE ME OUT is doing big business on Broadway. You don't have that sort of high-profile success with a solely gay audience; a great deal of heterosexuals have apparently taken all 3 of these works into their hearts. And that leaves me hopeful & optimistic. I think sometimes truth follows fiction, and if so, perhaps the USA & Canada might be more ready to embrace an openly gay baseball player than some people realize.

Good point ... and I think the aura of tradition accounts for some of the positive fascination as well. As in, "Wow, even in baseball! Who knew?"

Semi-off topic, but is there any news about The Dreyfus Affair being made in to a movie? Last I heard, Ben Affleck had the rights and was going to star, but I suspect that it's in turnaround.

And, of course, Pudge Rodriguez' pecking on the cheek of teammates has brought the issue a little out of the closet. Of course, the announcers sort of freak out and try and explain it away instead of--here's a radical thought--saying nothing.

[ October 22, 2003, 11:02 AM: Message edited by: Jim Allen ]

Allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment...

DREYFUS AFFAIR--How long was it a bestseller, how many books did it actually sell, how many people actually read books nowadays? In such a large nation, how many people were actually exposed to this book? And remember that, all these years after the book was released, it STILL hasn't been made into a movie...not even a made-for-cable TV-movie, which might be a better option since the studios seem to be squeamish.

TAKE ME OUT--Doing good business, won the Tony for best play--but is it doing the same level of business as the most popular shows? Is it sold out in advance like shows such as The Producers was when Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane were the leads? And, it's still just on Broadway, and so it's not really exposed to the nation at large. The fact that ratings for the Tony awards telecast are so miniscule help point that out. Are there touring companies for shows like this, as there are for musicals? Is this show going to be seen in theaters all over the country? And how long will it take to be made into a movie if they can't get DREYFUS onto the screen?

KYLE'S B&B--ummmmmm...it's not exactly as well-known as Dilbert, is it? Where does it appear? Here in Philadelphia we have a weekly gay paper, plus two "alternative" weekly papers, all of which carry various comics. To my knowledge, none of them carry KYLE'S B&B...and even with the shrinking population, this is still a pretty large market.

I'm glad you're hopeful and optimistic, but I'm not sure there's a very large groundswell of attention on gay baseball players.

Hey, I've been a lurker on this board for about 6 months, but finally now a topic that has made me break down and register & create my own ID and all that stuff. Hope I don't make a fool of myself.

Lots to respond to here, but I'll make it short, maybe add some later. What drew me in is that I am very familiar with 2 of the 3 works being discussed, "the Dreyfuss Affair" and "Kyle's Bed & Breakfast". Note to Joe in Philly, it does run here in Chicago in the Chicago Free Press, a pretty widely read alternative weekly. And I remember reading somewhere on the Kyle's website that it's running in something like 25 states, and in Canada too. I don't know about "the Dreyfuss Affair" being on the NYTimes bestseller list, I don't follow that stuff, and I must've read the book about 10 years ago, at least. But it was the first "gay book" I ever read and for a gay guy struggling with his sexuality, who was also a big baseball fan, (and player, in high school), that book hit me like a hammer. I could not put it down. I would say the same feeling hit me when I first saw "Kyle's Bed & Breakfast", watching this hunky, closeted baseball player awkwardly making his way in life living in this gay b&b. Instant addiction! And when Brad had his first kiss a few months ago, I practically cried!

I don't know how widely read by straight people both of these works are, but I sure wish that they were. I think they bring up important issues. I tried to get a couple of my close straight friends to read "Dreyfuss Affair" without much success, not because of the gay subject matter, but because they're not big book readers. But I have shown them "Kyle's Bed & Breakfast" and they liked it, one is now a bigger fan than me, which is saying something.

I haven't seen "Take Me Out" but I really want to! Well, that is all I'll say for now. How did I do? :confused:

Kevin

Kevin, you did just fine and don't be bashful. Compared to some of the posts we see here, yours was the Gettysburg Address in comparison! wink

Was that before or after he married JLo? Maybe he doesn't want that kind of publicity now. Then again no publicity is bad publicity in Hollywood.

Hee. Well, now would have been the perfect time for the movie to come out. We gays are the hot thing, now, right?

Welcome ChiSoxGuy. We now have two avowed White Sox fans on the board that I can think of (you and MIB).

Reading EM Forster's Maurice was my equivalent of you with The Dreyfus Affair. Still my favorite book by light years.

First, and most important, welcome, Kevin--I have also recommended "Dreyfus Affair" to a number of people and have found that most people enjoy the book & find it funny. Hope you continue posting.

If there is a "media fixation" on gay baseball players (as this thread calls it) I think it's only a small subset of what seems to be a societal game of "Is he or isn't he?" Who hasn't heard the rumors about Richard Gere, George Clooney, Hillary Clinton, Jodie Foster, et al? When Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman split, one could almost hear tabloid editors salivating in hope one would "out" the other. Both of the dimbulbs who have appeared as "Joe Millionaire" have answered the 'gay rumors' on mainstream programs like "Entertainment Tonight." Barbara Walters has asked MacCauley Caulkin and Anjelina Jolie about "the possibility" they could be gay. I recall being in a movie theater when a local weatherman walked by and overheard a group of blue-haired ladies comment that "Everyone knows he's gay" and then offer their opinions as to the sexuality of other local tv types. "Dreyfus Affair," "Take Me Out," the gay Met silliness of last summer are just part of the current fascination with celebrity--real or fictional--and their personal lives.

As for why baseball (as opposed to football or basketball) baseball remains the national pastime. And as for marc having never heard "hockey" and "gay" in the same sentence--even in discussions of Mark Messier or Eric Lindros or, to a lesser extent, Wendell Clarke? Internet sites for hockey fans--straight and gay--frequently have threads questioning the sexual orientation of those players.

~Adam

Originally, I heard that Betty (I forget her last name, but she played the tall, blond curly-haired somewhat tough cop partner of Ed Marinaro on HILL STREET BLUES, and has gone on to become a moderately successful movie director), had either optioned the rights for the film or was slated to direct it. This was at least 6 or 7 years ago, maybe more. More recently I heard about Ben Affleck's interest in playing the part, and then also, that he was very interested in bringing TAKE ME OUT to the big screen, too. Ben seems to have a lot of interest in playing gay baseball players! I just hope he doesn't drop DREYFUS AFFAIR to do TAKE ME OUT. They both merit films, but we've been waiting a much longer time on DREYFUS AFFAIR, and TAKE ME OUT is still enjoying it's time in the theater. Also, thank you everyone for posting to this topic, it feels great to have started a topic that people are interested in.

Originally posted by Adam:

Adam, you're right...I had completely forgotten about the gay rumours regarding Lindros and Messier; although I really don't remember anything concerning Clarke. But in general, my observation is that hockey seems to be even more guarded about sexual orientation than baseball or football; there just seems to be less discussion about the subject. Perhaps it's partly due to the fact that many hockey players still come from small towns and rural areas across Canada and the United States where socially conservative values are instilled at an early age? And still others come from Russia and the other former Soviet republics where until just a few years ago homosexuality was either illegal or simply never discussed? The Swedish players on the other hand, probably have a more liberal view.

That's true, but I don't think that quite explains why the sort of rumor-mongering doesn't happen with the NHL. Maybe because it's not that popular with the general sports public?

Actually, I think that Take Me Out would have a better chance of getting made now because it's "hot", what with the Tonys and all.

The director's name is Betty Thomas (former Hill St Blues star; if she isn't "family" then I'm Vin Diesel) and she was indeed attached along with Affleck. Names like Wesley Snipes were being thrown around to play the black ballplayer. It's been in "development hell" for ages. By the time they get around to it it will star Haley Joel Osment and Li'l Bow Wow...

A couple things: The Dreyfus Affair film hasn't been hot in ages, but it's reported that Ben Affleck is now interested in the film of Take Me Out -- so he can play philosophical, hetero narrator Kippy.

The NY Times reported today that Take Me Out is playing to about 65% of capacity, and like nearly every Broadway drama that doesn't feature movie stars or a pre-sold title, it won't earn its investment back if forced to close in January (as rumored).

Guys, first of all I wanted to say thanks for the warm welcome, both on the board & off the board in the private messages sent. Y'all are a friendly bunch!

Second, I sure hope "Take Me Out" doesn't close before I get a chance to see it. I better make some plans to get to NYC fast!

Third of all, being that we've been talking about the "Kyle's Bed & Breakfast" comic strip in this topic, I realized that I forgot to post a link here to the website. If you haven't seen it yet, the majority of storyline involves a gay minor league baseball player dealing with life in the closet. And he always seems to be wandering around the house in his briefs & baseball cap, or less! Here's the link:

www.kylecomics.com

The latest episode has him doing laundry in, what else, his briefs! Gee, I'm making it sound like it's all about beefcake but it is actually a really thoughtful, warm, intelligent comic strip. I highly recommend it.

Lastly, I think another reason the media is "fixated" on the idea of a gay baseball player is, it would be great news! Think about all the news stories, the headlines, the Dateline NBC specials, interviews, debates on ESPN, etc, that it would generate. Even though a lot of reporters cover up who's gay and who's not in pro sports, so as not to rock the boat, I bet there's a part of the media that would eat this up if someone did come out. Just my opinion.

Kevin

Great comic strip ChiSoxGuy. Kyle's pretty cool.

As to Snipes as D.J. in the Dreyfus Affair, I think he could be good. Looks good in a baseball uni or without it (on the right). Against Affleck(6'3"), Snipes (5'11") might make a kind of height mismatch.

Maybe Patrick Swayze would be better if he's not too old for the part.

They've already done drag in Too Wong Foo... Seeing them as baseball players would be a lot more fun IMO.

Found some news about THE DREYFUS AFFAIR film. It's almost a year old, but I think this is the most recent development. It's from an EW article:

****The gay community could have a new poster boy in Ben Affleck, if he and director Betty Thomas (''28 Days'') are able to convince Hollywood's deep pockets to let them adapt Peter Lefcourt's 1992 novel, ''The Dreyfus Affair: A Love Story,'' about a gay Major League Baseball player. So far, they're striking out. ''Ben really wants to do it and I really want to do it,'' says Thomas, but ''the bottom line is no studio wants to give us the money. I guess they think there's no audience.'' What's the problem? Sounds like a home run to us.*****

So, it looks like the bottom line here is financing. Perhaps in the light of recent media focus on gays in baseball, certain factions might be more willing to finance the film. Here's hoping! And personally, Ben Affleck is not quite how I pictured Randy Dreyfus when I read the novel. He is described as blond & blue-eyed, although I suppose Ben could dye his hair.

Thomas and Afleck just had the rug pulled out from under them by Disney on the awfully titled "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past." Since they're not busy now, maybe someone'll lay $100 mil on them to make a baseball movie.

On the ohter hand, even with a dye job, I don't see Afleck as Dreyfus. I've never seen him do the naivate necessary to pull off the clueless hick that is Dreyfus. The closest he's come has been either in "Good Will Hunting" or "Reindeer Game"s where he was playing somewhat dumb, but in a world weary way that left too much ingnorant and not enough innocent.

Hey, all, found a very short interview with Ben Affleck at E-Online about THE DREYFUS AFFAIR. Again, this is not brand new, but it is interesting! Here it is:

The rumor is you're really interested in The Dreyfus Affair
I think it's a great book, and it's very funny. But there's no script. The difficult thing in talking about movies before they're greenlighted is you never know what's going to happen.
Matt said you were making fun of Ripley as his gay movie. He could make fun of you for The Dreyfus Affair.
It's about a guy who--like Cal Ripkin--is, like, the hugest, most venerated, all-American baseball player. But he falls in love with the second baseman on his team. It's a comedy. Betty Thomas is doing it. It takes the bathtub scene in Ripley further.
There are some intimate scenes in the book. You're not scared of that?
No, I think it's funny. I'm not homophobic or shy about it. The way I grew up, knowing friends and family who were gay, it was never something I was squeamish about or had any prejudices about. I tease Matt, but it's all in good fun.

Erm, no script. No money. I'd say this has about as much chance of being made soon as the Tigers winning the World Series next year. I hope it doesn't turn in to another Front Runner, always about to be made, but never quite.

The book always read like a novelization of a script anyway so it shouldn't be that tough to get that part together; the money on the other hand......

Saturday night, about 7:30, I walked by the booth in Times Square where they have half-price tickets for shows both on- and off-Broadway. The electronic boards showing which shows still had tickets available showed only 4 shows left on the Broadway list, and one of them was Take Me Out. That seems to be an indicator that it's not selling as well as others. wink

Where are all of these rich gay people? Why don't THEY combine resources and fund a movie like The Dreyfus Affair or The Front Runner?

[ October 29, 2003, 06:39 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

More news about "Take Me Out"....lead actor Daniel Sunjata, who was nominated for Tony award for "best actor" and originated the role of the gay baseball player in the show, announced this past Wednesday, October 29th that he will be leaving the show on Jan. 4, 2004. So, to everyone contemplating seeing the show, I'd make plans to see it before January if I were you!

Tim eek!

I think all the cast member's contracts expire simultaneously right after New Year's. That's the week many NY stage productions close, as all the holiday crowds go home and nobody comes to NY during the winter. Hell, even the New Yorkers try to get to warm weather for awhile. Anyway, this was a marginal show that lasted as long as it did because of prurient interest rather than dramatic merit. It won't be missed and will scarcely be remembered.

[ October 31, 2003, 08:34 AM: Message edited by: Munson Man ]

re: "Take Me Out"

Maybe the sooner it closes, the sooner the film version will be made? Not sure how that all works, but anyway, I heard the play might be coming to Chicago in some form, so I might not need to go to NY to see it.

Is Ben Affleck supposed to be starring in the film version, or just producing it? And if he stars in the film, would he do the nude shower scenes that are supposed to be such a big part of the play?

I'm pretty sure any film adaptation of TMO would have little, if any, male frontal nudity. As Eyes Wide Shut (most recently) taught us, we are the only Western country whose movie industry does not allow us to see sexually explicit cinema.

Yet we show dead or mutilated bodies, blood and gore, and much other horror without batting an eye. Methinks our priorities are a bit out of whack.

What's worse: A man's penis or one's entrails hanging out of the body?

The play is indeed touring in 2004, and will undoubtedly play Chicago. I know it's coming to SF.

I saw the play and am inclined to agree with Munson Man's comment.

Found this review that summed up some of the problems I had with the play.

I totally agree with this. I found it difficult, if not impossible, to feel for the characters.

I think The Dreyfus Affair is a better candidate for a movie than Take Me Out, but as it's been in development hell forever, I'm not holding my breath.

And speaking of development hell, what ever happened to "The Mayor of Castro Street" film project, on the life of Harvey Milk?

Good news to hear that "Take Me Out" is touring.
And more good news, I just learned that the "Kyle's Bed & Breakfast" comic strip will be published in a book/collected edition in 2004. So all those baseball locker room scenes and Brad in his tighty-white briefs will be in one volume! Yes!!!

Where did you find out about the KYLE'S B&B book? I just looked throughout the entire KYLE'S B&B website, and couldn't find any mention about a book coming out. ( www.kylecomics.com , in case anyone else wants to look). Don't get me wrong, I would love to see a book of the strips' episodes collected in one volume, but I don't see any info about the book at the website or at Amazon.

Tim, it wasn't at the website. There's a "Kyle's Bed & Breakfast" Yahoo Group that it got mentioned in. Not by Greg Fox, the writer, but by a fan who spoke with him about it. The official announcement will probably appear at the website soon. It is still a ways off until the book comes out, mid 2004.

Actually, I just got the e-mail announcing the new edition of the strip and he made mention of the book in the e-mail.

I just got confirmation today: TAKE ME OUT is definitely closing in early January of 2004. So, to anyone else on this board who was thinking about traveling to New York City to see it, better get there soon. Barely more than a month left to see this play! Sad that the DREYFUS AFFAIR movie is in limbo, and now TAKE ME OUT is closing. Well at least we still have KYLE'S B&B for our gay baseball player dramatic fixation!

Well, Take Me Out had a good run, considering how badly "serious" plays do on Broadway. I'll go see it when it comes to Los Angeles.

Call me overly paranoid, but does this mean the national tour of the play will be cancelled, too? I mentioned in an earlier post that I heard it was touring, and most likely coming to Chicago, but if that's not going to happen now, I will somehow try to get to NYC to see this before it closes in January.

And are they or are they not making a movie of this?

Oh, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, too!

Kevin

I'm not sure the national tour would be related to the closing on Broadway. It had a decent run and won the Tony for Best Play. As for the movie, who knows? wink

The national tour of "Take Me Out" is scheduled to run in San Francisco in the spring.

I saw it! Finally got myself to New York City this past week and got to see "Take Me Out" in it's final weeks before closing.

Was it worth the wait, and all the hype? Absolutely, I really enjoyed it. Of course, the much talked about male nudity was nicely overdone, and quite captivating, (especially from my spectacular seat down front!). But the play was far more than just nude male hunks. There were some great dramatic performances, wonderful characters, somewhat deep insight into the game of baseball itself, and a pretty engrossing story overall.

I highly recommend it to anyone who's going to be in the New York area over the next 3 weeks, ( the play closes on January 4th, so get on down there now!). And I hope they make a film of it, although I have to say the "in your face" quality of seeing it live like that is a big part of the play's success. I was going to wait until it came to Chicago on tour, but I was worried it might be toned down for performances outside of New York, so I'm glad I got to see it now in it's raw, full-frontal glory.

A tip, go to www.playbill.com for discounts on tickets. You just have to join, (easy, and free), to have access to their discounts, (I saved a lot of money with a printed out coupon from them).

Kevin

I'm going to NYC next week, right after Christmas to visit friends, and will see TAKE ME OUT while I'm there. I'm not missing this!

Well, just got back from NYC and one of the highlights of my trip was being able to see TAKE ME OUT in its final week of performances. I cannot believe this play is closing, it is that good. Reading over this board, now that I've seen the play, I have to agree with all the good things folks have said about it. But, in addition to raving about the play, I'd like to direct this back to the topic of this whole thread:

Gay Baseball Players: why the media fixation?

After seeing TAKE ME OUT, one thing is clear; baseball players are very much the "knights in shining armor" of professional sports. Not to say they can't be rude, arrogant, bigoted, violent or sloppy, but....compare how baseball players appear, visually, to the other major sports players. Football players? A bunch of hulking, overpadded, helmeted, rage monsters. Hockey players? Same, only worse in terms of violence and on-ice fighting. Basketball players? Running around in their shorts, sweaty, hyperactive, constantly slamming into each other on a crowded, indoor court. And then you have baseball players....in their regal uniforms.... playing out on the grass in summer, barely breaking a sweat, most of the time. Certainly the most gentlemanly of the 4 major sports. In the realm of masculinity, probably no one personifies it more strongly, (aside from the military), than sports players. And if any one sports player would be picked to personify the American dream, it would be the baseball player. They are, in a sense, our knights in shining armor! So, of course it would pique the public's interest, more so than in almost any other arena, to see a GAY player emerge in the world of baseball. It throws into chaos the whole idea of our masculine heroes being only one way, (i.e., heterosexual).

I hope one day, soon, a player will emerge who is still playing professionally. Not sure if it would go over quite the way it did in TAKE ME OUT. And I'm sure any closeted baseball players out there right now feel much the way Brad Steele does in KYLE'S B&B, like it's not worth the headaches it would cause to come out, and that they'd prefer to focus on baseball than becoming an activist. But if only ONE guy takes that step, well, history will be made, and boy, will we be hearing about it for decades.

But thanks to the unseemly amounts of money baseball players receive, they are probably the most rude, arrogant, fan-UNfriendly athletes of the 4 sports, while hockey players are universally regarded as more accomodating and friendly to their fans than in other sports.

If some pro athlete HAS to be openly gay, I'd prefer a hockey player to someone with the attitude of Barry Bonds.

Joe, I'd take any one of the 4 sports; hockey, football, baseball, or football. Just someone, PLEASE come out already while you're still playing professionally! Love ya', Billy Bean, but we need someone who's active in the sport to take that step. Tim, glad you got to see "Take Me Out" before it closed, wasn't it great? How awesome it would be if a DVD were made of the original cast performing the show as it was played on the Broadway stage. But how many of those guys would commit their frontal nudity to DVD? Well, maybe they would, as it took a lot of guts to do the show nude like that for over a year, in front of live audiences.

Kevin