Roy
Simmons, the former NFL player who came out as gay in 1992,
is alleging that the league denied him a credential for the
Super Bowl media center because he is gay and HIV-positive.
The NFL denies this.
Simmons
and attorney Gloria Allred held a press conference outside
of NFL headquarters on Thursday demanding an investigation.
He said that he asked for a credential for the center on
Feb. 2, three days before the Super Bowl in Detroit. He also asked for
two tickets for the game, which the Pittsburgh Steelers won
21-10 over the Seattle Seahawks, and a party.
According
to Simmons, an offensive lineman with the New York Giants
and Washington Redskins from 1979-84, the NFL told him there were no more credentials.
But Allred alleges that the NFL indicated it would give
other passes after Simmons asked for one, AP reported. "I
was once part of the inner circle -- now I'm standing on the
outside looking in," said Simmons, who also wasn't given
tickets to the game or the party.
"It is
impossible for all of these requests to be met, and there
were many people, apart from Mr. Simmons, who were
disappointed," a statement from the NFL said. The league
said that it is inundated by requests for last-minute
credentials and tickets and that they are handled by different
representatives from the league.
It said that "far from being hostile to Mr. Simmons, the
last word back to him from our office was to contact us
after the Super Bowl about the possibility of speaking to
our rookies at their annual June symposium."
Allred said
she wanted an investigation to determine whether Simmons'
request was denied because he no longer fit the image of an
NFL player or whether the NFL "is inherently homophobic and
prefers that a gay football player remain in the closet," AP
said.
I have been
very critical of how the NFL has handled gay issues in the
past, from players not being punished for making homophobic
remarks to the NFL Shop
refusing to sell jerseys with "gay" on the back. But
in this case, I see it more of a case of opportunism by
Simmons than homophobia by the league. Here's why:
--Having
been a sports editor for a newspaper, I know how tight the
NFL credentialing system is. Requests generally have to be
made weeks, if not months, in advance, any many legitimate
news sites are denied. As
Deadspin put it, "if you have a “.com” in your
title, and “ESPN” doesn’t come before it, you’re might as
well be some tailgating dude who just wants better seats."
While I am sure some favoritism does exist, asking for a
credential and tickets three days prior to the biggest
sporting event in the country is pretty laughable.
--Simmons
is promoting a book, and there is no better way to get
attention than to accuse the most powerful sports league in
the country of discrimination. Simmons' book, "Out
of Bounds," is a searing and brutally honest account
of a player who wrestled with his sexuality and drug abuse.
And standing in front of league headquarters certainly got
him some free press, and likely more sales.
--Regardless of her merits as an attorney, Gloria Allred is
a notorious publicity hound (Scott Peterson's former
mistress Amber Frey was a
client). I imagine she couldn't
have said yes fast enough when she heard of Simmons'
complaint. Allred can attack a live microphone faster than
Joey Porter can a quarterback on a blitz.
--If the
NFL is sincere about having Simmons speak to its rookie
symposium, that is a sign of progress and would contradict
his claim that the league "prefers that a gay football
player remain in the closet." Having Simmons speak to a
group of rookies as an openly gay man and former player
with some riveting lessons to impart could do a lot more good in the long run than him showing up
in the Super Bowl media center to "talk about the importance
of HIV testing."
If I were
Simmons, I would drop the silly demands for an investigation
and accept the NFL's offer to speak at the symposium. Only
if the league rescinded its offer would I get behind Simmons
and hold the league accountable in this case.
Related:
--Roy
Simmons goes public
--Simmons
on Howard Stern
