In the end, it seems DeSean Jackson’s stupidity helped do some good after all.

I was pleased to see that MLB teams began to create their own "It Gets Better" videos to help combat bullying. The San Francisco Giants were the first to complete theirs, followed by the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. In addition, the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins have announced plans to make videos as well. (A report that the Washington Nationals have also committed to a video still has not been confirmed by the team.)

Since the Giants released their video on June 1st, I've been wondering if and when my team, the Philadelphia Phillies, would join the "It Gets Better" movement. Seeing as how Gay Community Night is such a success year after year, a "Phillies: It Gets Better" video seemed like a logical occurrence. But there was no word. I've tweeted about it a few times, with a couple of those directly replying to the Phillies' official Twitter feeds. (For some reason they use two, @phillies and @philaphillies.) Still, no announcement was forthcoming.

In the end, it seems DeSean Jackson’s stupidity helped do some good after all.

I was pleased to see that MLB teams began to create their own "It Gets Better" videos to help combat bullying. The San Francisco Giants were the first to complete theirs, followed by the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. In addition, the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins have announced plans to make videos as well. (A report that the Washington Nationals have also committed to a video still has not been confirmed by the team.)

Since the Giants released their video on June 1st, I’ve been wondering if and when my team, the Philadelphia Phillies, would join the “It Gets Better” movement. Seeing as how Gay Community Night is such a success year after year, a “Phillies: It Gets Better” video seemed like a logical occurrence. But there was no word. I’ve tweeted about it a few times, with a couple of those directly replying to the Phillies’ official Twitter feeds. (For some reason they use two, @phillies and @philaphillies.) Still, no announcement was forthcoming.In early June, as teams began filming videos, a lifelong Phillies fan, Jerome Hunt, created a petition on Change.org asking the Phils to make a video of their own. He contacted local news outlets to publicize it and got no response…until Jackson, the Eagles’ wide receiver, opened his mouth on the radio.

Then Change.org used the Jackson story in a mass email to spread the word about Hunt's petition, and Philadelphia Weekly featured Hunt on their blog. And, I assume, the PW writer contacted the Phillies for a response, and my guess is that's what finally led to the announcement that the Phils will also make a video. The video is expected to be released around the time schools re-open.

So, while we wait for the NFL lockout to finally, officially end so that the league and the Eagles will be allowed to discipline DeSean Jackson if they so choose, I think we should give him some thanks for inadvertently helping spur the Phillies into their "It Gets Better" action.

You can find Joe In Philly at his blog.

Don't forget to share: