Gay Football Player Comes Out The Closet

Sorry folks, Chris Bosh plays for the NBA…

Gay Football Player Comes Out The Closet

Via NBC News reports:

When it comes to the NFL’s willingness to accept an openly gay player, some think that the absence from the NFL of an openly gay player proves the league isn’t ready.

Under that standard, the NFL may soon be ready. Ready or not.

Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com reports that “a current gay player is strongly considering coming out publicly within the next few months — and after doing so, the player would attempt to continue his career.”

Per Freeman, the player fears the reaction not from within the locker room, but from homophobic fans. And that’s a legitimate concern; the combination of paying for a ticket and supporting a team and consuming a little alcohol (or a lot) turns normal people into loud, classless, profane jerks who will do and say anything to get under the skin of the members of the visiting team. And sometimes the members of the home team.

We’ve been discussing the issue of gay NFL players with folks in and around the game for the past several weeks, and the consensus is that, because sexual orientation isn’t obvious, a gay football player will be inclined to remain discreet, because football players ultimately are just that — football players. They want to play football, and the fame/notoriety/whatever that comes from coming out will serve only to keep the focus on something other than football.

Most players don’t want to create distractions, for any reason. Players who aren’t stars fear that, if they create distractions, the team will choose another player of relatively equal skill who doesn’t draw attention away from the team.

Hit the flip to peep some football players who have been suspected of being on the down low…