Best Posts in Forum: Sports and Athletes

Im just over ppl asking for the opinions of ppl who just happen to have a lot of money. A rich dumbass is still a fukn dumbass...

 

Yep...this happened

 

Im actually glad he said what he said because It brings to light some of the pc statements people give in public verse how they really feel about us behind close doors.

Like

" im cool with gay people........ (behind close doors) but just keep them away from me......and I gosh dont even allow them around the kids."

At this point in my life, I prefer people just to be real and honest with me so I know who am dealing with. While lgbt ppl were fight for rights they messed up trying to show heterosexuals "we're just like them" and aim to be "accepted" by them. Sorry but some straight ppl will never accept us.

 

Its kinda sad but expected that some people interpret this as he's gay. IMO a gay man wouldn't have put his business out there like this.

With less obstacles and distractions one can make some great achievements personally and within their careers. Free of a boyfriend, I was able to work longer hours and get more accomplished then my co-workers who hated on my freedoms. Maybe if some folks weren't so eager to have instant families or kids just to give their life a purpose they could achieve more. Props to him.

 

Playing with my ears is not what you want to do unless you plan on getting bucket nekkid. That's one of my spots. Lol .

 

The latest issue of Men's Health Magazine hit my mailbox with 30-year-old NFL Wide Receiver Antonio Brown gracing the cover. Let's just say that I'm a Steelers fan now.

 

“The end to my football career was bittersweet, because I finally felt it was time to stop hiding who I was. I started talking to guys using online dating apps to possibly meet with others who identified themselves as gay. Once I even brought a guy around my teammates, but we were super discreet.”
***********************************************************************************************************

I always told myself I’d come out my freshman year of college. Playing Division I football put that on hold.

Growing up I thought being different was normal. I realized that I was attracted to guys in elementary school, but it wasn’t until about eight grade taking sex education classes that I knew it for sure. Being involved with sports, I thought it would be best to keep that side of me hidden, only to avoid conflict with my teammates. Not that I cared about what they thought, I just thought it didn’t need to be announced because it wasn’t relevant to getting the job done for winning a game. While it may have avoided some kind of conflict, internally that did a number on me.

I was always really good at sports because I am, well, very fast. I started out as a sprinter, and every year in high school I broke a school record in at least one event. I ran the 100m dash, 200m dash, and all the sprint relays.

In high school I was introduced to the game of football. At first it took me a while to get the hang of it; I still remember not even knowing how to hold a football. The quarterback would just give me the ball and, because I was fast enough, I just ran to the edge of the field and cut up field and scored constantly using the same exact play.

By my junior year I had the game of football down. I developed enough skills that I got noticed by multiple college football and track coaches from some pretty big universities. My senior year I rushed for 1,900 yards, scored 28 touchdowns and was the offensive MVP of my 7 4a district in Dallas/Fort Worth. I was also an all-state running back in Texas.

That got me an invitation to play for Louisiana Tech.

As a true freshman at Louisiana Tech I was given the shot to play along side two other great running backs – Tevin King and Kenneth Dixon. Being a true freshman playing in front of packed stadiums holding over 40,000 people was exhilarating. Yet something was eating at me.

In high school I told myself I’d come out my freshman year in college. I didn’t want to let myself down. So after becoming really close to one of my teammates I felt we were close enough that he could be the first person I told. Before I told him I wanted to see how he would react, so I asked how he would feel having a gay teammate.

“Dude are you serious?” He said. “That’s gross. I’d tell everyone on our team and make him want to quit.”

I pushed the pause button on my commitment to come out.

You can read the rest of Brandon’s story here at Outsports.com



Read the whole post here.

 

Black men have allowed themselves to be painted in narrow little box and much of the time we do it to ourselves. Full disclosure I have joked on CA about Odell Beckham being "suspect" but that's was just me being a jerk, as I often am. However all jokes aside considering OBJ is from a different generation than me. A lot of millennial bruthas aren't as bound to hypermasculine tough guy image as dudes from my generation and that's overall a good thing. There's nothing wrong with Odell dancing and having a good time. That doesn't make him gay. But even if he is gay, which I doubt he is, being gay is not a crime. It's funny how the black community puts so much emphasis on finding out who is gay. I've said this before and I'll say it again in the black community you can be drug dealer, a thief, a murderer, a rapist, even a child molester *cough* R. Kelly *cough* and people will still love you. Just don't be gay. That's the worst possible thing for a black man to be.....at least that's what many black people think.

 

He's like one last season away from becoming an AARP:NBA Retirement Edition member and he's talking like this?

 

If you go strictly by the official account, heatstroke was the cause of death for University of Maryland football player Jordan McNair. McNair died earlier this year following a grueling practice in which training staff failed to properly diagnose and treat his condition.

But there’s another culprit – or at least a contributing factor – that should not be overlooked.
As I argue in my forthcoming book – “From Exploitation Back to Empowerment: Black Male Holistic (Under) Development Through Sport and (Mis) Education” – what threatens black college athletes such as McNair is not just the brutal treatment to which they are subjected on the field.

Rather, it is a long-standing and deadly stereotype in American society that views black males as subhuman and superhuman all at once.

This stereotype, which is complex and has many layers, holds that black male athletes have superior athletic abilities that enable them to excel at high levels in sports such as football. The stereotype also holds that black males have a distinct physicality that allows them to endure extreme amounts of pain.

This is the same myth that was used to justify the enslavement and mistreatment of black people in America from before the Civil War through today’s era of mass incarceration. In fact, a case can be made that there are many parallels between the exploitation of black student-athletes today and how black labor was exploited during American slavery.

McNair also appears to have fallen victim to a sports culture in the U.S. that promotes a win-at-all-costs mentality. This culture also places an inordinate amount of emphasis on generating revenue. And it represents a damaging view of masculinity.

I make these arguments as a scholar who focuses on the nexus between sport, education, race and culture.

Perceptions of black strength
I assert that black males in general, and black student-athletes in particular, are viewed primarily as physical beings – sometimes seen as “beasts” and the like. This dehumanizes them in ways that threaten their well-being.

Although such terms as “beasts” are widely embraced in mainstream culture and in some instances by black athletes themselves, such as Marshawn Lynch, whose “Beast Mode” clothing line is drawn from his nickname, these terms are still harmful. This is especially the case in sports, where masculinity is equated with toughness, playing through pain and not giving up.


It may be true that these ideas are applied to male athletes in general. But these views impact black males even more due to their unique experiences in the United States. Just as they did during the days of chattel slavery, I argue that deeply embedded stereotypes about the physical capacity of black individuals to endure pain results in their perpetual mistreatment in the sports arena.

The stereotypes about black males’ work ethic in sports like football and basketball has resulted in their higher incidences of cardiac deaths.

Not valued for intellect
Black student-athletes are also subject to educational neglect. Consider, for instance, the various academic scandals in big-time college sports. Some of these scandals involved cases in which black male athletes were found to be illiterate, but still allowed to compete in their respective sports and generate millions of dollars for the institutions.

Black males are often deemed as intellectually inferior and morally deficient. For example, black males are disproportionately more likely to be enrolled in special education courses versus gifted courses in the K-12 education system. They are also less likely than their white peers to have their race and gender associated with being intelligent or academic achievement.

For black male athletes, the dumb jock stereotype is commonplace and reinforced by the fact that they are more likely to be admitted to college academically underprepared, more likely to be enrolled in perceived “easy” or less rigorous coursesso that they can remain eligible to play sports, and less likely to graduate compared to their peers.

Despite this academic neglect, black males continue to constitute a majority of the participants on football and men’s basketball teams, 55 and 56 percent, respectively, in big-time college sports. This highlights how they are more valued for their athletic abilities than for their academic promise.

This is what enables sports organizers and coaches to present college sports to black males as a viable way to make it in society.

The view of black males as super-human is present in arenas other than sports. It lurks behind many of the police killings of black men of late. This was highlighted in the infamous police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, when police officer Darren Wilson described the 18-year-old Brown as a “demon” and “Hulk Hogan”-like.

Beyond the glitz and glamour
This type of pathological labeling applies in football. Black males’ physicality is exploited. For example, at the University of Alabama, where head coach Nick Saban is paid US$11.1 million per year, black males represent 80 percent of the starters on the team. Yet, not only are black male student-athletes not equitably compensated based on market value for their athletic abilities, they also graduate at a lower rate – 59 percent – compared to 71 percent for their athlete peers and 67 percent for the general student body. Thus, they are simultaneously academically underserved and athletically exploited in terms of economic compensation.

With both stereotypes – subhuman and superhuman – in play, black males within sport and beyond are systematically dehumanized and consequently deprived of the love, care and attention that should come with their humanity.

The large amounts of money being generated in college football, along with the increased commercialization and celebrity flair associated with the sport, creates an illusion of fun, American grit and a unique brand of entertainment.

But behind all the glitz and glamour are factors that contribute to the exploitation of athletes. These factors also result in undetected or undeserved – and entirely preventable – long-term health problems such as depression and high blood pressure, and in some instances, deaths.

The need for reform
In terms of medical coverage, colleges are not required to assist college athletesbeyond their athletic eligibility years even though injuries they suffer in college can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Over the past several decades, organizations such as the National College Players’ Association have advocated for increased medical coverage and protections for college athletes. The founder of the NCPA, former UCLA player Ramogi Huma, established the advocacy group after he discovered that the NCAA prevented UCLA from paying medical expenses from injuries that occurred during summer workouts.

University of Maryland President Wallace Loh recently stated that the university had accepted “legal and moral” responsibility in the death of Maryland football player Jordan McNair. That’s a step in the right direction.

An acceptance of responsibility is not enough, though. Serious systemic reform and a change in culture is needed. These changes must address racism and racist stereotypes that lead to mistreatment of black athletes.

U.S. society must also confront its unhealthy obsession with sports glory, commercialism and overall neglect of athletes’ rights and well-being.

One important reform that should be adopted immediately to benefit all college athletes is to require all medical staff for teams be independent from coaches’ and athletic department authority. This was something reportedly proposed and rejected at the University of Maryland.

There should also be an advocacy group separate from the NCAA to help college athletes negotiate with the colleges they attend for improved working conditions related to safety and their overall well-being. This includes an improved academic experience, mental health support, and help with making the transition to their life after sports.


Joseph Cooper, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, University of Connecticut

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

 

Xavier Colvin is a force on the Butler football team.

This gay Division 1 college football player came out to his team with a mic on a stage

When Xavier Colvin stood on a stage in front his teammates with a microphone earlier this month, he knew there was no turning back. The Butler Bulldogs linebacker had finally become comfortable with being gay, and he wanted his entire team to know who he truly was.



It had been a long journey for Colvin from childhood to that stage. Like every other young football player in America, he grew up with images of what a “real man” was supposed to be, how he was supposed to behave, and whom he was supposed to love. Being gay seemed like none of that.

Yet over the last two years Colvin has come to a different understanding. Battling bouts of depression, he sought refuge with a school counselor who opened his eyes to a more loving way to view his own identity.

Seeing others come out to their teammates and coaches also inspired Colvin. It was after months of reading many coming-out stories on Outsports that Colvin reached out last year, still struggling to find the strength to come out to the people closest to him.

“I don't want to disappoint my teammates or coaches or be looked at as different,” he said. “So seeing other people come out and be OK with being themselves made me realize I could be OK with being myself."

Still, those lingering images of strong, heterosexual men dominating football lingered in his mind. He had grown up with his father, two-time Super Bowl champion Rosevelt Colvin, being one of those macho role models. As a young gay football player with precious few examples that felt like him, merging football and being gay in his own head was difficult.

“A lot of times when it comes to gay men in sports we feel like people think we will be ‘less-than’ because of our personal life. I got so caught up trying to please others that I fell into a path of always trying to help others and not myself. Finally I became courageous enough to be myself.”

As he came out to a couple teammates and friends earlier this year, the fog lifted from his eyes. Every person at school he told was supportive, and every supportive message built a foundation of strength in him to share his true self with his coaches and his team.



Earlier this summer the guy the team knows as “X” stepped on a stage holding a microphone in front of his teammates and coaches. He had told his head coach, Jeff Voris, that he had something he felt was important to share with the team: He’s gay. His linebackers coach, Derek Day, thought it would be good for Colvin to share. They supported him wholeheartedly.

It had been an amazing transformation for Colvin that had happened so rapidly, going from completely closeted to talking about being gay in front of the entire team.

Colvin talked to his entire team about his upbringing, he talked about football, and he talked about being a gay man in the sport that had for so long felt like it didn’t want him there.

His Butler teammates made sure Colvin knew he was loved.

"Afterwards I got texts and phone calls,” Colvin said. “The freshmen who didn't know me came and shook my hand. And they all said, 'we’ve got your back.' They told me how proud they were of me. Not even a single negative reaction. It was all positive.”

While their response would have shocked Colvin a year ago, overwhelming support has now become the most common reaction from college football players across America. Over the last few years we have heard from people like Michael Sam, Wyatt Pertuset, Scott Frantz and many others coming out to their college football teammates in “Red States” and finding total acceptance.

Colvin is one of about a half-dozen gay college football players to come out publicly just this year.

“What I’ve come to learn from my 105 teammates and 15 coaches is that no one cares, and it's not as big of a deal as it used to be. People care more about you as a person and your mental health. It took me a while to learn that.”

The redshirt sophomore is looking at the Bulldogs’ upcoming season with a whole new set of eyes. His role this year was expected to increase even before the heavy weight of life in the closet was lifted off of his shoulders.

Butler football opens its 2017 schedule at Illinois State University this Saturday in the town poetically named “Normal.”

"I wish I would have been OK with myself sooner, but I think timing is everything. I feel like with the increased role this fall, on top of being more mature, I think this will work out well."



Sharing his story on Outsports is the next step in using his personal story to help others. When he posted a picture on Instagram earlier this year he heard from youth in his hometown who were LGBT and empowered to see someone else from their town come out. He’s had #BeTrue on his Twitter handle for a while.

He hopes any visibility for himself as a gay athlete helps someone else.

"Mental health is very important to me,” Colvin said. “I've been in a bad place before, and I've had friends who were. It took a toll on my first semester last year.

"Other LGBT athletes and non-athletes have to realize they are not alone. There are other people with similar stories, similar backgrounds."

Xavier Colvin is a redshirt sophomore at Butler University. You can find him on Facebook, or on Instagram @sircolvin43 or Twitter @x_Colvin43.

 

We’ve seen many “Coming Out Stories” written and posted on the Internet before (*cough* Frank Ocean *cough*), but unlike vague, mysterious, recluse musicians, 26-year-old pro wrestler Anthony Bowens left no room for misinterpretation in this new essay originally published on OutSports.

He’s Bisexual, he’s in love with a man and he’s proudly accepting his true identity despite the ill effects his sexuality could have on his career. Read Bowen’s powerful, personal essay below:

I am a professional wrestler. My “wardrobe” is basically a pair of creatively designed underwear that hugs my muscular frame and leaves little to the imagination.

My job description is to entertain fans through body language, story lines featuring over-the-top characters and, well, grappling other men dressed in a similar way.

Understandably, being openly bisexual could be perceived as a problem. It’s what kept me closeted to all but a few from the time I started wrestling as a pro five years ago. It took a Youtube video to make me see that coming out was not going to be the problem I thought it would be.

It was this past fall and I was three months into a relationship with my boyfriend, Michael Pavano. Mike and I had uploaded a video to his YouTube on his channel called “The Laughing Challenge,” where he described me as his boyfriend.

​

The video was a blast to do, but I worried that someone from the wrestling world would stumble across it and learn my secret. I decided to let it be posted anyway.

Weeks later, I received a text that made my stomach drop.

It was from my best friend in the wrestling business, and someone I specifically made sure to keep my secret from.

The text read: “Bro, why didn’t you tell me?”

I knew exactly what he meant but I played dumb. “What do you mean?” I replied.

He response was that he saw “the video.”

Much to my great relief, he told me he didn’t care and that I was one of his best friends in the business.

He also said that some of the other wrestlers had watched it too and tipped him off about it. I was relieved that he was cool with everything but a bit nervous because other wrestlers knew. It was after this that I came to the conclusion that I had a decision to make.

When I was a kid, I always said that when I grew up I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life. If you were to tell me that years later I’d be doing so performing in front of thousands of people each month in the world of professional wrestling, I would have called you a liar.

I first entered the pro wrestling world when I was 21 and a year later entered the modeling/acting business, signing a contract with BMG Models in New York City. I was living my dream and I should have been the happiest person in the world. The truth is, I wasn’t. Externally I was, but deep down I was struggling on the inside with my sexuality. I was afraid to tell the world that I was bisexual.

Ever since high school I knew that was something different about me. I started to notice that I’d see a couple walk down the street and think how attractive both the guy and the girl were. It would become more prevalent as college rolled around and I found myself with a crappy love life.

Long before the hours each day pumping iron at the gym or body-slamming 230-pound human beings for a living, I was a skinny, shy and lovable kid that everyone enjoyed to be around. Basically, I was “friend-zoned” a majority of the time. Without much of a love life, I experimented “on the other side of the fence” and was very comfortable with it.

I was comfortable with the thought of being bisexual but not the thought of other people knowing. At the time, I was playing baseball at Seton Hall University, where the whole team would shower together. I definitely couldn’t have them know my secret, because in my head I thought they would get a terrible impression. They were my brothers and my fears were irrational, but it’s hard not to think they wouldn’t feel a certain way.



This remained the same when I entered and journeyed through the wrestling world years late. I’ve loved pro wrestling ever since I was 5 years old and I didn’t want my experience ruined because of other wrestlers thinking I got into it for the wrong (sexual) reasons. Those thoughts have never crossed my mind. The ring is my sanctuary, where nothing else matters. I couldn’t bear to think that if I came out, I’d spend most of my time worrying if the person I was wrestling was uncomfortable and didn’t want to work with me.

It became worse because in my short time I’ve garnered a decent amount of success in wrestling. Over the past four years I’ve traveled and wrestled up and down the East Coast, internationally touring Canada and England, and appeared in multiple commercials for World Wrestling Entertainment as well as performing on their TV shows “Raw,” “Smackdown” and “NXT.”

I’ve even been invited to two exclusive WWE tryouts, which meant that I was on their radar, so the thought of them knowing about my sexuality scared the crap out of me. The only people who did know were my closest friends and my parents, all of whom were supportive.

Meeting Mike was a turning point in me being comfortable with myself in all settings. We met on May 27, 2016, the night before his birthday. We had a few conversations before via Instagram but never had hung out. I was on my phone and saw his name on my contacts list when I decided to reach out to see if he was around.

I met him and his friends at a bar celebrating his birthday and we instantly clicked. By the end of the night I knew he was someone I wanted to be around more often. Over the ensuing weeks, we saw each other quite often and after about two months we decided to make everything official. It was my first relationship and it was with a guy.

I told Mike coming into the relationship that I was very much on the DL because of my career, so I couldn’t do in public some of the things normal couples do. It was totally unfair to him, but he liked me enough to put that to the side. I did make a promise that it wouldn’t be forever. That time came when my wrestling buddy saw the YouTube video.
With my closest friend in my profession being cool with my orientation and having the continued love and support from by parents and best friends, I finally felt comfortable letting the world know. On Jan. 8 this year, I sent a message on Facebook:

I’m not going to make this a long winded post but I think it’s time. Just wanted to let everyone know im Bisexual. I look forward to changing perceptions and breaking stereotypes as I continue on my journey. I have zero patience for negativity so if this bothers you please delete me. Thanks!
​

After hitting send, I immediately turned off my phone. I didn’t want to think about what people would write. After about 30 minutes I told Mike to check his phone. I hadn’t told him I was planning on coming out, so I wanted it to be a surprise.

He had the biggest smile on his face, our friends in the room cheered, and I made the decision to turn on my phone. The response was overwhelming positive — 986 likes and more than 200 comments, all positive; only a very few people unfriended me. I couldn’t help but cry as I let loose all of the years of stress, anxiety and fear of judgment. It was the best decision I had ever made.


I had three reasons for coming out:

First, I felt it was finally the right time for me. Second, I asked Mike to be in my life and the fact that I asked him to censor a part of his life because of me hiding was nonsense. He put up with that for five months and that sacrifice meant the world to me. I truly can say I love him.

The final reason goes back to way I started this article. I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I realized I have a unique platform to spread awareness about ongoing issues in the world, to break stereotypes and show everyone that they can be themselves and do what ever they put their minds to no matter what their sexuality is.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many people I’ve spoken to over the years who are hiding and suppressing themselves out of fear of being judged. If I can help inspire at least one person to fight past their struggles through my journey or inspire at least one person to live their dreams, it’s all worth it for me. The journey and the fight is just beginning!

Anthony Bowens, 26, is a professional wrestler, fitness model, and actor signed with BMG Models in New York. He played baseball at Seton Hall University and is a 2013 graduate of Montclair State University with a degree in broadcasting. He can be reached via Twitter and Instagram at @Bowens_Official or by e-mail: AnthonyMBowens@gmail.com.

Story editor: Jim Buzinski

Read the whole post here.

 

Props to this dude. The article says he started coming out when he was 12! And I thought I started young.



Arizona Wildcats' My-King Johnson to make NCAA history as 1st openly gay football scholarship player

 

Who you calling Thomas?

 

Original Slate Article By Rafi D'Angelo: The Outing Campaign Against Odell Beckham Jr. Shows the Problem With Traditional Black Masculinity

I hope Odell Beckham Jr. never comes out. Actually, I hope the New York Giants wide receiver isn’t even gay. I hope he ends up with the flyest chick on the block, and they give joint interviews where she says she enjoys a man who’s fun and lives his life and doesn’t feel the need to scowl 24/7, hunched over like a Neanderthal trying to protect his manhood.



In case you missed it, there’s an outing campaign in progress against Beckham, because over the weekend someone posted a video to Instagram of him dancing with a friend. (Well, the same people calling his video “suspect” already said he was gay due to similar videos, but now I guess he’s even gayer.) This sort of witch hunt is the reason why black men and athletes still don’t like coming out of the closet, and black masculinity continues to make life more difficult for all of us, regardless of our sexuality.

The response to this video is the difference between black masculinity and white masculinity in a nutshell. White men are allowed a greater range of expression before they are automatically considered gay. The boys in Marvel movies are always flirting and nobody cares. Matt McGorry can say his male co-star has a pretty mouth and nobody cares. Channing Tatum “vogued” and nobody cares.



But a black football player dances a little with a male friend and it’s proof-positive. In my own experience, a lot of my gay white friends are damn near distraught when someone calls them a “faggot.” I’m not good at consoling them since I hear it at least once a month—as a black man, if a white guy and I are going out in the same exact outfit, strangers will read him as “artistic” while I’m just “gay.”

And that’s why I don’t want Beckham to be gay. If he does, in fact, bat for our team and takes it upon himself to come out at some point, good on him. We need more gay visibility in professional sports, especially hypermasculine ones like football. But more important, we need more black men who aren’t afraid to liveoutside of the box of black masculinity built for us by society and reinforced by our own community.

If Beckham came out, he’d be met with “well, duh, look at him dancing around and acting like a faggot, we already knew that.” Beckham as a straight man—if the public ever truly accepts him as a heterosexual—is the type of black man we never get to see. For every Prince wearing heels and ass-less pants while unabashedly pursuing some of the most beautiful women on the planet, there are 10 black fathers telling their sons they can’t take ballet because it’s for “sissies,” or black women passing up black men deemed “too soft” for listening to Beyoncé, or black fans calling a celebrity “suspect” for wearing pants that are too tight. We’ve always had to be a little bit stronger, a little bit tougher, and a little more resilient than our white counterparts, and it has made us hypervigilant against any sign of weakness. Since we live in a society where being gay is the ultimate expression of being weak, anything associated with gay men must be avoided at all costs. No dancing, no fashion, no art. Don’t put whipped cream on your drink, because that’s gay. Don’t dye your hair, because that’s gay. Don’t put your arm around your friend, because y’all are gay. Don’t have fun in general, because that’s definitely gay.

Masculinity is a double-edged sword for a lot of men, even if they’ve never given thought to the subject—especially black men who have the desire to break away from the stereotypes. On the one hand, it would be great to expand the boundaries of what it means to be a man in this society. Why can’t we dance? Why can’t we smile in pictures? Why can’t we wear what we want? Why can’t we have feelings or be vulnerable or be sensitive toward others? On the other hand, no one wants to break the mold because no one wants to be forced to give up their masculinity. No one wants their sexuality questioned, which by default makes you less of a man in the eyes of many onlookers. How do you expand the definition of black masculinity while still satisfying the desire to be seen as masculine in a society that tends toward misogyny and hating any of the negative traits commonly ascribed to femininity?

A first step is following Beckham’s lead: Live your life. You do what you want, and to hell with everyone else. You dye your hair if you want. You wear tight pants if you want. You dance with your friend if you want. And then you go play football if you want.

Perhaps more important, gay black men have to leave unconventional straight guys alone. It’s not just the homophobes on message boards calling for Beckham to come out—it’s us, too. Every time we comment on something he does with a quip like, “I see you, Sis!” we’re reinforcing those boxes. We’re saying that someone must be gay because he’s not adhering to the standards of black masculinity we’ve ascribed to heterosexual men. We’re setting back our own cause and our own push for acceptance by contributing to an us vs. them mentality, in which we’re over here interested in These Things and straight black men are over there interested in Those Other Things. If you’re over here in our interests, then you must be one of us, because why would you ever voluntarily jeopardize your place in Black Manhood if you weren’t an undercover queen?

Why can’t we just let our black men be as carefree as white men? We already have so much to deal with in this society, largely stemming from the perpetuation of aggressive black masculinity, which continuously makes us seem a threat to white society. Let our boys have fun and smile. The entire world is set up with hurdles to make them fail. Why add to the stress with rules and regulations for how they should express themselves to be accepted as men in the community? Leave Odell Beckham Jr. alone. If he’s gay, y’all aren’t doing a good job convincing him to ever come out. And if he’s not, we need more men like him—don’t force him into a box somebody else made. Let him dance.

 

To be honest, as much as I adore this lil dude, he was doing the most after he came out. Them white gays had him out there playing the mascot. I'd bet a paycheck that it was a black dude who eventually convinced him to dip back out of the glitter spotlight

 

I actually ran into him on his wedding day. He was walking w his son right around the corner from my old job, heading to the venue. Said wasup and congrats and stuff while we were both standing waiting for the light. Its fukn pitiful to think that that brief lil convo wouldn't have even been ok if the mofo knew he was talking to one of 'them'. Smh

 

I would definitely like to join a gay sports league of some sort. I got love for all people, but I'm not a fan of co-ed or having a bunch of straight dudes join. It would be nice to just have an all gay-male league where the relationships are all platonic.

 

Completely agree...AND he said "you have to be a really good player. You can't be marginal if you're a gay player" and I'm like what about all the marginal straight players?

 

Translation: How dare you be insensitive and offended by our centuries long insensitivity!

 

The crux of this interview just shows (a lot of) black folk spend WAAAAY too much time speculatin' about other muhfkaz sexualities instead workin on they own damn lives. Black women that more than likely ain't gettin' no play from NOBODY always callin' someone gay, and (some) black dudes insecure wit themselves because they can't reconcile that they like to stare at other dudes' junk on the DL while walkin down the block, or sneak glances at they homies' a$$es when they saggin' they damn pants 'round they ankles, project that sht onto ANY nikka that has even an inkling of security about themself. LOL Sht is funny to me.

Side note...
"I think it would have been appropriate for Green to ask Beckham to define his sexuality since he was willing to discuss the topic.'

I personally don't feel he need to define sht. LOL Why? For what? For who's benefit?

 

I personally don't really believe ole dude he would of been all that cool about it. He knows damn well duded would of been clowned for being the gay football player on the field. He just said he called him soft for singing like Whitney Houston. People always give the PS stuff but in the back of the head they thinking oh that's this "gay dude". People look at you differently when your publicly "out". Also Esera played in the 90's and last 3 teams were all in the south; Jags, Falcons, and Panthers. Not to mentioned how coaches and staff would have treated him (ie choosing not to hire like Sam). I don't blame dude for waiting until he retired (and made his money) to come out.

 

An unfortunate side effect of our technologically "advanced" society. I just don't understand the incessant need to post any and everything one encounters on a daily basis. If you gonna check a dude out, why do you need to film him and then WHY do you need to post the shit? I personally dont care if Im filmed but I have a slight exhibitionist streak. Im not keen on being plastered all over YouTube, WorldStar, and/or PornHub but, it is what it is. But everybody ain't with that shit and gay dudes gotta be more respectful of boundaries. They should start making people check their phones in at the front desk.

 

If Odell Beckham looked like this....black gay dudes would have *crickets* and *shrugs* for days...

 

The non-controversy / controversy concerning The Rock’s racial identity played out in interesting fashion via Twitter and Instagram.

It started with The Rock’s old job and his claim to fame WWE. Regardless what my brother and I thought when we were young, wrestling is scripted entertainment. Meaning a team of writers create a story and actors perform that story. Like in many writing rooms, the head writer, director, producer or boss may have the final authority over the story arc. In the case of WWE, owner Vince McMahon has the final say.

With the primary audience of WWE being white folk, to appeal to this base McMahon has only allowed a handful of Black men to claim the World Championship title with The Rock being the first. Many feel The Rock was able to maintain the title for so long because of his racial ambiguity. His ambiguity was not a threat to white audiences but could also appeal to WWE’s Black fans as well. This observation presented itself again with Kofi Kingston…who is unquestionably Black. When it looked like a Kingston was headed to a championship bout, McMahon flipped the script and denied him a shot and Black fans took note. Even though McMahon has flipped again and is now allowing Kingston a shot at the title, it should be noted that McMahon has allowed less than a hand-full of Black champions over the decades.


Since leaving the WWE and becoming a Hollywood international mega star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has ventured into film and television by creating Seven Bucks Productions. One of his first is films with be John Henry and the Statesman for Netflix with Johnson starring in the lead role. Johnson received some backlash due to his skin complexion being that the John Henry character is a darker skinned Black man. Johnson then released trailers on Instagram for his new series on BET Finding Justice. The show “tells the powerful stories of heroes, leaders, advocates and change agents in African-American communities across America as they uncover injustices and fight to bring healing and change.”

Remember those white fans that were cool with Johnson’s racial ambiguity…well some of them lost their shit on his IG feed.

“Really surprised the rock would post something like this. There is no true social injustice, only what the media shows the people. Its 2019 not 1950s, let’s move on.”​

“Do you see the hatred and evil you bring out by posting something like this, Ive been a huge fan of yours and have been since your wrestling days , but you fueling a fire with a post like this that’s helping divide this country into a race war. You might have just lost a fan.”​

“Hey @therock, how many woke points does this earn you in the Oppression Olympics. Makes sense to do stuff like this because you’ve got like 7 movies coming out this year.”​

“These (Black) people need to stop blaming everything for their actions and what puts them in prison. Just saying,”​

“@therock WHY are YOU involved in this agenda pushing, fake a** news, racist bulls**t!!!!! Pls tell me it’s not true!!!!!”​

“Come on Dwayne, I have been behind you for years ever since the Hulkster passed you the torch. Now your basically spitting in my face with this left wing nonsense,”​

In other words, us colored folk, we good as long as we know our place and don’t talk about that racism / white supremacy stuff. The perceptions of WWE’s racial issues and The Rock’s racial identity sparked interesting discussion via Twitter with Johnson surprisingly weighing in.








FYI…this is Dwayne Johnson father, Rocky Johnson.

 

If not, I claim him after this new ad campaign with Hanes. No take backs.

 

Von Miller presents his directorial, editorial, actorial, producerorial, executive producerorial and craft servicesorial debut in “Von Miller vs. Xeroderma,” with a very special appearance by Old Spice Pure Sport Body Wash.



Did you see that thang's b-hind?

 

Fuck that 'Black don't crack' bs. This takes hard work, diet and exercise.

 

Phuti Lekoloane, Africa’s first openly gay professional male footballer, talks to Mambaonline about coming out in the macho sports world and being openly discriminated against.

While women’s national team football players, like Portia Modise, and Olympic athlete Caster Semenya are openly LGBT, the major male sporting codes remain firmly closeted in South Africa.

That started to change when Phuti Lekoloane (popularly known as Phuthi Minaj), goalkeeper for the Pretoria based JDR Stars second division team, came out as gay.

He first opened up about his sexuality in December last year, but it was a more recent radio interview with Metro FM’s Robert Marawa that really made an impact on the public. He told Marawa: “I remember when we lost against Alexandra United, one defender noted that we lost because ‘they have a gay in the team’. I cried because it hurt me.”

Mambaonline spoke to the 24-year-old footballer, who’s been playing since the age of 15, about the challenges he’s faced as a gay sportsman in South Africa.

When did you first start becoming aware that you are gay?
It’s not something that I became aware of. It was something I grew up with. It was something I was born with.

And your family? Did you ever have to come out to them?
It was something I was comfortable with. It was something my surrounding was comfortable with. So I didn’t have to explain myself to anyone. Everyone saw when I was growing up that I was different. I was never in the closet. I have a very intelligent parent and nothing needed to be said.

Were there any negative experiences that you had to deal with when growing up?
I think it’s something we all go through every day. So I have my own experiences like everybody else. It started at school and in the community and then in the football fraternity.

Tell me about what you face on the field?
This is something that doesn’t happen very day; where someone is gay in a male dominant sport. So sometimes you get people who are going to try to put you down because you are different. But I’ve learned to use it as a motivation. If people support me I feel pressure, but I prefer people being against me because I get motivation from that. Their expectations are that I am going to fail and I try to put them in their place; by expressing who I am and what I’m made of.

Does being openly gay put more pressure on you?
I have to prove myself every day that I am better, that I am talented like everybody else.

Do you feel that it’s holding you back in your career?
It does. I was recently at a team for trials. The question that was raised by the coach and the management was: “How are we going to deal with you, because in our community we are not used to this kind of thing? You are a very good goalkeeper but how are we going to accommodate you? And what about the image of the team?” That’s something that hit me – that I am going to “be bad” for the image of the team. It’s very tough.


Lekoloane in the Metro FM studio

In the UK and in Europe the football bodies have been very vocal in campaigns to try to eradicate homophobia in football…
Nothing has been done in South Africa. It is always about racism; nothing has been done about homophobia. It is something that needs to be raised.

We have this fantastic Constitution, but the sports world seems oblivious to it when it comes to gay people.
That’s very true…

What do you feel they should be doing?
They should start by educating the players and going to the teams. I can’t be trying to break into the bigger league and then be judged for being gay and not because I am good or bad. If you listen to comments that people make about me playing soccer, you’ll be amazed that I am still in the lower league.

So you believe that you should have advanced further?
Not that I’m arrogant but I am better than most of the goalkeepers who are playing in the PSL (Premier Soccer League). Because of my sexuality I find myself in the second division.

Do you regret being open about your sexuality?
I don’t regret it. I regret not coming our earlier. But everyone is interested in me coming out but how are people dealing with this issue that coaches and people judge one because of their sexuality and not because of their ability? What is the gay community doing about that?

Well, I think it starts with someone like you coming out. As long as there is no one that is prepared to say, “I am gay and I’m a footballer,” people can just ignore the issue.
The reason I did this [going public] is because there is this young man in my community that is coming up as a soccer player but he is scared to admit that he is gay because he won’t be accepted into the soccer fraternity. And he asked me: “Why did you do this, because you see how people treat you? I’m scared to come out.”

What kind of response did you get after being on Robert’s show? How have people reacted to your coming out?
There has been [some] negative response, but I don’t pay attention to that. I invite positive energy and hence I’m looking at the positive response, which I’ve received on social media and in the community. People feel that I have [simply] told the public who I am.

And your fellow players?
My teammates are very supportive. I have learned to teach the people that I work with that, “this is me, this is how you should treat me”. They have accepted me, and even have no problems sharing a hotel room with me. It all starts with me; if I accept myself for who I am then people will accept me.

Lekoloane’s coming out is a landmark development in South Africa’s football world. For the first time, an issue that might have been considered theoretical and that could be ignored now has a real, living and breathing champion. His courage may well be a first step to making the sport one that accepts and celebrates diversity.

An official response

While there are campaigns internationally to tackle homophobia among fans and players (such as the “#rainbowlaces” campaign in the UK), PSL spokesperson Luxolo September told Mambaonline that although the league runs general anti-discrimination drives it has no specific efforts to deal with homophobia.

“We have a zero tolerance approach to discrimination in the league, whether it is race or sexual orientation or religion,” September said, but admitted that he was not aware of any incidents of homophobia within the league. “That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen,” he added.

September pointed out that Lekoloane’s team does not fall under the PSL but that if he had been rejected by a PSL club because of his sexuality he should bring the matter to the league and it will be addressed. He, however, refused to be drawn on if the PSL would consider implementing any future campaign that would specifically address homophobia in the sport.

Mambaonline also contacted the Sports Ministry which chose to not comment, as the issue, it said, was one for the individual football bodies to deal with.

This is Phuti Lekoloane - South Africa's first openly gay male footballer - MambaOnline - Gay South Africa online

 

I'm sure I could find more but you wouldn't imagine how hard it is finding players of color on the internet even though I've seen plenty on tv.....smh

 

I think people also forget that Gordon and Sam are very young men who are impressionable. I will agree in part with some of the sentiments here about how gay white culture used these men to advance their own interests. This is all the more reason why there needs to be black gay role models that don't necessarily serve the elite white male gay agenda.

 

You are right, ain't nothing wrong with that. If the chemistry is right, you ain't gotta keep it tight!