What Keeps Gay NFL Athletes in the Closet?
By
Glen Sallee
Culture and Gender Issues in Management
MGMT 358
Betty Nunez, MS
5/10/2013
Abstract
There has never been an active player in the NFL who has revealed that he is homosexual. This fact begs the questions: What keeps gay NFL players in the closet? Is it the culture of the NFL that keeps gays in the closet? Do gay athletes in the NFL fear ridicule or harassment? Do gay athletes in the NFL fear other athletes targeting them for injury on the field of play? This paper will explore these issues.
CONTENTS
Abstract ii
Homosexuality and the NFL 1
Injuries 1
Distractions 2
NFL Culture, Changing the Culture of the NFL 3
Redefining American Masculinity 5
Conclusion 6
Author Note 8
References 9
Homosexuality and the NFL
Esera Tuaolo revealed to the world his homosexuality in 2002 on HBO’s Real Sports show. Esera was a nose tackle who played for several NFL teams. Esera retired from the NFL in 1999. At the time Esera was the third retired NFL player to come out of the closet after his playing days were finished. To date no active NFL player has ever come out of the closet. Esera felt that he could not live openly as a gay man while he played in the NFL.
This paper will look at some of the issues that kept Esera and keep other gay men who might be playing in the NFL today in the closet. This paper will discuss some of the actions the NFL has taken to change the culture of the NFL so that one-day gay athletes may choose to play the game as openly gay men. Finally, we will examine what it might mean for American masculinity to have active NFL athletes come out of the closet and live openly as gay men.
Injuries
In an academic survey done for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) it was found that there were 1.5 injuries for each active player for the six season period between 2004 and 2009 (Edgeworth Economics, 2010). The same survey categorizes 10 percent of those injuries as major, career ending injuries. Esera reveals to us in his book that former football player Sterling Sharpe said his “teammates would take out a gay man in practice” (Tuaolo & Rosengren, 2006). Ex-NFL player Garrison Hearst said, “They don’t want any faggots on their teams” (Tuaolo & Rosengren, 2006). Clearly, in Esera’s time and probably today there are those NFL players who would target gay teammates for injury so that they would not have to play with them. This could easily happen in practice since 35.5 percent of injuries occur in training camp or practice (Edgeworth Economics, 2010). Not to mention during game time when opposing players look for any edge they can to psyche themselves up or go after a player who they consider weak. NFL officiating does its best every Sunday to make sure that hits and tackles on players are done within the rules established for the game. There are TV cameras at every game where fans at home watch replays of good and bad calls made by officials. What the cameras do not show and the officials cannot see is whether a player missed his assignment with the intent that his teammates get hurt. There are close to 3000 injuries in a season. Around 10 percent of injuries are of the type that could end a player’s career. It is easy to see then why a NFL player would not want any extra attention coming his way due to his sexuality. The average NFL player has a career that lasts between six and nine years (Staff, 2011). Prudent players will do anything they can to extend the life of their career by avoiding injury. They may even hide their sexuality so that teammates do not “take them out”.
Distractions
NFL player’s contracts do not offer guaranteed money. In fact, any player is subject to release from the team at any time. Once released the money stops. One of the core principles taught to NFL players is do not be a distraction to your team. Coaches begin teaching this concept as early as high school. Coaches in the NFL demand that their players do not become a distraction to their team. Coaches in the NFL seek to eliminate distractions from the team to preserve team unity. Distractions have the potential to tear an NFL locker room apart. To illustrate this we can look a Tim Tebow, first round draft pick of the Denver Broncos and former Jets quarterback. Tim is out of a job today, in part, because coaches do not want to deal with the distractions that come with Tim due to his open and charismatic brand of Christianity. “You don't want to put up with the circus”, one AFC head coach said (Petrillo, 2013). Esera spent much of his career thinking he would lose his job if anyone discovered that he was homosexual. Esera was afraid that his homosexuality would be a distraction to the team and call unneeded attention to him (Tuaolo & Rosengren, 2006). Therefore, Esera stayed in the closet.
NFL Culture
"I don't do the gay guys man," Culliver said, according to Yahoo. "I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do” (Smith, 2013). Chris Culliver made those remarks in the two-week media period before Super Bowl XLVII (47). Chris apologized for his remarks a few days later. Was Chris sorry or just sorry that he put his foot in his mouth? We will never know the answer to that question. However, we can conclude that there must be others like Chris in the NFL who want nothing to do playing with homosexuals on the field. In his book, Alone in the Trenches, Esera Tuaolo documents many instances of homophobic ridiculing that goes on between straight athletes. Esera’s teammates did not direct homophobic taunts at Esera. Esera kept his homosexuality too well hidden for any deliberate taunts. However, Esera felt the sting of these taunts when they would happen. Therefore, fear of ridicule kept Esera in the closet. That same fear is likely to keep others in the closet as well.
Changing the Culture of the NFL
The NFL added sexual orientation to the section of its collective bargaining agreement that prohibits discrimination in 2011 (Battista, 2013). The added language prevents a team from using a player’s sexual orientation as basis for an employment decision. However, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman challenged NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to formalize league policy and conduct an investigation into employment related discrimination in the NFL ("Response to…” 2013). Challenges remain. It is encouraging that Roger Goodell announced a zero tolerance policy towards discrimination for athletes who have a different sexual orientation (NFL Everyday, 2013). Teams cannot release players based on their sexual orientation. This is an encouraging sign for the NFL’s culture.
Earlier we showed that players receive coaching that discourages them from being a distraction to the team. Distractions hamper team unity and hurt a team’s chances for success. The first NFL athlete to embrace his homosexuality openly will certainly create a sensation if not a distraction in the NFL. There will be intense media coverage of the announcement. There will be press coming from around the world to interview the athlete, his teammates, his family, former schoolmates, etc. A large part of the distraction will be due to the novelty of being the first openly gay athlete. In America, we have witnessed other firsts before and survived. Jackie Robinson was the first African American athlete in the modern baseball era to play with whites. Babe Zaharias competed against men in the PGA and made the cut at several tournaments. Today we have Danica Patrick who competes against the men in NASCAR and INDY events. Looking at Danica, the novelty of being a woman in an all-male sport has faded a bit. The press still focuses on Danica’s biology but not as much as in the past. The other, male, drivers support Danica in what she is trying to accomplish. Today a lot of coverage of Danica focuses on the merits of her ability as a driver, i.e. when is she going to win? We would expect to see the same thing in the NFL regarding gay athletes. There will be a whirlwind of media activity following the announcement of the first gay NFL player, especially if it is a big star. However, the novelty will pass with time and perhaps with more athletes coming out of the closet. Therefore, the distractions caused by media coverage will diminish.
What about the distractions caused internally by athletes not wanting to play on the same team with a gay man? Well there have been several active NFL players saying that gay players are not a distraction. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe recently wrote, “A gay player is not a distraction to a football team” (Kluwe, 2013). Chris is not the only NFL player who feels this way. Mike Freeman of CBSSPORTS.com talked to many players in several NFL locker rooms who all essentially said the same thing; it is no big deal or we do not care (Freeman, 2013). On the surface then it seems that there has been a culture change in the NFL since Sterling Sharpe’s time when teammates would “take a gay man out”. Players facing homophobic ridicule now have the NFL’s zero tolerance policy in place to protect them. Today’s NFL player seems less inclined towards bigoted behavior than in the past. There are many current and former NFL players making statements every day saying they would support active and openly gay NFL athletes.
This leads us to the issue of injuries. The NFL has taken measures designed to reduce concussions by limiting the way players tackle. Roger Goodell has taken many steps to ensure player safety. Yet one has to wonder, how can the NFL enforce a rule that would prevent teammates from “taking out” another teammate? There are rules and laws even on the books that ensure that people are not subject to assaults and intimidation. We can fine, suspend or arrest players who willfully hurt a teammate or opponent who is gay. Yet how do we know that when a player misses a block or tackle and his gay teammate ends up injured that he missed the block or tackle with that intent? That is really a difficult thing to judge. Bone crushing hits are a part of what a fan pays to see in the NFL. The first gay NFL athletes will be taking added risk of injury every time they step out onto the playing field.
Redefining American Masculinity
America has looked at NFL players in the past as the ideal of American masculinity. We have admired their strength, courage, toughness, and cunning. Very few people would be upset if their son became the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers or the nose tackle for the Minnesota Vikings. They would not be upset since NFL athletes get the fame, the prestige, the money, and the girls since they are the best of the best. What happens to the image of the NFL athlete as the ideal man when it turns out that he might be gay? What happens when the strongest, toughest dude on the team might be gay? An openly gay NFL athlete could have a profound effect on the psyche of the American people. How many people who hoped their sons would turn out to be like Joe Montana would make pause if Joe was actually gay? Wade Davis a former NFL player and openly gay man had this to say about the subject: “Yes, there are non-athletes and athletes who conflate masculinity with athletics, but I think the narrative is changing and athletes, in private, are having important conversations about redefining masculinity and manhood. And, yes, they may have a ways to go, but so does the rest of society” (Cook, 2013). Having NFL players and NFL stars even, who were openly gay might help reduce bigotry in the general populace and that would not be a bad thing.
Conclusion
The NFL has come a long way culturally in regards the sexual orientation of its players. The NFL has instituted language into its collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation. The NFL has instituted a zero tolerance policy towards those who discriminate. Player’s attitudes have changed as evidenced by the number of straight athletes who say they support or at least do not care if other players are gay. When Chris Culliver made his insensitive remarks his team, his teammates, the league and media all pounced on him very quickly and forced him to apologize for his insensitivities. Chris underwent sensitivity training and now volunteers with the Trevor Project, a LGBT organization that provides crisis counseling to LGBT young people (Hendricks, 2013). To date no athlete has come out of the closet though it appears we are on the verge of seeing at least four come out at once (Rosenthal, 2013). If four players came out at once it would mitigate the distraction caused if just one player did so. One challenge that all NFL athletes face is that NFL contracts generally do not guarantee money to players. A gay player may still be uncomfortable coming out of the closet if he feels that he may be a target on the field.
Author's Note
I selected this topic merely because it was topical. I had read an article on Google News that stated there had never been an openly gay NFL player. I thought that was impossible. I have worked with openly gay people off and on for many years and did not think another person’s sexual orientation a big deal. I have read many articles in preparation for this paper. I initially felt like an openly gay NFL athlete would happen very soon. We have just seen NBA player Jason Collins come out of the closet. Society seems ready for this to happen in the NFL as well.
However, I have my doubts that any significant player will come out of the closet. Perhaps a player in the twilight of his career may choose to come out of the closet. Injuries are easy to come by in the NFL. There are on average 1.5 injuries for every player every year. Ten percent of injuries suffered by players are career-ending type of injuries. The average NFL player does not receive a guaranteed salary and only plays about six years. The window of opportunity for success is so small that every player must do whatever it takes to stay in the league. Unfortunately, gay NFL players may decide to stay in the closet in order to stay in the league.
References
1) Anderson, Eric., & McCormack, Mark. (Spring 2010). Comparing the Black and Gay Male Athlete: Patterns in American Oppression. The Journal of Men's Studies, 18(2), 145-148.
2) Battista, Judy. (2013, March 18). N.F.L. Is Pressured on Issues of Gay Rights. The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/sports/football/nfl-is-pressured-on-gay-rights-issues.html?_r=0
3) Cook, Bob. (2013, April 5). If NFL Players Say They're Gay, Youth Coaches Will Have to Rethink 'Manliness'. Retrieved April 5, 2013, from Forbes.com Web site: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2013/04/05/if-nfl-players-say-theyre-gay-youth-coaches-will-have-to-rethink-manliness/
4) Edgeworth Economics. (September 6, 2010). Dangers of the Game: Injuries in the NFL. Analysis for the NFLPA (NFLPA Report). Retrieved April 18, 2013, from http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/data/Dangers-of-the-Game-Draft-Esquire.pdf
5) Freeman, Mike. (2013, April 18). Teammates, Coaches Knew of Gay NFL Player and Didn't Care. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from CBSSports.com Web site: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/mike-freeman/22097516/team-knew-of-gay-nfl-player-last-season-and-didnt-care
6) Granderson, LZ. (2013, April 18). No Perfect Time: Society's not Waiting for NFL to be Fully Prepared for an Out Player. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from ESPN.com Web site: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9169413/no-perfect-gay-nfl-player-come-out
7) Harris, Kwame. (2013, March 29). Being Openly Gay, in NFL Wasn't 'Compatible". Retrieved April 1, 2013, from NFL.com Web site: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000156054/article/kwame-harris-being-openly-gay-in-nfl-wasnt-compatible
8) Hendricks, Maggie. (2013, March 5). Chris Culliver keeps his promise, plans to volunteer at gay support center. Retrieved April 3, 2013, from Shutdown Corner Web site: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/chris-culliver-keeps-promise-plans-volunteer-gay-support-173153377--nfl.html
9) Jessop, Alicia. (2012, October 31). Not Broke: How NFL Players Stay Financially Stable After The Game Ends. Retrieved April 18, 2013, from www.Forbes.com Web site: http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2012/10/31/not-broke-how-nfl-players-stay-financially-stable-after-the-game-ends/
10) Kluwe, Chris. (2013, April 1). An Openly Gay Player in the NFL is Not a Distraction. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/31/opinion/kluwe-gay-player-distraction/
11) NFL Hopeful Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2013, from www.NFLPlayers.com Web site: www.nflplayers.com/About-us/FAQs/NFL-Hopeful-FAQs/
12) Petrillo, Jay. (2013, May 10). Tim Tebow Blackballed: Is the Unemployed Tebow Being Blackballed out of the NFL? Retrieved May 10, 2013, from Examiner.com Web site: http://www.examiner.com/article/tim-tebow-blackballed-is-the-unemployed-tebow-being-blackballed-out-of-the-nfl (Tuaolo & Rosengren, 2006)
13) Response to NY Attorney General’s Request of the NFL to Prevent Anti-Gay Employment Discrimination. (2013, March 14). Retrieved April 3, 2013, from AthleteAlley Web site: http://athleteally.org/blog/entry/response-to-ny-attorney-generals-request-of-the-nfl-to-prevent-anti-gay-emp
14) Rosenthal, Gregg. (2013, April 5). Ayanbadejo: Gay NFL Players Might Come Out Together. Retrieved April 5, 2013, from www.nfl.com Web site: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000157692/article/ayanbadejo-gay-nfl-players-might-come-out-together
15) Simpson, Connor. (2013, April 6). The Big Problems with the NFL's Big Gay Player Rumor. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from TheAtlanticWire.com Web site: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/04/big-problems-nfls-big-gay-player-rumor/63952/
16) Smith, Meridith Bennet. (2013, January 30). Chris Culliver, 49ers Cornerback, Says Gay Players Not Welcome On NFL Team. Retrieved May 10, 2013, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/chris-culliver-49ers-cornerback-gay-players-not-welcome-in-nfl_n_2584762.html
17) Staff. (2011, April 18). What is Average NFL Player’s Career Length? Longer Than You Might Think, Commissioner Goodell Says. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from NFLCommunications.com Web site: http://nflcommunications.com/2011/04/18/what-is-average-nfl-player%E2%80%99s-career-length-longer-than-you-might-think-commissioner-goodell-says/
18) Tuaolo, Esera., & Rosengren, John. (2006). Alone in the Trenches: My life as a Gay Man in the NFL. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc.