New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has a new book out in which he addresses the rumors that his former teammate with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kordell Stewart, is gay. Burress says that while he doesn't personally know or care if Stewart is gay, he does think that the rumors affected Stewart. From Pro Football Talk:
"People were talking about [Kordell] being gay," Burress writes in Chapter 5. "The players heard that, but we never talked about it. I don't know if Kordell is gay or not. It was none of our business. If ever we would have talked about it, it would have made everybody uncomfortable. If some player was gay, I don't think he could come out while he was still playing. It would be real hard. It would mess a team up mentally and it wouldn't be good for that person."If Burress is right that a player couldn't come out while he was active in the NFL, that's a sad commentary on the NFL. I'd like to think that we're enlightened enough as a society that in most workplaces, coming out to a co-worker wouldn't be a big deal. Burress seems to think NFL locker rooms are among our society's least-enlightened workplaces, and I fear he's right.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-09-2008 @ 5:23PM
mj said...
There's a HUGE difference between most workplaces and an NFL locker room. Coworkers are naked in NFL locker rooms. Maybe an enlightened society should take EVERYONE'S preferences into consideration.
Plaxico was right, it's none of their business and bringing it up would only do harm.
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7-09-2008 @ 5:52PM
nickstoli said...
Gay, straight, bi, who cares. As SLASH, he'd have been a hall of famer, as a QB, he was Steve Pelleur.
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7-09-2008 @ 6:09PM
kilroy said...
Being gay is unnatural and indicates a very confused person so of course it would be "a big deal" to publicly admit that.
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7-09-2008 @ 7:04PM
Phil G said...
To further expound on mj's statement an enlightened society should take the majority's perferences into consideration. Most people throughout the world view homosexuality as an act of perversion and don't accept it as normal part of life. Just because we now live in a society that legally tolerates homosexuality does not mean that the majority morally condones, accepts, or promotes such activity as being normal. I don't think it's so much an enlighten society that accepts it but a gullible society that does.
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7-09-2008 @ 7:04PM
matt said...
MDS is an apologist for the homosexual community
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7-09-2008 @ 7:32PM
46and2 said...
Most of the world, in fact, morally condones, accepts, or promotes such activity as being normal. Because it is. Homosexuality is completely normal. I am ashamed to see the ignorance in the comments above me, albeit not surprised on an AOL blog.
However, most of the world is not in an NFL locker room. I have no problem with homosexuals, I think they have just as much right to be who they are as I do, however, I do use a locker room every morning and I can see how an openly gay player would cause some tension. I spend 10-15 minutes before and after my workout walking around completely naked. I dont blame anyone for being slightly insecure, because its one of the few places any of us will visit where its completely acceptable to be totally naked in front of others, let alone the same sex. The locker room shouldnt be a meat market, it should be, you know, a place to shower and change.
Theres alot of people out there who have a much less tolerant view of homosexuality (as evidenced by some of my fellow commenters) than I do, and Burress is correct in saying it would cause alot of problems in a locker room. Aside from the homophobia, it would also be a "Brett Favre/Tiki Barber retirement" class distraction for his team. The only way a player could come out would be if he was a fringe player like that gay NBA player who probably aint making the roster anyway. And even if he did, well... theres a reason i don't remember the NBA players name, and theres a reason he only came out after he retired.
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7-15-2008 @ 9:23AM
shane groves said...
this is very disturbing that you along with many others consider homosexuality to be normal. And please dont jump the gun and mark me as a gay hater or homophobe...that would be another mistake of ignorance. I dont have a problem with gays as people but i think they're actions and lifestyles are unrighteous. These are lost, confused people and our society tells them its all ok and a sign of bravery to "come out of the closet." Yes its the NFL...the national football league and this country, our nation was founded on Christian beliefs and morals and now the same very nation has thrown these ideas in the closet on the top shelf to be forgotten. Grab your wallet and take out a dollar bill...now tell me does it say "in the heart and mind of man we trust"...or does it say "in God we trust." Theres a book out thats been around for many years written by many authors and full of truly amazing stories. it was written long before todays rulers and celebrities and athletes for that matter. it will enlighten your views and open your eyes. it will fill you with love and make you feel condemned all in one. Its full of mercy and grace and pain and sorrow. Its called the Bible and its our Fathers book to us in all of his glory. Now whether the words touch you or not is on your heart and not mine.......
once again if your just gonna reply back calling me a gay hater....please im not being rude but just dont waste my time. Go back and read what i wrote one more time before you attack me.
7-09-2008 @ 7:40PM
hootie_69 said...
Anyone pulling the moral majority card is an idoit. The ethos of a society does not decide whether something is natural or not, nature does. Homosexuality occurs throughout the animal kingdom so that unnatural argument has no merit. If you want to read an interesting theory about how homosexuality persists based on a recent study here ya go.
http://www.slate.com/id/2194232/
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7-19-2008 @ 8:32PM
todded said...
I've never seen 2 male canines copulate, or any other same sex animals copulate anyway...humans do it and all the homos in this country justify it and rationalize it so they don't have to admit to being against what is right... If there is a God who condemns those who are "gay", then if I were them who are gay I would be fearing for my soul...Oh thats right we use to be monkeys and we just happenened with no intelligent help. We did all this ourselves.How vain are we????
7-09-2008 @ 7:44PM
46and2 said...
sorry to double post, they ought to let guests edit ;)
but no homosexuality in the locker room is complete without this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L00gu5_9YY
SOCCER PRACTICE
(locker rooms are some of the gayest places in the world, but we accept the homosexual undertones under the assumption that we simply do not think about it while we are there)
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7-09-2008 @ 10:20PM
BlueGuy said...
It only seems right that a male soccer reference is attached to this story.
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7-09-2008 @ 10:22PM
Scott Sargent said...
FanHouse night off?
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7-09-2008 @ 10:39PM
ryan said...
john amechi anyone?
http://www.collegefastbreak.com/
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7-09-2008 @ 10:47PM
bizzo5000 said...
Nothing Burress said was wrong, sadly.
He said it shouldn't matter, but yet it does.
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7-09-2008 @ 11:13PM
Tha_Prowler said...
an openly gay football player...haha..yea, rite. that'll be the day. who wants to be tackled by him and have him on top of you? who wants to shower w/ him? who wants to dress next to him? who wants to listen to him try to pump up the rest of the team in a rah-rah speech? who wants to get a slap on the ass by him after a nice play? sorry to all tha fairies, but play the game first then talk to me...go watch olympic diving if you don't wanna face tha truth. this is a real man's sport not for you fruits !!
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7-10-2008 @ 12:22AM
George B Vieto said...
NFL locker rooms are like Las Vegas television ad what happens here stays here.
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7-10-2008 @ 12:34AM
petejayhawk said...
Brave New World here on Fanhouse, eh?
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7-10-2008 @ 12:36AM
John said...
The site re-design blows.
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7-10-2008 @ 1:29AM
Chaplain 29 said...
These is a huge difference between the NFL locker room and other work places. Open dressing and showering areas, is only part of the physical differences. The physical combined with the mental aspects of that job environment is also quite different. In the newsroom if I am not physically there I can function on my intellect. One the football field you have to combine both aspectsof an individual to garner success.
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7-10-2008 @ 12:41PM
nick hutchinson said...
Gays have no place on the football field or any contact sport as a matter off fact take it from someone who played college ball if i found out a teammate was gay or an opponent i would level him all day on the field it would be snot bubbles all day for him i cant agree with it god did not put us on this earth with the intentions off same sex couples personally im agaisnt it however if i saw someone on the street i would not belittle them either but on the field game on sucka.