Over the years, the idea of a gay person in sports has been a touchy topic. More recently, in high school and college specifically, there have been more cases of athletes coming out to their teammates. There have been positive and negative cases in doing so. Corey Johnson is an example of an athlete - specifically a co-captain of his football team in Massachusetts - that found support from his teammates, parents, and coaches.
We discussed in class that high school and college teams are much different than a professional team. College, especially, it can be seen as more of an acceptable place to come out because people are usually more open to the idea. Professional leagues have been known for being homophobic, in a way. In the video we watched, a professional football player stated that being called gay, fag, or homo is the worst thing a teammate can say about you. He said that he would much rather have teammates talk about him getting arrested with cocaine than them to say he is a homosexual.
Because of this fact, gay athletes in sports feel unsafe - and rightfully so - coming out to teammates. Athletes in the NFL, MLB, and NBA have come out following their retirement, but there has never been an openly gay athlete that has came out during his career. I agree with the idea that there would need to be a Jackie Robinson-esque player to come out for it to be acceptable. First of all, the athlete needs to be elite, and a dominant force in their sport. Secondly, the athlete must be willing to take punishment, abuse and all that comes for a "first generation" person if-you-will. Just like Jackie Robinson being abused for being the first big-name black athlete in the MLB, the athlete must be willing to put up with a lot to be the first gay athlete in a professional league.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Yao Ming
As we discussed in class, Yao Ming changed the face of the NBA when he made his debut in 2000. Before he entered the league, many saw the post-Jordan era as a less professional, and more “gangster” league. Most people viewed NBA players – specifically Allen Iverson, but also included others – as thugs, criminals, or gangsters (which is not an off-the-wall argument looking at the actions of many players in the league.)
The hip-hop fashions and bad attitudes of many players in the late 90’s – which can still be seen even in today’s game on occasion – helped spark the debate that the NBA was full of these so-called thugs and low-lives. Yao Ming brought in a wave of international talent. It seemed after he entered that it became acceptable for more international players to join the league as well including players such as: Andrew Bogut, Yi Jianlian, and Andrea Bargnani for example.
Shaq was the first to call out Yao shortly after his arrival saying “Tell Yao, Ching-chong, yang, wah-ah-so.” This sparked a lot of controversy, and rightly so. It can be argued that this was just “Shaq being Shaq” and that it was a big joke but I think that if this was the other way around and Yao called him out with a derogatory statement towards blacks, it would be a much bigger deal. In the end, it seems to me that Shaq felt threatened by Yao’s arrival to the NBA and has too much of an ego to not say something.
Yao Ming was the first well-known Asian to enter the NBA. This is mostly due to his lanky 7’5” frame and natural talent. Much hype followed Yao into the league but behind the hype was doubt. Despite his talent, many challenged this and saw him as a “soft” player. Essentially, being soft means that he wasn’t tough or strong enough to be a force in the NBA. Yao has proved the doubters wrong and showed that he can be a dominant player in the NBA as he has shown over the past few seasons – when he’s not injured – that he is a force to be reckoned with.
Since entering the league, Yao has become China’s biggest hero. Every game, millions of viewers in China tune in to watch the Houston Rockets, the team that Yao plays for. His celebrity was really shown at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he was (besides Kobe Bryant) the games’ biggest star.
The hip-hop fashions and bad attitudes of many players in the late 90’s – which can still be seen even in today’s game on occasion – helped spark the debate that the NBA was full of these so-called thugs and low-lives. Yao Ming brought in a wave of international talent. It seemed after he entered that it became acceptable for more international players to join the league as well including players such as: Andrew Bogut, Yi Jianlian, and Andrea Bargnani for example.
Shaq was the first to call out Yao shortly after his arrival saying “Tell Yao, Ching-chong, yang, wah-ah-so.” This sparked a lot of controversy, and rightly so. It can be argued that this was just “Shaq being Shaq” and that it was a big joke but I think that if this was the other way around and Yao called him out with a derogatory statement towards blacks, it would be a much bigger deal. In the end, it seems to me that Shaq felt threatened by Yao’s arrival to the NBA and has too much of an ego to not say something.
Yao Ming was the first well-known Asian to enter the NBA. This is mostly due to his lanky 7’5” frame and natural talent. Much hype followed Yao into the league but behind the hype was doubt. Despite his talent, many challenged this and saw him as a “soft” player. Essentially, being soft means that he wasn’t tough or strong enough to be a force in the NBA. Yao has proved the doubters wrong and showed that he can be a dominant player in the NBA as he has shown over the past few seasons – when he’s not injured – that he is a force to be reckoned with.
Since entering the league, Yao has become China’s biggest hero. Every game, millions of viewers in China tune in to watch the Houston Rockets, the team that Yao plays for. His celebrity was really shown at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he was (besides Kobe Bryant) the games’ biggest star.
Michelle Wie
In class, we discussed Michelle Wie and her controversial golf career. Wie has been receiving praise since a very young age; she was discovered at the age of 10. She has been called the female Tiger Woods by some, although she hasn’t won any major tournaments. At 20 years of age now, she is still very young and has a lot of time to grow into the player many think she will become; I think she still needs time to develop.
Wie hopes to become the first female to play in the Masters and compete with men. Before this is even a possibility, she needs to prove herself as a dominant force in the LPGA. Wie recently got her first career win at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico. Before Annika Sorenstam tried her hand at playing in a PGA major, she completely ran the tables in the LPGA winning a majority of the tournaments and made the most money.
Many people get swallowed up in the hype surrounding Wie and automatically argue that she should be able to play in a men’s major. Although she did just recently win, I believe that this praise hasn’t meant much so far because she hasn’t proven herself. It is still too early to call her a flop because she is still very young and has plenty of time to grow as a golfer but so far she hasn’t lived up to her hype.
Wie hopes to become the first female to play in the Masters and compete with men. Before this is even a possibility, she needs to prove herself as a dominant force in the LPGA. Wie recently got her first career win at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico. Before Annika Sorenstam tried her hand at playing in a PGA major, she completely ran the tables in the LPGA winning a majority of the tournaments and made the most money.
Many people get swallowed up in the hype surrounding Wie and automatically argue that she should be able to play in a men’s major. Although she did just recently win, I believe that this praise hasn’t meant much so far because she hasn’t proven herself. It is still too early to call her a flop because she is still very young and has plenty of time to grow as a golfer but so far she hasn’t lived up to her hype.
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