Media Relations: real sports / October 28, 2002: What on earth is HBO doing with Esera Tuaolo's story, and why are they doing it this way?

Aside from HBO, now that the information is out and about, other outlets are happily doing their own in depth articles.

(Outsports) No More Hiding: There's a riveting scene on HBO's "Real Sports" when former NFL player Esera Tuaolo nearly breaks down. Tuaolo, a 6-3, 300-pounder who could bench press a house, has to compose himself as he recounts the nasty anti-gay epithets and jokes he heard in various locker rooms in his nine-year career. "Faggot … queer … fudge-packer … There's a joke and it's about anthropologists going to this tribe and it's about them having intercourse, so they …," Tuaolo says, his voice trailing off as he looks away, fighting tears.

(NY Times, registration required) Toughest Play for Veteran of N.F.L. Trench Warfare: ..... Tuaolo, who retired after the 1999 season with Carolina, his fifth team, is only the third former N.F.L. player to declare his homosexuality. Ten years ago, Roy Simmons of the Giants came out, most publicly on the "Donahue" television show, but then dropped out of sight. It has been 27 years since Dave Kopay, a ferocious running back and blocker for the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers, shocked SportsWorld with his declaration.
"The world has certainly improved for gay people since then, but not so much in sports and certainly not in the N.F.L., which has never been sensitive," Kopay said. "They never came out with strong statements against Reggie White or Jeremy Shockey for their homophobic remarks. And they seem happy to pretend that I don't exist."

And people are running with the information in all sorts of different directions:

Admission strikes fear into players: They are scared to death, these tough guys who make up the National Football League. They are scared to death by what former player Esera Tuaolo said and they’re petrified by the fact that, with his saying it, the door opened just a little more to realization that he wasn’t, and isn’t, the only one. [...] Never mind if a player was caught using steroids or is charged with beating his wife or fathers four children by three different women. Those foibles are all forgiven and understandable and simple human nature. But if a player is gay? Forget it. There is nowhere for him to hide. [...] But here’s the thing that no one in the NFL wants to think about. There are 32 teams and 53 players on each roster. That’s nearly 1,700 players. Does anyone really believe there isn’t another homosexual player on a roster? Do players honestly believe that someone else in the locker room, in the next stall, sitting next to them having their ankles taped or, God forbid, in the shower might not be gay? Rumors have swirled around marquee players for years including, most recently, Joe Montana, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Jeff Garcia. This season, New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza had to hold a surreal press conference saying he wasn’t gay.

'Superstar' says Tuaolo wasn't only gridiron gay: ..... "We had others and I'm not going to name anyone. There was one in my early career with the St. Louis Cardinals and one later with the Vikings," said Superstar. "I don't care. It's your business. Stay away from me. After he left the Vikings a lot of people knew that he had told a lot of us." Since then Superstar has run into Tuaolo at the State Fair. "I went up and said 'Hi' to him. He's as good a person as you'll ever meet."

Somehow, I have the vague feeling that no man in professional organized team sports would be able to manage this minefield. Not last year, and not in 2002.

But I digress.

Hetero males are such ego-maniacs. They assume that because you are gay, you obviously want to get into their pants. They flatter themselves way too much.

I am glad that he came out and like he said there are many more men that are gay out there. Just because they are suppose to be big bad football players doesnt mean that they cant have a softer side. Who's to say it has to be a softer side, being gay doesnt change a person from being who they are just how they react around people who would dislike the fact that they are gay. I am 28 and I am a lesbian and proud that I have a loving family and great friends that know I am me no matter what. I also play Womans Professional Football in Orlando, Florida. I am proud to stand along side any person who can stand beside me with out fear of who I like or love.

To amplify the comment of A.T. Antzak (above)

Not only are these straight atheletes ego-maniacal they are also profoundly ignorant and terribly cowardly -- their sexual orientation seems to them to be so uncertain that the possibility that a Gay man may shower next to them evokes a sort of panic -- panic over what?

Fear that homosexuality is somehow contagious? Fear that they may themselves be aroused at the thought? Clearly, these poor fellows have snakes in their heads!

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