SmashMouth

Recently, we explained that NFL teams are curious as to whether Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o is gay. Somehow, this reality was misinterpreted by some as being an official PFT position that this is a legitimate question, for Te’o or anyone else.

It isn’t.

But the NFL is a unique industry, both in good ways and in bad. When it comes to outdated, intolerant views regarding the sexuality of its players, the NFL’s difference is that it doesn’t embrace diversity.

Case in point: Colorado tight end Nick Kasa was asked a stream of questions that touched on sexual preference at the Scouting Combine.

“They ask you like, ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ Are you married?’ Do you like girls?’” Kasa told ESPN Radio Denver on Tuesday. “Those kinds of things, and you know it was just kind of weird. But they would ask you with a straight face, and it’s a pretty weird experience altogether.”

It’s more than weird. It’s troubling. While on one hand teams try to throw players off the prepared answers that make them seem as complex as a cardboard cutout, on the other hand that effort should be undertaken without touching on inappropriate subject matter.

The league should be troubled, too. And the league should contact Kasa immediately, with a very specific follow-up question: “Which team(s) asked you that?”

Team asks prospect, “Do you like girls?” | ProFootballTalk

Mardigras9

Doesn't matter if he is gay or not, it's just the whole Manti Te’o situation is a RED FLAG for most teams.

UK_WhoDat

Terrible behaviour. Surprises me greatly that it occurred in the USA.

Danno

Its been reported that male athletes are "uncomfortable" with gay teammates. Whats odd to me is that a higher majority of Black athletes are more uncomfortable with it more than Whites/Hispanics.

Disclaimer: That was a report I read in the late 90's so things may have changed quite a bit since then.

SloMotion

IDK, if you're considering paying a guy millions of dollars to play for your team, I don't see why you can't ask him if he's gay considering the environment he will be working in. He's not applying to be the night clerk at 7-11 where it doesn't matter, he'll be in direct physical contact with his peers and if attitudes in NFL locker rooms are such that it would make his teammates uncomfortable, you have the right to be able to consider this before drafting him, IMO. Someone will draft him regardless, but judging by the Combine, being gay might be the least of Teo's red flags.

Crusader

I don't really see why the question is relevant but at the same time people needs to stop being so butthurt and get offended by everything.

SmashMouth

Understand... but that prospect might get interesting nicknames like "stiffy" or something...

UK_WhoDat

On that basis Clo' every who has work collegaues should be asked which is down right silly. The "direct physical contact" thing is hardly sexual - or iit wasn't the last time I saw a triple clipping penalty.
Woah! "Stiffy" That would be hilarious especially if there was really no evidence of such.
And like no one else has ever had nicknames for countless other (and sometimes never understood) reasons.

I think where we are going with all this is that some sensitives are wishing a world of exactly their requirements whilst other sensitives are preceiving a problem for groups of prople they do not understand.

Sometimes it is better to just get on with the job without knowing absolutely everything about every one of your collegaues.

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mutineer10

And here I was thinking it was 2013 ... sheesh ...

Rugby Saint II

I'm not a homophobe but gay men make me uncomfortable. I would think that most athletes in a locker room don't want to have a gay man in the next locker checking them out. I know some gay men that I run into occasionally and they always give me "the once over" and it creeps me out!

I play against a gay rugby team out of Atlanta and the party afterward is always extremely awkward. Is that the kind of uneasiness that you want in your locker room?