Would you be comfortable playing a sport with someone who identifies as LGBT+?
Shouldn’t sports only be about skill, not personal life? Victoria meant this question to be about LGBT+ athletes, but it can apply more broadly, for example, about someone with bad character -- would you mind playing with a bad person if s/he were a good athlete and helped the team to win?
Do you think Michael Sam "ruined" his career by coming out? By coming out before the NFL draft?
I would be comfortable playing with someone who identifies as LGBT+ athletes because as long as they give their full potential effort then what is there to say about them? Dont judge them for who they are in sports, but more for the effort and role they provide to the team, how well they get along with others on the field and how they carry themselves. I don't think sports should be all about skills because character plays an important role too. I don't want someone who is talking smack to everyone on the field because that results in penalties which hurt the team. Someone with good character will take into mind the team and refrain from doing something that hurts the team. As for michael Sam, i do believe he would be currently on a roster if he were to not come out. I think this because everyone is judgemental these days and coaches and owners could think his presence could ruin locker room chemistry and bring down team performance which is completely wrong. Read this article i found on SEC defensive players of the year not to make an NFL roster:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.outsports.com/2014/11/4/7152717/michael-sam-nfl-draft-snub-gay
very interesting and statistically revelant article that shows the breakdown of defensive players of the year from the SEC that made an NFL roster. Speaking from many different sociological perspectives, is it right to judge someone by their off field decision and personal life?
I would be comfortable playing with someone who identifies themselves as LGBT. This should not matter at all when it comes down to athletics. Why should somebody be judged in athletics based on who they are or for that matter why should anybody be judged at all in the first place? I think there is no room for this type of behavior in sports. Everybody should be treated equally and if that person is considered LGBT and that person is going to give the team the best chance to win then that person better be on the field. It makes me sick to think that people actually judge somebody based on that. I don't know if Michael Sam "ruined" his career by coming out before the NFL draft but I do believe that he hurt his chances somewhat. I feel like once Sam came out to the public and admitted that he was gay, NFL teams were scared to take that risk on him because they didn't know how it would effect their team chemistry with an openly gay person inside the locker room. If I were in Sam's shoes I would have waited a little bit because I think his chances of getting drafter higher would have been greater.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Tyler. It is sad to say, but I do think it is true that he was judged. No one should have to hide how they feel but considering the situation I think he would have been better off waiting to come out about being gay just to see where he would land and if he got a contract or not.
DeleteI would be comfortable playing with someone who identifies themselves as being LGBT. I do not think that it should matter to anybody what someone else prefers sexually. We preach that we are a country of freedom and equality, which means everybody is equal whether they are homosexual or heterosexual. If somebody can play they can play no matter what their personal preference is. If Michael Jordan were gay it would not change that he is the best basketball player of all time! Now in the case of Michael Sams I feel like the media ruined his career not him being gay. The distraction of the media is what hurt his career because he is a really good football player. No owner wants a bunch of distractions apart of their team and that is what the media made Michael Sams. Why couldn't they have jet reported Michael Sams was drafted by the St Louis Rams and left it at that, that is what they do for every other player that gets drafted! Being gay has nothing to do with playing football so why were all of the "football" analysts reporting about him being gay? Maybe if Sams would have established himself as a professional player and then came out that he was gay he might have had a more successful career.
ReplyDeleteyou are right Blake, the media completely over did Sam's coming out of being gay. Owners around the league saw this as a major distraction that could possibly affect team chemistry and comfortability between players.
DeletePersonally I would never be opposed to playing with someone who is LGBT+. I think that that is their personal life and it shouldn't matter when playing a sport. Sports are about the game, not what happens beyond the sport. And as I'm saying this, I have to say someone with a bad attitude beyond the court would be a problem. I wouldn't want to play with them. I think that goes beyond their personal life, but more their character. If someone was LGBT+ and had a bad personality, I wouldn't want to play with them. It doesn't matter what sexuality they are more-less, as long as they are a good person. I guess it boils down to skill in highly competitive sports--but honestly, who would want to play with someone with a bad character?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind playing with someone who was LGBT. I think that it is their decision to like who ever they like and do whatever they like in their personal life. I think that It is more about what you can do on the field rather than what they do off the field. If they are on the team to help then I am all for that. I think anyone, no matter who it is, if they help the team then they should be accepted by the team. They aren't a virus to the team like people who constantly have a bad attitude. The only problem that could occur with me and an LGBT player would be if they came on to me or started to hit on me or anyone on the team. I think that the sport and the sexual life should be treated seperate by all parties.
ReplyDeleteAs an athlete you would like to say as long as someone can play then there is no problem. For the most part I could care less if someone was LGBT, all things are dis regarded once the game begins and all your doing is playing, but there is a lot more that goes into a team and teammate than just playing. If a team does not mesh and everyone on the team and feel comfortable with one another the team is not going to be successful. As long as for the most part that an LGBT athlete would keep there social life private it would be okay to play with one, I would not have a problem with knowing that an athlete is LGBT I just wouldn't want it to be shoved in my face that they are. This is like anything else if another teammate was not really a good person I wouldn't necessary have a problem with playing with them as long as a athletes personal life doesn't interfere with there performance on the playing field then I am okay with it.
ReplyDeleteI actually wouldn't mind playing with some with LGBT at all. I don't think that there should be any issues or problems being comfortable around others despite ho they are and what they do. Sadly I know that others might not be comfortable with it, but at this point of age and of the way society is we should really learn how to just deal with it and not feel uncomfortable about it no matter if its dealing with sexuality, gender, race, etc.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind playing a sport with someone of a different sexual preference than me, it is all about the sport, and content of character. Playing a sport with an LGBT+ is no different than playing with anyone else. But playing with a "bad person" would completely change the game. if they were a bad person in life, they're most likely going to be a bad sport. I would much rather play with a person if they're LGBT+ than if they were a punk or cheater or selfish or any other characteristic of a bad sport. And i honestly don't think he ruined his career by coming out of the closet, his skillset was evaluated and compared to the others on the camp list and his fell short. If anything, i feel like it made too much of a distraction for himself, not performing as well as he could have. But no one will ever know the answer to that question, we can only speculate. He sounded like a great guy and teammate to have around.
ReplyDeleteI would be comfortable. from my experiences with being on teams when you join the team you're more than just a teammate but you become family. and once you accept someone as family, there's nothing that you wont help and support them with. I can understand when the media males it a big deal about people coming out in professional sports but at the same time I don't think it should get that kind of attention. that's just another way they we single them out and I think they should be judged on their sports performance not on what sex they are attracted to.
ReplyDeleteAs an ex softball player, I played with and against lesbians all of the time. Personally it didn't matter to me whatsoever. They are people too. What they do behind closed doors is up to them. As long as they arent pushing the issue onto me it doesn't matter to me.. You could look at it in another way of what if you played against someone with autism, or someone without an arm. I know that this issue is somewhat different. But guess what, its life. People are who they are and you cant/ or rather shouldn't judge people because of who they are... that's like saying people aren't going to play volleyball with me because II'm too tall.
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