LeBron James on John Amaechi

[Mizzougrad96]

I remember four years ago when the war had first started on the eve of the NCAA Tournament and some journalists were asking players what they thought about the war and playing the tournament as the country was headed to war.

Some of the kids made very ignorant comments like. "Well, we have a war of our own Thursday night agaist Valparaiso..."

I thought it was a very unfair question to ask a college kid.

I feel similarly about this one, even with NBA players. Most are not social commentators. You want to ask this of Barkley or maybe even a Grant Hill? Fine... But, the reporters are fishing for the salacious (I won't play with any fag...) comments, which I think is unfair...

 

[wonkintraining]

F_B, the use of the word "admit" is unfortunate, but, in my opinion, not sinister. I think he used it as a synonym of "reveal."

 

[ballscribe]

I didn't have a major problem with what LeBron said, even if he didn't necessarily articulate it all that well.
Comparing him to Grant Hill is so unfair. How old is Hill, and how much more life experience does he have?

If I read it right, his take on the locker room is that it's a private place for the players, presumably where he thinks they can let it all hang out without the media and others around. A place that's not supposed to have any secrets.

His issue with a teammate being gay and not telling anyone is that it's a big, fat lie, a big elephant in the room. And that he'd be more pissed with the fact that he wasn't (to coin a phrase) "straight" about it from the get-go than with the fact that he was gay.

At least, that's how I read it, between the lines.

 

[qtlaw]

The worst part of the "shower" problem is the huge assumption that just because a guy is attracted to other guys he's going to be checking out other guys. Get over yourself, they are attracted to those who share the same wiring. Its no different than the Lisa Olsen issue which apparently has not killed professional sports in the past 20 years (?).

 

[sportschick]

I read LeBron's statement's as being a condemnation of a player remaining closeted and not telling his teammates (at least) about his orientation, not as a "I can't work with a gay man" sort of thing.

And has been mentioned, the guy's 22. We all said things that made us sound like asshats when we were that age.

 

[D-3 Fan]

I don't know why we sould expect Lebron James to have a sophisticated worldview concerning human sexual orientation at age 21 or whatever he is, plus be able to articulate (yes, ARTICULATE) his position like a top statesman. Did all of you? I know I didn't.

These guys are athletes, not social theorists. Of course I understand why they should be asked about the STORY OF THE DAY! And I get that even when the answers are this uncouth, it's revealing about the pro athlete's state of mind.

But walking into a locker room and asking questions about things like this yields no more insight than if one were to walk into a sports bar or a Wal-Mart or a convenience store. It's a cross-section of society. Some sophisticated people. Some not. Some liberals. Some conservatives. A great many who could give a shirt.

Pringle, LeBron could have made it easy on himself. Say "no comment." But since that is never good enough for the masses who want to know what these guys think, athletes have to say something. 99% of the time it makes them look like they took a class in "how to say something that is best said not saying at all."

 

[Cousin Jeffrey]

It's true LeBron is 22 and has had little experiences dealing with life, aside from growing up poor and becoming a pawn for shoe companies at 16 and having a kid at 20, but let's be honest, you don't need to be 26 or 27 to be able to empathize with people different from you. How about those high school kids Reilly wrote about a few years ago that championed their gay football team captain?

 

[outofplace]

F_B, the use of the word "admit" is unfortunate, but, in my opinion, not sinister. I think he used it as a synonym of "reveal."

Sorry, but "admit" has a very different meaning in this context.

 

[outofplace]

This is the real-life version of the movie "School Ties," when Brendan Fraser's Jewish character says "You never told me what religion you are," and after the kid tells him he's Methodist, Fraser responds, "Methodist. And all this time I didn't know it."

Right or wrong, everbody is assumed to be in the majority until it's learned otherwise. And by not "admitting" it, to use LeBron's word, Amaechi was in a way perpetuating a lie. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that "not admitting" it was not the only way he did this. He probably went out with the guys, leered at women, made sexist comments, etc., to fit in with the rest of the "normal" people.

Amaechi had plenty of reasons to keep it a secret, given the culture in which he was working. Can't say I blame him. But the bottom line is, he was still dishonest.

As for LeBron, the guy is 22 and small change. He'd be a senior in college had he gone. I love how all the sanctimonious people on here conveniently forget a 22-year-old's ability to do and say stupid things. I know I did and said them, almost daily (yes, yes, I know, I still do). I'd cut the kid a break, personally. His choice of words was poor, but he doesn't have the advantage of the delete key, and once it's out there, it's out there.

Careful. That limb you went out on is very likely to snap. Everything I ever heard about Amaechi leads me to believe he did not do those things. You are just assuming he went out of his way to cover his sexual preference. In other words, you are speaking out the wrong end of your anatomy.

 

[Yawn]

Careful Fen with your hysteric interpretation.


I meant it isn't real obvious not to see what side they bat from a) If they are married or involved and b) being seen in your average hotel bar or strip clubs on road trips. There may be a c option for those who stay in the closet but act like they are straight....such as Leigh Steinberg pointed out on a documentary a few years back when he mentioned the gay athlete will for appearance sake, date "high profile" women.

I bet those nights are exciting.

And it matters at all, why?
(Why is your waiter looking at you that way?)

First of all, you're assuming I'm a hot enough male to warrant looks. I wouldn't go there.

And I usually ask for a waitress. LOL. Seriously, I prefer the cafeteria and buffet food joints. Saves on tip money too.

 

[Pringle]

I don't know why we sould expect Lebron James to have a sophisticated worldview concerning human sexual orientation at age 21 or whatever he is, plus be able to articulate (yes, ARTICULATE) his position like a top statesman. Did all of you? I know I didn't.

These guys are athletes, not social theorists. Of course I understand why they should be asked about the STORY OF THE DAY! And I get that even when the answers are this uncouth, it's revealing about the pro athlete's state of mind.

But walking into a locker room and asking questions about things like this yields no more insight than if one were to walk into a sports bar or a Wal-Mart or a convenience store. It's a cross-section of society. Some sophisticated people. Some not. Some liberals. Some conservatives. A great many who could give a shirt.

Pringle, LeBron could have made it easy on himself. Say "no comment." But since that is never good enough for the masses who want to know what these guys think, athletes have to say something. 99% of the time it makes them look like they took a class in "how to say something that is best said not saying at all."

This would work: "I honestly don't have an opinion on the subject. I've never thought about it."

It comes off way better than "no comment" or talking out of your ass because you feel obligated.

 

[Boobie Miles]

I remember four years ago when the war had first started on the eve of the NCAA Tournament and some journalists were asking players what they thought about the war and playing the tournament as the country was headed to war.

Some of the kids made very ignorant comments like. "Well, we have a war of our own Thursday night agaist Valparaiso..."

I thought it was a very unfair question to ask a college kid.

I feel similarly about this one, even with NBA players. Most are not social commentators. You want to ask this of Barkley or maybe even a Grant Hill? Fine... But, the reporters are fishing for the salacious (I won't play with any fag...) comments, which I think is unfair...

Apples and oranges. The war is something that requires the players to be "social commentators" because it's looking for their opinion on a topic that they don't have any inside perspective on.

With this issue, your asking players how they'd handle having an openly gay teammate. They do have a valid opinion and it's relevant because when the former player comes out it makes people wonder how they'd be treated if they were open while playing, since that hasn't been done in a major men's team sport (as far as I know).
Reporters probably are looking for that one quote, like Randolph's, but I don't think it's any more unfair than when they ask a question about a coach or another player who isn't doing well or something like that and are looking for the player to give them some incendiary quote.