Once again the AFL is demonstrating how completely out of touch they are with the average punter.
Aker's comments were 100% correct. His underlying main point seems to have been completely missed.
If a gay man came out of the closet at ANY club, the subsequent MEDIA FRENZY by the likes of Damian Barrett, Craig Hutchinson, Dylan Howard and Matt Thompson, would rival the english paparazzi that HOUND the royals. In no time whatsoever we would be hearing and learning about the boyfriend(s) past and present, the family, the early childhood etc etc etc etc etc. There would be a permanent camp outside that person's house and a constant tail where ever he went, shadowing his every move. Not true? Well Hutchy has form and so does Dylan Howard. Keep in mind that these scumbags have put a substantial bounty on any person that comes forward. In fact they would sell their own Mother to get a story like this.
I can just hear the press conference now. Q. How come you guys lost today, did it have anything to do with the fact that player X is Gay. How has that affected the team? Do they still shower together? BLAH BLAH.
Having played football for over 25 years I can tell you first hand that gay men, get treated NO differently in the changerooms. There are lots of drop the soap jokes, gay jokes and general good ribbings as with every player. No difference. Anyone that tells you differently is a MORON and has never played footy with a gay man ie. majority of the football reporting media.
Ok so AKER has gone over the top a bit, but he makes a great point. Dont come out of the closet because your club will be besieged by ignorant media wankers, and the club will be put under a moral microscope which is unfair to the coach and officials. I did not see one iota of biggotry or sexual racism in his comments, just honesty and realism.
I think the AFL has an obligation to the football community and general public to put these media ignorants in their place. Its about time someone snotted Hutchy and put that weasal in his place. He is a disgrace.
Butsy, you raise some interesting points. I also do not believe that Aker demonstrated any purposeful 'sexual racism' or homophobia; however I think his message is inherently homophobic.
ReplyDeleteThe media frenzy that a player 'coming out' would cause is absolutely NO different (or should be no different) than any other of the hundred issues relating to AFL players that are played out in the media every week. Making this issue different than any others is the problem.
I disagree Dan. This issue has no precedence in the AFL and I believe the media reaction would be catastrophic to the club concerned. I also believe the damage it would cause to the player concerned and his family would be unimaginable. He would always be remembered as the "one that came out".
ReplyDeleteThe fact is this issue is different, not because the general public think it is, but because the Homophobic media do! As I said in my article, the players themselves and the majority of footy fans have no problem with a persons sexuality. It is the media that put it under a microscope unnecessarily and unfairly. Once this story comes out, every boyfriend and girlfriend this poor guy has ever had will be put in the crosshairs. The family will be questioned relentlessly and every person that the guy has ever met in his life will be asked his/her opinion.
I believe this will be very damaging and rightly or wrongly, gay men are better off staying put.
Having said that, I believe the AFL should take a strong stance with the media on this issue. I believe the privacy of players is continually being violated and the feeble "they are role models in the public spotlight" doesnt wash with me at all. These players are young men under enourmous pressure to perform and they need to be protected by the sneaky, gutter dwelling reporters.
Well written Butsy.
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